Best strap cutter?

[steelhawk]

I'm about to buy one myself. I had been looking at this one from Springfield Leather:  https://www.springfieldleather.com/Strap-Cutter-Original

It looks like the Tandy one, but made by another company perhaps? Is it better, or pretty much the same?

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

2 hours ago, steelhawk said:

I'm about to buy one myself. I had been looking at this one from Springfield Leather:  https://www.springfieldleather.com/Strap-Cutter-Original

It looks like the Tandy one, but made by another company perhaps? Is it better, or pretty much the same?

The one in the link you provided is THE "Original Strap Cutter".  I believe others similar are copies.  I have one of the originals, and all the markings are nearly worn off.  I've had it for over 30 years.  It works best for lightweight stuff.  If you try to cut saddle skirting or heavy harness leather, you will crumble the blades.  I have several vintage steel draw gauges, and if the blade is sharpened correctly, they are hard to beat.  It takes a little practice to get proficient in using one.  I wouldn't buy a new one though.  If you decide to buy a draw gauge, contact Bruce Johnson Leather Tools and buy a good vintage one from him.

[fab2]

I have the same "Original Strap Cutter" that I bought back in the 80's at Tandy. I hated that thumbscrew and replaced it with a threaded ball a few months ago.  Don't know why I waited so long.

Edited March 11, 2019 by fab2
added pic

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, fab2 said:

I have the same "Original Strap Cutter" that I bought back in the 80's at Tandy. I hated that thumbscrew and replaced it with a threaded ball a few months ago.  Don't know why I waited so long.

Now that's a great idea.

[Mark842]

On 3/26/2017 at 9:32 PM, strathmoredesigns said:

Thanks for the tips guys. Think I'm leaning towards the strap cutter as it looks a little less like something I'd cut myself on.

That is it in a nut shell. The strap cutter works well and is a lot safer IMO. The only issues I ever had was cutting 10 ounce and up heavier leathers. I would constantly snap blades.

[JLSleather]

I got that same wooden little strap thing.  Worked great for a long time on leather from 4 oz to about 10 oz.  Anybody noticing they have found yet another thing to make cheaper?  I got new blades , right out the package, won't cut anything. More than one package.  I thought at first maybe I had bent the thing, and that's why a new blade wouldn't cut (but not the case, and even if it was a small shim would fix that).

They're basically just an inexpensive "safety" version of a draw guage - inexpensive and blade recessed was always the selling points, and they WORK.  Fella with a piece of wood and a coping saw could make one simply enough - nothing 'fancy' about it.

[Matt S]

8 hours ago, JLSleather said:

I got that same wooden little strap thing.  Worked great for a long time on leather from 4 oz to about 10 oz.  Anybody noticing they have found yet another thing to make cheaper?  I got new blades , right out the package, won't cut anything. More than one package.  I thought at first maybe I had bent the thing, and that's why a new blade wouldn't cut (but not the case, and even if it was a small shim would fix that).

They're basically just an inexpensive "safety" version of a draw guage - inexpensive and blade recessed was always the selling points, and they WORK.  Fella with a piece of wood and a coping saw could make one simply enough - nothing 'fancy' about it.

I use the Schick injector blades. Same price as the tiny <1" long purpose-made blades but sharper, thinner, stay sharper longer, and are longer themselves so you can move it down exposing a fresh bit of blade more times.

But talking of cheap I bought one of the cheaper wooden strap cutters maybe 8 years ago, fingering that they're much of a muchness. It worked fine until last year when the short grain next to the blade split out and I couldn't tension the blade. Fair dos I thought, it wasn't expensive and I bought the same one again (price now nearly doubled). Couldn't get that bugger to cut straight. Wasted enough leather to buy 10 strap cutters.The little slit where the blade went was off-square just enough to notice if you're looking for it. Bought one of the "genuine strap cutter company" ones (double the price again) and it's brilliant. Yeah it's 3 pieces of wood and a slack handful of screws but the devil's in the details.

[MikeRock]

tear a 1/2" wide strip of duct tape and wrap it around the top of your draw gage blade......  blood proofing.....  Don't ask ;(((

[Northmount]

22 hours ago, MikeRock said:

tear a 1/2" wide strip of duct tape and wrap it around the top of your draw gage blade......  blood proofing.....  Don't ask ;(((

Or grind the end to round instead of pointed.  Continue down the sharp side a little so that no sharp spot is pointing up when you reach across the bench and catch your wrist!  If you buy a draw gauge from member Bruce Johnson, he will supply it with the blade already trimmed like this.

Tom

[ABR]

I know that the last post on this thread is a little over a year old but I wanted to add this.  I have found a way to strop the strap cutter blades and the Schick razor blades that works extremely well.  Home Depot has small spring clamps with black plastic on the jaws.  They are only about 2 1/2 inches long.  Place the blade in the clamp with the sharp edge away from the clamp and use the clamp as a handle and strop the blade to get the edge that you want.  The strap cutter and the safety skife work a lot better after the blades have been stropped.  The blades will last a lot longer if they are stropped often too.