Is Everything From Tandy Sub-Par?

[TomG]

Here's the bottom line, IMHO. Like every other vendor in the world, you can get good stuff and bad stuff. You can have a great Tandy store with terrific, knowlegable staff, or a dump where half the staff don't know which end of a skiver to use.

I've bought some horrible leather from them and I've bought some beautiful sides and doubles. Their regular stamps are not the best in the world, but they will let a person who is new to the craft, to at experience a variety of designs without breaking the bank. And if you are careful and mark your tools to keep the same side forward as you stamp, you can actually do some nice stuff.

Their new line of Pro tools is actually very nice. At least the ones I've tried.

I would never hesitate recommending a new person buy from them. They can always return items they don't like or are not up to par. And when you sss that you are really going to get serious about the craft, you can upgrade your most used tools with better quality stuff.

[magsie]

I'm new to the whole leather working world and decided to buy the deluxe kit from Tandy because I knew that aside from whatever little projects took my fancy, I wanted to be able to do minor tack repairs on my own stuff, easily punch new holes in stirrup leathers, make some fancy browbands and dog collars, maybe try making myself some chaps, and incorporate more leather work into other fabric pieces that I make - the tooling side wasn't as important to me (although now that I've tried it, it is pretty fun and I'm getting more into that too!). I should also add that I live a good two hours away from any leather shops and Tandy is the only one that lets me order online, ship it or pick up in the store, or just go into the store to purchase - oh, and I qualify for the wholesale discount which helped a bit with the initial cost of everything. It ended up being cheaper for me to get the kit with a few things that I didn't think I would need, but I've ended up having fun learning how to use, than getting all of the tools and accessories that I knew I would need individually and not really being sure if I was getting the right things. The pieces that came with my kit may be different than come in the the others, but I've actually been really pleased with how easily everything cuts, punches, sets etc. Any problems I've had with the stamps have been more down to operator error than anything else and the leather I've bought has been fine too, but my standards are probably pretty low when compared to a lot of you guys!! The only thing that I've really found frustrating is the dyes and stains. And I've found the videos and tutorials that they have really useful since I can't go to any classes and don't learn well from books. I suppose I'm just echoing what pretty much everyone else has said, Tandy serves a particular purpose for a particular market and anyone who really gets into leather working will eventually move away from Tandy, but without Tandy I wouldn't have even tried leather work and I wouldn't have eventually found this site which has been really helpful and encouraging to me.

[Sheilajeanne]

Okay, I have finally found something from Tandy that totally, irrevocably, sucks beyond all belief!

I ran out of tracing film that was included with my beginner's kit. Bought a 36 inch roll while at my class (8 weeks of free classes are included with the kits...great deal!)

The stuff is made of the slickest, slipperiest plastic imaginable. The only way I could hope to transfer the design to the leather was to put threads through the lacing holes of my project and tie the film in place! Even then, it slipped a bit, and I frequently had to check it and readjust the position!

Not only that, the pencil marks I made while tracing the design from the instruction sheet were very faint and hard to see.

The next time I'm anywhere near Michael's or a fabric store, I am going to check out their tracing paper! Heck, plain tissue wrapping paper would have been better than this junk!

Two other lesser beefs: many of their wallet and purse kits are on special right now for Christmas, so I bought a couple. Unfortunately, I didn't check out what tools I would need until long after I got the kits home.

Each kits uses different tools, and very few of them are the 6 basic tools you get in the beginner's kit. Talk about tool-itis!! I am now up to 30 stamping tools, and today I found I need yet another tool (a snap setter) to finish the clutch purse I'm working on!

One of the purses includes 2 different floral designs for the exterior. Each of the designs uses a different set of tools, with very little overlap. One design required me to buy 11 tools, the other 10!

My instructor was in the store when I was buying some of them (and complaining bitterly about the number of tools and the cost) and he helped me weed out the ones I really didn't need.

Second beef: I am finding using the alphabet stamps a real challenge. There is a faint dot on the bottom of the stamp to help you get the letter facing the right way when stamping. In spite of that, I've managed a few mis-stamps, and many stamps that weren't lined up properly with the other letters I was using.

It didn't help my efforts when I discovered (after the fact, of course!) the dot on the letter 'n' was at the TOP of the letter, not the bottom!

Guess that's what happens when the goods you sell are made in China, where they are not familiar with our alphabet!

Edited November 23, 2015 by Sheilajeanne

[Kulafarmer]

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.

Dont fall prey to tradesman snobbery,,,

Have been reading the forums here, most folks are truly helpful, but there is an undercurrent of that elite mindset with a few posts here and there.

Old sayings about more than one way to skin a cat run true,

Lots of us cant afford 140$ for one edger, or 40$ for a single shading stamp, so gotta make do with what we got,

I have seen plenty of beautiful professional grade pieces made with cheap Chinese tools and home made gadgets.

Its in your hands as they say

Edited November 29, 2015 by Kulafarmer

[NVLeatherWorx]

As has been said here many times now, Tandy is where most of us started but I can honestly say that their quality is a thousand times worse now than it was just 20 years ago and when I started working with leather the entire Craftool line was made here in the USA, their leather was the finest US tannage you could find, and their staff actually knew how to work with leather; this was over 40 years ago. The big changes to the lack of knowledge and quality happened after the Leather Factory bought the Tandy name and it has been downhill since then. Regarding the question posed by someone about their leather, it is indeed garbage, even the higher end. All of their hides are now tanned South of the border and the formulas used for the tanning are questionable; some of the blends even include the use of animal urine to get the pH that they are looking for. They do get some hides from Europe but they are typically very small and their quality is not what you would actually classify as premium. There are still a couple of quality sources right here in the US for the best leather that money can buy, even though you might pay a little more for it than the stuff you can get from Tandy. Just like everything else, you get what you pay for. If you are just doing this for a hobby and have no real intentions on being serious about it then you may want to stay with Tandy because it is most economical; if you are looking at getting serious about your work and making money with the products that you make then you need to start planning for that now and making the change. Regarding the number of tools you need there is a simple answer for that and every long-term leather craftsman knows this to be true: you can tool any style or pattern with the basic tools, it is all in how you use them and adjust your techniques. There is no need for anyone to have to own every tool or stamp made out there thinking that it requires a certain set or type of tool to accomplish a style or pattern. This is what makes this craft unique, the finished product is based on your own individual interpretation and styling.

[TinkerTailor]

Tandy got where they are because they have tutorials, a colourful catalog, and most importantly, they had mail order. You could get their items anywhere and order from a picture. For the most part quality was consistent. Prices were higher than wholesale, but they were also one of the few willing to deal in small quantities of things and ship to Alaska..... They also set up nice storefronts that people would travel to to see all the items layed out. And staffed them with people who knew the trade from a home crafters prospective.

They are going to have to step up their game in the internet age. Their quality has dropped and their prices have risen to the point that there are quite a few smaller players who can compete with them due to online sales. As well, bigger players have seen the income potential of small sized but numerous internet orders. The internet has equalized things, and the brick and morter store front days are dying. Makers can research pricing, and quality reviews online and find alternatives to tandy in seconds. Factory direct in small quantities is common now online. Why order buckles from tandy when weaver and ohio travel bag and hudson4supplies will ship in small quantities, sell online and have better stuff for close to the same or sometimes alot less money?

I bet in 5 years time, tandy will be either have pulled up their britches, or may not be here any more.

[NVLeatherWorx]

Sorry to say this because it creates a disagreement with your post TinkerTailor but Tandy hasn't staffed their stores with a knowledgeable person in quite a few years now. In the days of just Tandy Leather every store employee was a skilled craftsman and knew exactly how to help a new customer learn what they needed to; today every employee in their stores has been trained in the corporate line of what to say to a customer and when asked a technical question on "how to" they are referred to the Leathercraft Library for the video series or one of the many forums out there. Even the person instructing their in-store classes just follows the company curriculum that has been provided. I know this for a fact because I spend a lot of time with some of them outside of their store environment and they freely admit that this their corporate structure. That is why I have been bombarded with requests from private individuals as well as groups to instruct for them as they can never get a real useful answer from the staff. The days of the Tandy name being what they once were have long since passed and all the rest of the "stuff" that they can do is being done by everyone else out there who has jumped into the online marketplace. Tandy is the last resort if that is all you have but when I can get my Hermann Oak and other finer goods from everyone else, and at small quantities, and for much less than the lower grade quality items from Tandy cost (and I am a business with wholesale pricing from everyone) then why should I even give them consideration? I spend my funds wisely and get much more than Tandy could ever offer me and when it comes to the instructional elements, I would rather see a newbie contact one of us qualified and experienced craftsmen with their questions than see them jump on the Tandy site or the bulk of the YouTube videos that are out there (even those are questionable in most circumstances). Kind of the same thing as a person who has only worked with leather for a year calling themselves a Master Craftsman or using it as an ID; just doesn't fit or match the actual level of experience and knowledge. The name Tandy has been severely smeared since the sell out to the Leather Factory but then again, that is why they bough it because their name had already been associated with low quality and value so they needed to take on the Tandy name because it had the following and recognition. Too bad they ruined it.

[biglew]

Sorry to say this because it creates a disagreement with your post TinkerTailor but Tandy hasn't staffed their stores with a knowledgeable person in quite a few years now. In the days of just Tandy Leather every store employee was a skilled craftsman and knew exactly how to help a new customer learn what they needed to; today every employee in their stores has been trained in the corporate line of what to say to a customer and when asked a technical question on "how to" they are referred to the Leathercraft Library for the video series or one of the many forums out there. Even the person instructing their in-store classes just follows the company curriculum that has been provided. I know this for a fact because I spend a lot of time with some of them outside of their store environment and they freely admit that this their corporate structure. That is why I have been bombarded with requests from private individuals as well as groups to instruct for them as they can never get a real useful answer from the staff. The days of the Tandy name being what they once were have long since passed and all the rest of the "stuff" that they can do is being done by everyone else out there who has jumped into the online marketplace. Tandy is the last resort if that is all you have but when I can get my Hermann Oak and other finer goods from everyone else, and at small quantities, and for much less than the lower grade quality items from Tandy cost (and I am a business with wholesale pricing from everyone) then why should I even give them consideration? I spend my funds wisely and get much more than Tandy could ever offer me and when it comes to the instructional elements, I would rather see a newbie contact one of us qualified and experienced craftsmen with their questions than see them jump on the Tandy site or the bulk of the YouTube videos that are out there (even those are questionable in most circumstances). Kind of the same thing as a person who has only worked with leather for a year calling themselves a Master Craftsman or using it as an ID; just doesn't fit or match the actual level of experience and knowledge. The name Tandy has been severely smeared since the sell out to the Leather Factory but then again, that is why they bough it because their name had already been associated with low quality and value so they needed to take on the Tandy name because it had the following and recognition. Too bad they ruined it.

First I would like to say that there is am amazing amount of education available on the net.. FREE..YAY

But there are tandy stores out there with good staff.. The livonia michigan store is managed by a fellow named Chris. He is a wealth of knowledge and honest about products. The two other employees also are good leather craftsman. They are great to just hang out with and share knowledge.

I wish i could afford the high end tools I see.. jerimiah watt, joseph dixon... vergez blanchard.. to name a few. I will acquire them as funds allow. But the artisan within will make even the crudest tools sing!

[Mike516]

I need a new place to get supplies. I've been ordering stuff from Tandy for a few years now. Little glitches here and there, someone will call and tell me something is out of stock or I'll get charged a little more for shipping than what was quoted online. But this last order totally pissed me off.

I get my order and I'm missing 8 of 10 buckles that I had ordered. I called the store, and the guy tells me they only had 2. So I said but I need 10, you don't have them so you just didn't send them? He tells me somebody should have called to tell me they were out of stock. I mean, I could have ordered them in the meantime from somewhere else. I asked him when they'd be in and he said the next day. So I asked if they planned to send them out when they came in. He says yes of course, I'll send them right out. Good thing I used brass buckles I already had because I never got them.

I know I need to keep more stock on hand but at this point I think Tandy has lost me as a customer. They were pretty easy to order from and seemed to always have stuff in stock. But I'm good and annoyed at them right now and they're too far from me to even have the prospect of a lunch date.

Maybe I'll try SLC. Does anyone use them at all? Is their stuff any good?

[electrathon]

Even the person instructing their in-store classes just follows the company curriculum that has been provided. I know this for a fact because I spend a lot of time with some of them outside of their store environment and they freely admit that this their corporate structure.

I personally teach at Tandy regularly. I know a number of others that do to. I have never been told to teach "company curriculum". To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing. I have taught tooling, hand sewing, lacing, purse construction, leather Christmas bells, leather Christmas stockings, holster construction and more that I can't remember right now. I have sponcered and brought to town out of state teachers that have taught advanced leather. Never once has there been any input whatsoever as what to teach or how to teach it. The only thing we have been told is that we were to encourage the use of Tandy tools, not to sell tools or leather from non-Tandy companies.