Is Everything From Tandy Sub-Par?

[NVLeatherWorx]

@Mike516: SLC has pretty much the same hardware items when it comes to buckles, snaps, rivets, etc. as Tandy does and they are way on top of keeping you informed of any issues. I use them quite often for the smaller orders when I just need to get a handful of stuff in a relatively short time and have had no issues with them to this point. Ohio Travel Bag also has a lot of the same stuff if you are looking for a bit larger order and a great price.

@electrathon: Sounds like the store here in this area may be unique because there isn't a single person on that staff that has ever worked with leather and I have seen their teaching curriculum. I even tested some of their staff one day when visiting and asked to see an Oak-Leaf 4 to 5 oz. tooling side; she brought me a Craftsman Oak 2 to 3 oz. side. When I addressed this with her all she had to say was, "they are all the same anyway, we don't really have much difference in quality," I was quite surprised at that answer and decided that it was appropriate to report the issue to Corporate as the shoppers in this area don't accept ignorance very well. I received a response from them that they were already aware of similar issues having been reported there and were working on it. FYI, same girl is now one of the instructors for the classes; guess they don't really care afterall. You, and some others, may be lucky enough to have access to a Tandy store that has some educated and experienced personnel, but I know for a fact that those stores are not the norm and I know several store managers that will back that up. I find it much like taking your car to a specialist to get it worked on only to find out that they are actually a Poker Dealer at some local Casino but they just like to tinker with things. It is however their actual company model to provide product, not knowledge, at the store level and I even have some emails from their Customer Service department that supports that as well. That was one of the reasons I quit using them for the little stuff like quick hardware purchases and such.

[electrathon]

To be clear, I do not now, nor have I ever been a Tandy employee. If there was a guild in the Portland OR area I likely would be running it. I teach at the store because I enjoy doing and teaching leather. We hold the leather workers support group meeting at Tandy the first Saturday of every month. Anyone that comes in with a question we try to answer it.

It is my understanding that Tandy does not hire employees because of their leather knowledge, they are hired as a person that works in a retail store. The line that people are told when questions are asked is usually that they are there to sell the products that are used for leather, not there to do the leatherwork. Admittedly after they are there for awhile many employees do pick up a few answers, but answering questions is not what they are hired to do. Restocking shelves and scanning part numbers is.

[Mike516]

Restocking shelves and scanning part numbers is.

That would explain their poor customer service then. They really need to at least call and let people know if something will be missing from an order.

I'm sort of in a kind of vortex where I live. There are three Tandy locations that I will randomly get my internet orders from. I never kept track of the difference because I don't really have the time to make notes with every order. Maybe I should start doing that. Probably easier to find a new supplier.

It's hard because good or bad I know what I'm getting from Tandy. The materials I've learned that are good there and I get from them regularly are pretty consistently good, but unfortunately the bad is pretty inconsistent. You never know when someone there is going to do something that will screw me up. This last buckle order could have lost me customers, and I don't have the shop space to keep a large stock of everything I might need.

Don't know what I'm gonna do. And I'm going to start doing this full time too, so I need a reliable supplier at this point.

[Royster]

Great read on this thread and lots of helpful information. I think I'll start my leather craft adventure with Tandy and when funds allow I'll upgrade to the better tools.

Thanks guys.

[grimmlin]

Being a newbie, I'm not sure how much my opinion counts....but I'm starting with quite a few things from Tandy. I've read reviews from people who ate much farther in and I know Tandy isn't the best, but right now I know I don't need the best. I just need something to get me through a few projects to decide if I want to keep going or just be glad I gave it a shot. I don't want to invest a of money in what might turn out to be a fleeting interest.

I cook for a living, and my toys now are so much different than what I started learning with. I probably would have seriously hurt myself and hated what has become my passion if I started with my Shun knives and triple clad stainless cookware. I see leather working as possibly being similar.

[johnv474]

It would be safe to say that because of the size of Tandy's operation compared to any other stores catering to this specialized hobby (at least in the US, maybe worlwide), that their products are not sub-par. They ARE par. Their products consume the large center of the bell curve in terms of marketshare. They are the standard, and there are better and worse out there, reaching out far in both directions. I regularly use and recommend Tandy's tools (but no exclusively). To someone who hopes to make a few belts or a wallet, the grace found in the $200 edge beveler could not be appreciated. Where there is a budget (and there always is), it is hard to find a better bang-for-the-buck option, unless the buyer has unlimited time to search auctions, flea markets, and classified ads, hand-picking used higher-quality tools at a bargain price. Some of my Tandy tools have never needed replacing with better and more expensive alternatives.

[Art]

Who makes the illusive $200 edge beveler? You say there are worse tools out there, who pray tell is making them? Tandy (when it really WAS Tandy) used to make or have manufactured a decent line of tools. They also carried tools from other prominent makers. Now, the same tool I bought from Tandy before 2000, bought today does not work. I can get the same tool from Goods Japan and it works. Same exact tool, in every aspect, but the Goods Japan tool works, and the Tandy tools (I bought two at different times because I couldn't believe what was provided) do not. Actually can't cut a stitch line with either Tandy tool because the manufacturing is not right. Things like holes in the wrong place.

Tandy is still useful, but you would be wise to do your own Quality Control. Make the store personnel demo the tool for you to make sure it works before purchasing.

Art

[johnv474]

"If you think the Chinese product made for export to the US are low quality, you should see the ones made in China for their domestic market." - an M&A attorney to me, after touring some factories there that were under consideration. It seems safe to count on me likelihood that somewhere there are factories with quality too low for even TLF to use, right? I am not an expert at knowing the lowest quality manufacturers well, but I expect that a search on Alibaba would provide a list of manufacturers with tools cheaper/worse than even Harbor Freight would carry.

I invented the $200 edge beveler to illustrate the idea of giving a Boy Scout a sniper rifle, so to speak, but they do exist. Barnsley made/makes them and Hale & Co sells them.

I have had to modify even my Osborne tools to suit my needs (e.g shortening round knife handles, narrowing pricking iron tooth width). The toolmaker just gives the user a starting point.

[Art]

FYI, Barnsley burned down years ago and is no longer in business. Hale and Company sells some old Barnsley stock it has at extremely high prices. A Barnsley edge beveler never was ever worth or sold by Barnsley for $200. The best edgers available now are those made by Bob Beard, Bob Douglas, Barry King, Ron's Tools, Weaver Leather, C.S.O., Vergez Blanchard,and Jeremiah Watt. None of these even approach the century mark as far as price goes. I have used Tandy edgers I bought in the '70s and '80 that were perfectly useful tools. I have not used ones made in the last 15 years. With a little skill and determination, you can make most leatherworking tools out of available materials, but it requires skill and determination in manufacture, which in my opinion Tandy currently lacks. They could change that if they wanted to and still produce product in China, but currently, I don't think they have the knowhow or desire.

Art

[grmnsplx]

Tandy is really good with returns. If you don't like the tool, if it doesn't do it's job, if it breaks, take it back.

[Art]

Like myself, a lot of folks are more than 2 hours (and a few gallons of gas, even at today;s prices a considerable amount) from their "local" Tandy/TLF. It is my impression that the Tandy/TLF tool problems have more to do with QC than design, so making the store demonstrate the tool to you will kind of enforce a measure of Quality Control. If the tool works for the folks in the store, it should work for the purchaser when they get it home. All those leatherworking tools and supplies in concentration are a boon to leatherworkers who, with a little demonstration can be assured of getting the product they need. You don't have to spend big bucks to get a good tool, just do a little QC before you leave the store.

Art

[NVLeatherWorx]

Well that is a good thing to base an existence off of, returns! The fact that Tandy is good at that type of program pretty much answers the OP's original question then. This discussion has finally solved itself. The quality of their tools today, even their "Professional" line, is well below an acceptable standard and there are several "cheap" tools out there from other sources that perform far better than the current Craftool line. In fact, Tandy should be ashamed for still using that name as it once meant quality and it was also the Gold Standard at one time. If it wasn't for the fact that the quality of the Craftool line took a dive you wouldn't have those other tool makers out there in the number that you do; they exist because we demand quality and reliability. All of this started when the Leather Factory decided to make the move on Tandy Leather; ever since that take-over it has been all down hill, and there is still some distance to be covered.

[TinkerTailor]

There is one thing at Tandy that is above par......The prices...

Here is my thoughts on Tandy:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=67396&p=447268

[johnv474]

"FYI, Barnsley burned down years ago and is no longer in business. Hale and Company sells some old Barnsley stock it has at extremely high prices. A Barnsley edge beveler never was ever worth or sold by Barnsleyr $200. The best edgers available now are those made by Bob Beard, Bob Douglas, Barry King, Ron's Tools, Weaver Leather, C.S.O., Vergez Blanchard,and Jeremiah Watt. None of these even approach the century mark as far as price goes."

Thanks for this added information. Sometimes higher prices do not correspond to higher quality. I have only heard positive things about the toolmakers listed, and look forward to upgrading to some of theirs when I outgrow what I own. So far my best quality of best deals have been well-used tools older than I am.

[Art]

There are really good deals out there, even on new tools from prominent makers like Jeremiah Watt with his QC Line of Edgers which are basically 5 edgers for $45 or so. I haven't tried these, so I can't give them my blessing, but other tools of his are very good quality.

Art