What Is The Point Of A Head/round Knife?

[terrypen]

I do not have one yet, but I am going to get one. The reason being, after watching a video from Springfield Leather. They appear to have the ability to cut fairly tight curves, along with long flowing curves with ease. I don't think you'd do it quite as easy with a razor knife.

The second big reason is skiving, and that is a huge one for me. The video shows Denny skiving a piece of leather and does it while making it look easy!

The video is a bit long, but I think it points out the questions asked quite well.

https://youtu.be/8ARqjhTGYR8

Terry

[JLSleather]

Welcome to 2015... it "must" be good - there's a video about it!

Yeah, think that's another sales pitch I'm just going to go on around. Everything on my site -- and 100 times more --- all done without a round blade, or head knife, whatchacallit. Good news... those who like 'em, can take the last one on the shelf.. don't wait for me!

I'll tell a short story, which I think (still) is what is going on here. It's for my benefit, so if there's anything in someone's mind that thinks I'm trying to persuade you... I'm not. Do whatever you like. So then ...

I had an ugly truck. I mean, UG LEE. It was once white,but the white paint had become chalky and dull. And then it got hit in the driver door, so I replaced that with a different door, which was flat black. Somewhere along the line, I'd paint the whole thing.

But there was a snow blade complete with mount for that exact truck for $1k (normally closer to $5k) so I put it on there. Now I had a dull white truck with flat black door (one) and black plow mount with yellow blade (Meyer). OH, yeah,.. and I put a 6" x 1/2" thick mild steel bar scraper on the blade instead of the semi-hardened shiny one that says "meyer" on it (free to me, versus about $150). Didn't even paint the scraper bar... just bare steel.

And it was a 4-on-the-floor, so I fabbed an aluminum mount so I could put the plow controls permanently on the shifter - no need to move my hand off the shifter OR the controls. Well, until it was time for coffee and a convenience store girl.

SO.. one of those girl / coffee stops, the kid with the shiny new truck with all the pretty lights pulls in to plow the parking lot of the station. He's a jerk, but his Dad is a good man, so I tolerate the goof. In what appeared to be an attempt to impress the girlie, he went on a bit about that truck (perhaps a "real" man would replace that thing). He didn't go too far, since he knew we have other trucks -- and to him it's apparently all about appearances. Personally don't care, so I drive the ugly one (which is also quite good for carrying firewood and other things that would 'ding' a shiny truck).

At some point, I told him I'd help him plow the rest of the night for free. All he had to do is go up a few blocks to that big parking lot, look at the snow all piled up on one end, and tell me WHICH truck or trucks had plowed that lot - and I'd work for him all night long for nuthin'.

Danged if he couldn't tell WHICH truck(s) did that.. all you could see was a clear parking lot with a big wall of snow all on one end.

And it seems were here again. Round knives. Head knives. French edgers. More videos (like we need more videos ). I actually prefer to see the LEATHER. Same type of thing .... look at the leather, and tell me what it was cut with. If you can't tell, then perhaps it doesn't matter.

Edited September 11, 2015 by JLSleather

[chiefjason]

Yeah, there's that "traditionally" thing. But in terms of actual USEfulness, the utility knife can be "learned" as with any other tool, to do about anything, WITH the advantage of not spending hours sharpening (just swap a new blade in and go), which is why I prefer that route. My judgment, most people who have one -- have one so they can say they have one.

There's nothing wrong with tradition -- each his own. But I'm not getting a round knife to do what I already do without one. I'm also not takin' my wares to the general store on horseback / pack mule

Oh, and much as I admire A. Stohlman's work (STILL), I don't buy tools just because they say "Al" (even if others do).

I've used both. Started with a utility knife because I had one around. Saved up an bought a couple head knives and will not go back. I can correct a few things in the above. I don't spend hours sharpening. I strop the knife on a couple different surfaces before I start cutting. If I'm cutting a lot I'll strop mid project. But I did that with utility blades anyway. Because I never found blades that were sharp enough to drop and go. And I can assure you, my round knives are sharper than any utility blades I got in the store.

Don't like them? No problem. Don't ever want to spend the money? No problem. But you are not saving time, and I'm not wasting time because of the difference in blades. Because for me the time spent stropping my round knife is saved by not having to clean up the edges as much as I had to with utility knives.

For me, they were one of the best investments I made in hand tools. I can cut my patterns far easier with them than I ever could with a utility blade. Curves are where they really shine. And off board cutting with them is a handy thing. Roll cutting straight edges without a straight edge is handy too. They also suit my personal style of holster making better. I can glue a holster together, then use the round knives to trim both pieces of glued leather to the shape I want. Did that with a single clip IWB today. Hung the ear off the table and trimmed it down to the width I wanted it. It would take me 3-4 passes with a utility blade and much more risk of miscutting something.

[JLSleather]

Oh, yeah... this may be better for some .. though same point.

Guy wants to blow insulation in the walls of his house, finds out he needs holes in the wall between each wall stud.

So he goes to the hardware store, where the kid tells him he needs a drill. Here's one.. $19. BUT, this other one is variable speed, which is better... $29. Oh, wait.. this one is reversible and variable.. $49. And this 'real man' version also adds hammer-drill function - $99.

Finally, the guy has so much "information", he tries to think back about what he really needs. And at this point, most would say all he really needs is the "cheap" $19 straight forward drill. But that's not true.. what he really needs is holes in his wall -- and the drill is just one way to get that done. In the end the drywall would be patched leaving no evidence of what was used to make the holes. What is important is the finished appearance of the wall.

[Thor]

Trying to back up a weak position with even weaker arguments isn't very helpful. One could play golf with a baseball bat, but where in the world would one do that? And just to show you how poor the arguments are... American drivers think they know driving until they come to Germany and realize they don't. It's just as poor...

I guess we can all agree that certain jobs require certain tools even though some tools may give you a satisfactory result as well. I agree that for the stuff Jeff is making no special tools are needed. In fact for what he's are making a strap cutter, a box cutter and maybe a few clicker dies would be sufficient cutting tools (not considering the SK as a special cutting tool).

I'm using a custom made round knife and wouldn't want to use my box knife anymore, even though I did use it permanently before that. There will always be arguments for and against certain tools. The round knife has to be really bad as it is being used for centuries already...

Since I don't like that car/truck sample, here's my take: One can build a log home with an ax only, but if one knows how to use a chainsaw for the same job, why wouldn't one do so? Replace the ax with a box knife and the chainsaw with a round knife.

For certain tasks the box cutter's blade is just too unstable and is like a nutshell on the ocean. It may not be visible right away or for the inexperienced person not at all, but the mistakes will be there. If one wants a clean edge, the first step is a very clean cut and this is best done with a good round knife. With the one I'm using I'm just rounding the edges, some quick burnishing and done. When I was using the box cutter I had to sand a lot, which is not what I wont.

Being fed up with all the Tandy stuff, I should say that I wouldn't consider the Stohlman knives a very good quality. They are ok.

A really good knife will go through leather like butter and real muscle force will not be needed. This is why you're able to make good turns just on the flow and the ones which really mastered the tool will think twice before buying a clicker die for the job unless they are getting into mass-production.

The use and knowledge about professional tools will show in ones work and so does the use of cheap tools even though the persons don't want to hear that.

[JLSleather]

Perhaps that's where that phrase came from.. queer as a football bat

But you seem confused. I don't see anybody "anti- round knife. In fact, I view them like golf... no problem if the OTHER guy does it..

In the end, though, what about the LEATHER?

[LumpenDoodle2]

Horses for courses, isn't it.

All these tools were invented/adapted because someone wanted to make something that worked better for them. Doesn't mean what one person uses would work for me.

I know people who will only buy the top of the range tools, but their skill doesn't match the tool. I also know one chap who is basically a 'Valerie Singleton knicker elastic, and sticky backed plastic' * guy when it comes to tools. His work is amazing.

(* translation available to all non Blue Peter fans.)

JLS, you're right, it's the finished product that counts, and how you get there is up to you.

[johnv474]

The original questions were about what the uses are, and whether a round/head knife is useful. Plenty of replies have addressed both questions. Utility knives offer a great bang for the buck, in the way a cheap drill offers a lot of bang for the buck. Now that disposable sharp-ish blades are available commonly, there is a shift... though a year or two of blades pay for the round/head knife. If the original question is asked just to reinforce the opinion of "meh, not for me", then we could have side stepped asking/answering at all. What song can a piano play that a keyboard can't? None.

[Trox]

The first half moon shaped round/head knife for leather I have seen is from the 1500 BC (Before Christ that is), Egypt. Round Knifes from Europe the year 1400 AD, (After Christ) looks like the ones we uses today. This is a tool that is made for cutting leather in the fastest and best way possible. The majority of leather workers all over the world still uses this shape of knife today. I have all kinds of special leather knifes and more that 20 head and round knifes. All kinds of variations are tested and made during centuries of leather work. The shape of today have little room for improvement, only customizes for individuell taste. My bench favorite today is a 4 1/2 " old HF. Osborn knife, It's a very good knife. Leather craft is maybe the oldest craft of all, and the tools have had a very long time to develop. So this has nothing to do with YouTube. The round knife is the most versatile of all letter tool. The might be knifes that is better on individual cuts. However, the Stanley with a thin flexible blade is not one of them.

Tor

[JLSleather]

What song can a piano play that a keyboard can't? None.

The guy's question (in case it got lost)... was IF there was a significant advantage over other types of blades.

For me, there is not. The end.

But that topic 'loss' happens sometimes around here. Fella asked a simple question recently about a holster pattern and got handed like the history of gun powder. No, wait.. it was the availability of dummy guns for various models. Either way, anyone NOT having a pattern (the answer to the guy's request) could have simply NOT replied.

NOT have = NOT reply. Simple idea, doesn't always happen.