Is Everything From Tandy Sub-Par?

[natenaaron]

Hey look Natenaaron is asking another probably dumb question

I was about to purchase some tool stuff from Tandy and stopped myself. Is Tandy like the Wal-mart of the leather world, and I should avoid even buying tools from there?

[JLSleather]

Don't kid yourself... you can get cheap junk LOTS of places

[TomG]

Their Craftool line is OK to kind of learn what you might or might now want. Or learn a technique in many cases. But don't expect a "tool for life". I've played with the Pro line and they seem to be a whole lot better. I can't compare them to other makers, but the ones I did mess with made nice, sharp impressions.

I tested a #2 Pro Edger last week and it cut like butter right out of the package. I've had to sharpen every Craftool edger I've ever bought. The oblong slot cutters - High end is dull as a brick.. The cheap one is 10 times sharper.. but a crappy edge.

One disease that seems to be a major affliction of new leatherworkers is Toolitis. You want one of everything. Doesn't matter if you can or will use them.. you WANT them <g>.

If you are going to buy a good bit, the Gold membership can pay in the long run. Or a wholesale account.

It's best to go see the stuff, but if you can't you can always return it for full credit.

Oh, BTW, the only tool I've actually ever broken was a vintage Midas stamp. Go figure...

[camano ridge]

What kind of tools are you looking to buy? All most all of us own some Tandy tools even if some won't admit it. The older tools are better in most cases. However there are tools from Tandy work just fine. Some stamps are of. Try them out at the store before you buy to make sure it makes the impression you want. However there are other places to buy tools, GoodsJapan, there is another one I can't think of right now. I am sure some one else will mention it. When ordering from others on line you need to ask for the brand as some places carry tandy tools. If you have the money to spend you can't go wrong with Barry King, Jeremiah Watt etc.

[mlapaglia]

Buying from Tandy is like getting cheap tools to work on your car. You will get the car fixed but they are not the kind of tools you would buy if you fixed cars for a living. Tandy is the Harbor Freight of Leather Craft. The stuff is good enough for some use but if you decide you like doing it you will be buying better tools down the road. Think Harbor Freight vs Snap-on. Both work but the Snap-on keeps working.

Most of Tandy stuff is good enough for getting started. The Pro Line is new and may turn out to be fairly good tools. Time will tell.

Michael

[25b]

Had some time to kill last weekend and stopped by a Tandy store...was going to buy one of their "pro" diamond awl blades...until I found out they wanted some ridiculous amount of money for it...I think it was around $25...that was just for the blade. No handle.

No thanks.

And their leather selection and leather quality was pretty pathetic too.

[capsterdog]

LIke Camano Ridge stated, we all have some Tandy tools in our collections. The older tools are better from Tandy and the Pro LIne are very decent tools imo. I have to agree on the new edge beveler, they are sharp! Some people forget that not all of us can afford top of the line right of the bat. I think if you want to buy a few tools to get yourself started nothing wrong with that. Don't let others influence your buying, buy what you can afford and what you need. We all buy something from Tandy soon or later. Yes Barry King and Jerimiah Watt are great tools, but are much more expensive. Just remember, you don't need every tool out there. Start slow and keep moving on.

[natenaaron]

Thanks for the info. SOme things from Harbor freight are great others are crap and it is a crap shoot which you get. I have a grinder that has out lasted the big names, and another that burnt up the first hour. Don't like that kind of inconsistency.

I am looking for what I think would be the simplest tool kit to start with for what I want to do which is learn the basics of cutting, sewing and finishing simple projects like wallets, notebook covers, and the like. Aiming for bag and case making in the near future. The SNAP-ON man and I get along great but he is disheartened because I only purchase what I need when I need it.

1.5 and 1 inch Punch. That fork looking thing that punches holes

Diamond Awl

Corner punch

Round knife

Skiving knife (if someone says you can't skive with a round knife)

Good divider

v-tool

Burnisher

What do people think of those adjustable groover things that some folks use to recess the stitches.

[JLSleather]

If you're hand stitching, then I WOULD get the groover. And a diamond awl. I like an overstitch wheel for marking stitch spacing (no punches).

I've never owned a round knife -- for the type projects you're describing, you won't need one too. Stanley utility knife is $5 and cuts like butter. I keep a #11 x-acto around too.

What's a v-tool? You mean a gouge? Might help for notebooks n such.

And the burnisher is never a bad idea.

[Chief31794]

Tandy is what Tandy is. Fact is most of us wouldn't be doing leather work if it weren't for Tandy. They have some things that are okay and hard to find anywhere else. I don't buy leather from them, but I do buy a few odd tools from time-to-time. I buy most of my stamps and all of my edgers, swivel knives and blades from Barry King, although I have a couple of the new pro line stamps from Tandy and I have quite a few old Tandy stamps, but I don't use them much, however, they are handy when I need them. Bottom line, it's not a "Sin" to buy from Tandy, however, there are better tools, leather and hardware elsewhere.

Just my $.02 worth.

Chief

[natenaaron]

If you're hand stitching, then I WOULD get the groover. And a diamond awl. I like an overstitch wheel for marking stitch spacing (no punches).

I've never owned a round knife -- for the type projects you're describing, you won't need one too. Stanley utility knife is $5 and cuts like butter. I keep a #11 x-acto around too.

What's a v-tool? You mean a gouge? Might help for notebooks n such.

And the burnisher is never a bad idea.

No round knife? I assumed it was the staple of the leather worker's kit. I also assumed you wanted a non flexible blade for skiving. I use my Stanley to whittle because it has some flex.

Yes I do mean a gouge.

[Art]

A good utility knife ($10 more or less) get something that holds the blade firmly.

Pack of Irwin Blue Bi-metal blades ($10 more or less)

Strop with chrome compound (make it with your utility knife, wood, glue, leather) see tutorials on leatherworker.

Tandy Safety Beveler (not the super skiver) and some injector razor blades (again $10 or so).

A lot cheaper, easier to learn to use, and easier to sharpen than a head knife.

Art

[Art]

The reason for the "cheap" beveler (skiver) is that when you use it, you can cut on a 45° angle to the direction of the cut, much like you do with a real skiving knife. The super skivers and planes from Japan are built to cut perpendicular to the direction of the cut, which works if the blade is bleedingly sharp, for a while. When you skive on an angle, the blade slices the leather.

Art

[mlapaglia]

Am I the only one that uses a French flat edger to skive?

[TomG]

The reason for the "cheap" beveler (skiver) is that when you use it, you can cut on a 45° angle to the direction of the cut, much like you do with a real skiving knife. The super skivers and planes from Japan are built to cut perpendicular to the direction of the cut, which works if the blade is bleedingly sharp, for a while. When you skive on an angle, the blade slices the leather.

Art

I have the Safety Beveler, but never developed a good feel for it, although I can skive an belt or strap end if I need to.

I've always wondered why the blade is curved? Any clues? Tandy just says it's to prevent gong too deep, but I can gouge the hell out of a strap if I take my eye off it for a second.

For doing straps and some other stuff, use the HighTech leather splitter. Once the blade is stopped and adjusted, it is a lifesaver. But unless you have a proven need for it, it's a bit too expensive.

[JLSleather]

If you're cutting 13-15 oz leather consistently, then maybe git the round knife. More blade in the cut theoretically means less labor. But like Art mentions, then you also have the 'down time' of sharpening. With a utility knife (the one I use I found at an auto parts store years ago) you just pitch the blade and go. Yer out a quarter er so ... I cut 10 oz leather with it all the time.

Gonna go out on a limb here and say bout the only benefit I've seen in those curved "skife" skivers is that it binds the blade in place, much like a pancake holster holds a pistol. I got one 100 years ago, and I use it just because I'm used to it -- not necessarily that they're that wonderful. There are a LOT of ways to end up with the same thing. While I won't buy something so cheap i have to FORCE it to do the job, I also don't buy things just cuz I kin, which I think is often the case with round knives. Saddle maker likely got several uses for one. Most others buying one... as you suggested ... simply because someone told them they need one.

[JLSleather]

Oh, as for Tandy ....

There's a shop a little better than an hour from here. Usedta be called "The Leather Factory" years ago. I ordered there ALL THE TIME, no problems. I'd just send em a order form (anybody remember those paper things with lines on 'em?) and in a few days I'd have exactly what I need Worst case, if I ordered a dbl shoulder o' 9/10 oz and wrote 12 feet, they might call me and say all they got is 14 footers. Yeah, fine... whatever. And it would arrive and be about 95% useable leather, very little trim.

Now .. it's "Tandy Leather Factory" and .. well.... not so much. Still, that litttle dark haired gal is both cute and knowledgeable, so ya GOTTA go SOMETIMES. Maybe just to decide you already got what you need, and did she already have lunch ... ?

Ahhh... I'm gittin soft.. finding the up side to everything

[Art]

My recommendations are to keep tool cost low to start. There are many ways to skive and bevel, french edgers are one of them. The safety beveler is cheap, easy, and if used on a 45° angle gives a nice clean cut with not much of a learning curve. No sharpening stone or strop necessary.

Art

[JLSleather]

AND .... the point is that though that gal is just a tad chubby healthy, I conclude that NOT EVERYTHING from Tandy is sub-par

Edited August 14, 2015 by JLSleather

[25b]

I would also recommend that if you *know* there's a tool you do need and really will use, check with Bruce Johnson. He may have it at a fair price and it'll be ready to use when you get it. I've been happy with the tools I've bought from him.

Just a happy customer.

[natenaaron]

AND .... the point is that though that gal is just a tad chubby healthy, I conclude that NOT EVERYTHING from Tandy is sub-par

Sounds like a good enough reason to wonder in there. Just to see if she is alright. Totally off topic. I wondered why my mechanics were ordering so much from NAPA until I saw the delivery girl. She left and my NAPA bill went way down.

Edited August 14, 2015 by natenaaron

[Chief31794]

I'm never as lucky as JLSLeather, my Tandy Manager is knowledgeable, normally free for lunch, etc. However, if I'm not mistaken, he learned his leatherworking in the Prison Leather Shop, so I just go in there to see if anything is new and don't bother with the whole lunch thing. One other note though, my Tandy bill stays quite low! LOL

Chief

[JLSleather]

While I agree tha's not so lucky, if he's out the prison, way ya hear bout summa them boys, he may not mind gointa lunch witcha!

Tha's a riot. Get it? Prison... riot ....

[Jim]

Ah, this is the perfect time to tell this story.

Late in the last century, I decided to pursue my boyhood love for leather work full time. So, with a hundred dollar bill in my pocket I set off to the local Tandy store. (Actual location shall remain un-named.)

I had an idea of what I wanted to do and what I'll need to do it. So I ask the lady there about the various stuff and she points it out to me.

(This is where is gets good!)

I tell her that I need a good knife for cutting leather, so she hands me this funny looking thing with a curvey metal top over a swivel and a very odd looking cutting edge. I says "This cuts leather?" To which she replied, "It's what the professionals use."

Mmmmm -kaaay. Not what I used when I was a kid, but oh well.

So, I took it home and laid out a piece of leather to begin cutting a long one inch wide strap with my "professional" leather cutting knife. Well, after about eight passes and no success, I put it to the stone for a better edge.

After thirteen more passes and a very bad cut, I threw the SWIVEL knife in a box, went to the hardware store, and bought me an UN-professional knife to cut my leather.

You can't make that kind of stuff up!

Jim

[ChriJ]

Jim,

that certainly didn't work out. Maybe you should have seen what she was doing for lunch!

Chris