Joseph Dixon Out Of Business?

[Zen Diesel]

Hello All,

I have been trying to get to the Joseph Dixon website for about a week or so now. The website is really broken now all of the links outside of the page you land on are now broken. So in my attempt to use a different channel to reach them I found a webpage indicating that they have folded as of this year. I checked the forums for other topics to see if this has been covered. I did not find anything, but the search engine is kind of weak so forgive me if this has been inquired about already.

Does anyone have any additional information / confirmation of Joseph Dixon UK going out of business?

Thanks,

ZD

[25b]

Yes. They are out of business.

The "search" feature on here is less than worthless. If you want to search, go to google.com and type site:leatherworker.net and whatever you want to search for right next to that and it will work.

Edited October 6, 2015 by 25b

[Tannin]

Really? Having survived 150 years, that would be sad.

[thefanninator]

Booth & Co. still have some inventory.

http://www.boothandco.com/handtools.php

[cjmt]

Sad but true, they are definitely closed. In fact in a bizarre turn I believe their factory burned down post the closure as well.

[Art]

Sad but true, they are definitely closed. In fact in a bizarre turn I believe their factory burned down post the closure as well.

Barnsley all over again?

Art

[penguineer]

Barnsley all over again?

Art

What happened to Barnsley?

Is it easier to ask, who is left?

Cheers!

[Art]

Barnsley ended-up in a fire. Really, C.S.Osborne and Vergez-Blanchard are about all that is left of the "Classic" toolmakers. Nevertheless, there are still good tools around used, and Bruce Johnson seems to ferret them out (that's a pun, he is a Vet). I've never had a problem with a tool I bought from Bruce. Other custom makers seem to specialize somewhat like edgers or knives, and Jeremiah Watt, makes very good tools in a wide range. I have several of these and they are all well made. He doesn't make everything, so you will find an overstitch wheel, but not pricking or stitching punches.

I think the question here is how many leatherworkers does it take to support a factory, and that is what is driving the factories out of the market.

Art

[fivewayswelshcobs]

I was told Dixons was operating a while back but haven`t needed anything to know if they still are. There is another toolmaker in Walsall- G.G leatherwork tools- he trained at Dixons and I know he was working this summer as I know someone bought from him, I used to use him when I was at college near-by.

[cjmt]

I was told Dixons was operating a while back but haven`t needed anything to know if they still are. There is another toolmaker in Walsall- G.G leatherwork tools- he trained at Dixons and I know he was working this summer as I know someone bought from him, I used to use him when I was at college near-by.

They definitley aren't, we've been (theoretically) working with Abbey on the development of a range of pricking irons, theyve taken on the Dixons tool maker, it hasn't come to anything as yet I know of. The Dixons factory and presumably all their moulds etc are destroyed - they are gone

Barnsley ended-up in a fire. Really, C.S.Osborne and Vergez-Blanchard are about all that is left of the "Classic" toolmakers. Nevertheless, there are still good tools around used, and Bruce Johnson seems to ferret them out (that's a pun, he is a Vet). I've never had a problem with a tool I bought from Bruce. Other custom makers seem to specialize somewhat like edgers or knives, and Jeremiah Watt, makes very good tools in a wide range. I have several of these and they are all well made. He doesn't make everything, so you will find an overstitch wheel, but not pricking or stitching punches.

I think the question here is how many leatherworkers does it take to support a factory, and that is what is driving the factories out of the market.

Art

Dixons had other problems, some of them dating back to old industrial disputes and claims. There are lots of saddlers in the UK and Dixons also did a lot of industrial knives and dies so the market was there. Blanchard have been taking market share from Dixons for a long time though, Dixons had somthing of a quality problem for quite a long time. All in my opinion of course..

[bruce johnson]

It seems like Dixon dropped the older patterns to their tools and took ease of manufacturing shortcuts that sure weren't very good. Comparing the old Dixon plough gauges to the last ones made have you wonder what they were thinking. CS Osborne is not far behind with some tools. I get the same feeling handling a modern CS Osborne creaser, French edger, or bisonette edger as a quick example. Handles aside, the working ends are not even close to the old tried and true patterns.

[LumpenDoodle2]

It appears the directors (brothers and a cousin) fell out, and possibly it was easier to shut down the factory than deal with the problems.

[All4Christ]

Ken from Booth & Co contacted me after I ordered a dixon iron from his website to inform me he is out of Dixons. His website doesn't say it but he is carrying Blanchards now. They are made to order and take a few weeks to get them.

[JonEvans]

Dixon tools are definatley no longer in production. However, one of the J.Dixon owners now runs cut-profiles (www.cut-profiles.co.uk) in Coventry. He makes my clicker knives which are identical to the knives he used to make for me when he was at Dixons. 

[fivewayswelshcobs]

Thank you for the information as not far from me.