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Posted (edited)

Be careful with the description 'Sabatier knives'

The term was established a long time ago before trade marks, registration and similar laws were established, so just about anyone can make a knife and call it a sabatier. In practice most manufacturers do the decent thing and produce good quality items as it is in all their interests to establish and maintain trust with the consumer, but this still allows quite a variation in quality

Buying from a reputable French company helps, and price is a good guide. there is a list of approved or recognised manufacturers

Look up 'Sabatier' in Google & Wikipedia for more information

There are videos on choice, and restoration of old sabatier knives on YouTube

Edited by zuludog
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Posted

I just purchased a knife from Terry Knipschield, it arrived today. If you held this knife in your hand for just a minute,you would fall in love. I feel it is much safer then a straight knife. You don't have to apply hardly any pressure to slice through 9 oz leather.  This knife is like no other tool I have ever used for cutting leather. I don't know much about leather tools, I can tell you this. I can't imagine a knife that can work any better then this one. IMG_0651.JPG

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Posted

I am happier with a round knife, because it cuts curves better and easier than my box cutter, it cuts straight lines through thick leather much, much easier, and it holds an edge longer.  These, and the push cut (rather than the pull), makes this blade safer to use, in my opinion.

This last point goes to your post, Windrider.  A sharp blade is safer than a dull blade.  When working with a dull blade, or a blade that dulls quickly, frustration can set in, and the idea to just pull through that last cut can overcome common sense. When that last cut involves a pull or tug toward you, the danger appears to increase.

It's easy to get the basic use of a round knife, just keep your hand behind the blade. I have cut myself accidentally with a box cutter, but never with a round knife.

(Now, I'm no doctor, nor statistician, as a disclaimer.) 

Last -- how much do a pack of razors cost?  If you've used 100?  Now, consider Ferg's great answer, a 60 year-old knife.  How many razors in that time?  So, there's a calculation that would be unique to your age and amount of use, but it may well be that a good round knife is an investment that pays off at some time.

So, to answer your question -- why would anyone buy one?  Ease of cuts, versatility in thicker leathers, longer time staying sharp,

To answer JLSLeather's question (which was not the original question, but one he read into it):  What can a round knife do that a box cutter can't do?  Nothing.  What can it do more easily, probably more cheaply over time, and probably more safely?  Most everything.

"Stuff is eaten by dogs, broken by family and friends, sanded down by the wind, frozen by the mountains, lost by the prairie, burnt off by the sun, washed away by the rain. So you are left with dogs, family, friends, sun, rain, wind, prairie and mountains. What more do you want?" Federico Calboli.

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Posted
On 9/11/2015 at 0:37 AM, JLSleather said:

And it seems were here again. Round knives. Head knives. French edgers. More videos (like we need more videos :rolleyes2: ). 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. ;)

Are we still on this?@!@! :rofl:

What project would someone make with a round knife (or head knife) that you wouldn't do with something else?  An actual answer to that question should answer the original question ;)

 

JLS  "Observation is 9/10 of the law."

IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.

5 leather patterns

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Posted

OR, to ask the same question another way ...

jm.jpgWhat hammer was this tooled with?

 

 

 

 

0634.jpg

OR, yet another version of the same thing....

What machine was this sewn on?

JLS  "Observation is 9/10 of the law."

IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.

5 leather patterns

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Posted
7 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

Are we still on this?@!@! :rofl:

What project would someone make with a round knife (or head knife) that you wouldn't do with something else?  An actual answer to that question should answer the original question ;)

 

What project could you do with an open end wrench that you couldn't also do with a crescent wrench?  I suppose if you wanted to, you could simply cut leather with a butcher knife...a blade is a blade is a blade, as long as its sharp.  I just recently purchased my first head knife..putting it off for quite some time because I thought as you did...exactos and utility blades are cheap and they do the job.  It seemed to me that head knives and round knives were overpriced and unnecessary.  What I've discovered is that the head knife is more versatile.  I can make short straight cuts easier and straighter by 'rolling' the knife through the cut.  I can also use the head knife to skive.  And skiving an edge is very easy with a head knife.  Cutting around curves is also well suited for a head knife when keeping the pointed end facing downward.   Another advantage that I find is in the way the head knife is used.  The user pushes the knife away from them as opposed to toward them as you would do with a utility knife.  As rare as they might be, this cuts down on accidents.  Since I bought this knife, I haven't touched a utility knife for cutting leather, I like it that much.  So I suppose it really boils down to personal preference.  Some are going to like it, and some can't be bothered.  But don't knock it until you've tried it.

Tony V
Rifle River Leather
Ogemaw Knifeworks


There are two individuals inside every artisan...the poet and the craftsman.
One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.

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Posted
3 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

OR, to ask the same question another way ...

jm.jpgWhat hammer was this tooled with?

 

 

 

 

0634.jpg

OR, yet another version of the same thing....

What machine was this sewn on?

Trick question....that was tooled with a mall. :P

Tony V
Rifle River Leather
Ogemaw Knifeworks


There are two individuals inside every artisan...the poet and the craftsman.
One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.

  • Contributing Member
Posted

I didn't say I've never used a round knife, actually ;) I just said I don't own one.  And by the way, I don't own a maul either....

 

 

JLS  "Observation is 9/10 of the law."

IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.

5 leather patterns

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Posted
Just now, JLSleather said:

I didn't say I've never used a round knife, actually ;) I just said I don't own one.  And by the way, I don't own a maul either....

 

 

Dang....I'd have sworn it was a maul.  :P

Tony V
Rifle River Leather
Ogemaw Knifeworks


There are two individuals inside every artisan...the poet and the craftsman.
One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.

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