Yangtools

[plinkercases]

Stumbled across some pictures of this guys tools...wow.... does anyone have any experience with him or the tools?

I have emails for a catalogue/pricing and a sense of shipping to Canada... likely way to expensive for me at this stage but sure am curious.

[KingsCountyLeather]

1 hour ago, plinkercases said:

Stumbled across some pictures of this guys tools...wow.... does anyone have any experience with him or the tools?

I have emails for a catalogue/pricing and a sense of shipping to Canada... likely way to expensive for me at this stage but sure am curious.

I follow him on Instagram. I haven’t bought anything from him but I have bought some tools from Kevinlee4426 the quality is great and sharp out of the box.

picture below shows on the left Kevinlee4426 tools and on the right Tandy tools.

I’ve also bought awls, skiving knife and a mallet. Love the quality and the prices are very good.

[24VOLTS]

I have bought Kevin Lee's stitching chisels and they are the best I have ever used.  Great quality, very sharp and highly polished easy to pull out of the leather.

Phill

[bullmoosepaddles]

How does one find Kevinlee4426, or a list of the available tools?

Thank you 

 

[Beheadoth]

I'm thinking to buy the Edgers (bevelers) from kevinlee4426, Does anyone of you have tried them? Are the knifes also good? 

I heard good things about his pricking irons, but not heard anything about the knifes and edgers.

Thanks for your help.

[KingsCountyLeather]

54 minutes ago, Beheadoth said:

I'm thinking to buy the Edgers (bevelers) from kevinlee4426, Does anyone of you have tried them? Are the knifes also good? 

I heard good things about his pricking irons, but not heard anything about the knifes and edgers.

Thanks for your help.

I have his 1mm and 2.5mm and they are the only ones I use now. Very sharp and hold their edge.

i also bought his small round knife and love it.

I also bought his small curved (clicker ?) knife but it’s sharpened on the left side only and seems to cut away from me when I’m using it. I think it should have been sharpened on the other side for a right hand person. Great quality in his tools though.

[niakulah]

2 hours ago, KingsCountyLeather said:

I have his 1mm and 2.5mm and they are the only ones I use now. Very sharp and hold their edge.

i also bought his small round knife and love it.

I also bought his small curved (clicker ?) knife but it’s sharpened on the left side only and seems to cut away from me when I’m using it. I think it should have been sharpened on the other side for a right hand person. Great quality in his tools though.

How is his round knife for cutting tight curves? I was thinking of getting his pattern knife for curves:

https://www.dhgate.com/store/product/leahtercrafts-handmade-tools-skiving-knife/400568703.html

 

But if his round knife can do curves reasonably well, it would be the more versatile of the two and a better buy to me.

[Webicons]

Yang is officially off my list.  A buddy had to file a PayPal claim after months of chasing him up through email and Instagram.  I’ve seen other similar posts on Instagram.

It’s too bad.  He puts out a lot of nice stuff but I can’t be bothered with poor communication and aggravation.  It’s just not worth it.  

[KingsCountyLeather]

21 minutes ago, niakulah said:

How is his round knife for cutting tight curves? I was thinking of getting his pattern knife for curves:

https://www.dhgate.com/store/product/leahtercrafts-handmade-tools-skiving-knife/400568703.html

 

But if his round knife can do curves reasonably well, it would be the more versatile of the two and a better buy to me.

I’m not experienced enough with the round knife to answer that question for you all I can tell you is it is very sharp out of the box. It is a lot smaller than standard round knifes and the knife you’re looking at looks great, I know a lady saddle maker who only uses a knife like that one.

The language barrier with Kevin is a little difficult and it takes him a while to make the tools and then 3 weeks shipping unless he has it in stock. He does keep you posted and when I had bought some tools from him he trusted me to pay him when he had the tools ready to send. I’m happy to recommend him.

[bikermutt07]

@KingsCountyLeather, that is the only way Terry Knipschield does it. He will not take a payment until he has the knife ready for you (and that is usually months). If you don't have the money when he contacts you, he has a line if people waiting to pay.

Luckily, I have always had his money when he was ready.

And he is worth the wait.

[KingsCountyLeather]

18 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

@KingsCountyLeather, that is the only way Terry Knipschield does it. He will not take a payment until he has the knife ready for you (and that is usually months). If you don't have the money when he contacts you, he has a line if people waiting to pay.

Luckily, I have always had his money when he was ready.

And he is worth the wait.

I’m sure Terry’s tools are the finest and I can see why anyone in the states would use him but for the rest of us out side of USA who don’t want to pay big shipping costs it may be easier to buy from Japan or China and still be happy with the quality of their tools.

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, KingsCountyLeather said:

I’m sure Terry’s tools are the finest and I can see why anyone in the states would use him but for the rest of us out side of USA who don’t want to pay big shipping costs it may be easier to buy from Japan or China and still be happy with the quality of their tools.

President Trump is trying to get that worked out. Seems our allies like to impose high tariffs on goods coming from the United States.

[sheathmaker]

There would likely be no tariff on Terry's knives, but shipping to the UK could raise the end user price considerably........although the knives are small and don't weight much at all so considering the excellent quality of The Knip knives it could be well worth it.  Another excellent maker is Joshua Fields.  I have both the "Knip" and the Fields and they are both great.

Paul

[charon]

+1 for Kevin Lee. He's also willing to customise if you have special demands. The problem we have here in Europe is not US specific but rather related to our customs and the shipping companies. There's so much crap coming from China to Europe that they just write "gift" or value $20 on it and it passes our customs with no issues or additional fees. Also, shipping from China/Hongkong is usually below $10 whereas from US or even within Europe you pay a fortune to get the goods here and additionally he customs claim their part. Just as an example, I once wanted to buy a knife from the US (can't remember where, has been a while). The knife should cost about $100, which was a really fair price, but shipping was $20, import taxes were $20, custom fees were $7. Thats a plus of 47% so I bought it in China for $65 (but good quality), $5 shipping and no taxes or custom fees. Sad but true and I don't think Mr. Trump is able to change that. 

[bikermutt07]

1 hour ago, charon said:

+1 for Kevin Lee. He's also willing to customise if you have special demands. The problem we have here in Europe is not US specific but rather related to our customs and the shipping companies. There's so much crap coming from China to Europe that they just write "gift" or value $20 on it and it passes our customs with no issues or additional fees. Also, shipping from China/Hongkong is usually below $10 whereas from US or even within Europe you pay a fortune to get the goods here and additionally he customs claim their part. Just as an example, I once wanted to buy a knife from the US (can't remember where, has been a while). The knife should cost about $100, which was a really fair price, but shipping was $20, import taxes were $20, custom fees were $7. Thats a plus of 47% so I bought it in China for $65 (but good quality), $5 shipping and no taxes or custom fees. Sad but true and I don't think Mr. Trump is able to change that. 

Well, I can attest to their not being import or customs fees coming into the United States. This has been a one way street for a long time. President Trump talks of how it should have been addressed decades ago. Our allies want to send us goods but won't take ours. We lost 800 billion dollars last year in trade deficits. 500 of which went to China.

Not trying to start a debate or anything, it's just not a fair worldwide market. I can still see the shipping being the same as Americans are paid more, but the taxes and custom duties are just restraining.

[charon]

1 hour ago, bikermutt07 said:

Well, I can attest to their not being import or customs fees coming into the United States. This has been a one way street for a long time. President Trump talks of how it should have been addressed decades ago. Our allies want to send us goods but won't take ours. We lost 800 billion dollars last year in trade deficits. 500 of which went to China.

Not trying to start a debate or anything, it's just not a fair worldwide market. I can still see the shipping being the same as Americans are paid more, but the taxes and custom duties are just restraining.

Mutt, I hope you weren't offended by my comment, I didn't want to be mean or start a debate either.For me as an end consumer it's all about quality and price. We also have many really good knife makers in Germany (someday I'll let me build one from one of them, we have some REALLY good ones), but they start at a price that is way beyond of what I can afford (~$450), even though the shipping is next to none. So I start looking around the world (sad enough) to find something I can afford in the quality range I expect. And while there are many really good knife makers in the US as well the shipping already knocks me off. I'm not willing to pay 30% of the value of an item as additional shipping fee. I don't know how eastern countries manage to ship for next to nothing but that's my main reason to buy there instead of the US. Additionally, the quality has improved significantly and there is not much (if any) difference in quality. Still, the price stands for itself. And at that point I'm not even at my customs or import taxes...

[bikermutt07]

@charon, not offended at all. I was just sharing information. And I can completely relate. I buy lots of stuff from Wuta leather. And all my decent edc knives are from Kizer. China does have some quality items these days. I think the American businesses kept them from sending quality into the States for as long as they could. 30 years ago all people could do was hit a price point for a distributor. Now, in the world of the internet, Chinese companies like Wuta, Ks, Crimson Hide, and Kizer can sell directly to a consumer. That is a game changer. 

And back to our other side topic, until we can make the East deflate their currency to a realistic world value, they will always be cheaper than the west.

So, that is why the items and shipping are cheaper. The import duties and taxation of imported goods is the other hurdle.

[HondoMan]

A wee update on Yangtools.   In a leather-working FB group, a lad posted a photo of his recent purchase.  A lefty plough gauge!  That's extremely rare.  Indeed.  It arrived yesterday, so I asked him to let me know how he gets on with it in the following weeks. 

He doesn't have a proper website - only Instagram.  That concerns me, greatly.

Also, the gauge only goes to 8cm, I believe.  No easy to see from the few photos.  But a lefty gauge is interesting.  No one else makes one.

[YinTx]

On 5/18/2018 at 12:59 PM, bikermutt07 said:

And back to our other side topic, until we can make the East deflate their currency to a realistic world value, they will always be cheaper than the west.

 

Also pay proper shipping costs.  I can't mail something across town for the price they somehow manage to drop ship items half way across the world, explain that.  Sometimes the price of the item with free shipping is less than I can have something mailed from across town, let alone the price of the item.  anyhow, rant off.

YinTx

[RemingtonSteel]

2 hours ago, YinTx said:

 I can't mail something across town for the price they somehow manage to drop ship items half way across the world, explain that.

I've been wondering that as well.  Maybe the CCP subsidizes the shipping cost to the US in order to undercut American made and sold goods. 

Edited April 9, 2021 by RemingtonSteel

[tsunkasapa]

It COULDN'T have anything to do with our grossly overpaid, highly inefficient postal service. No, that can't be it. 

[YinTx]

1 hour ago, tsunkasapa said:

It COULDN'T have anything to do with our grossly overpaid, highly inefficient postal service. No, that can't be it. 

donno.  but this kinda touches on the topic.  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/11/05/how-the-usps-epacket-gives-postal-subsidies-to-chinese-e-commerce-merchants-to-ship-to-the-usa-cheap/?sh=4c8a90f840ca

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2018/10/18/china-postal-subsidies/38203951/#:~:text=The subsidized ePacket service limits packages to 2,American companies have cheered Trump’s plan to withdraw.

Appears that USPS was roped into subsidizing the rates from China by the previous treaty.  US taxpayers and customers of USPS have had to pay the difference to keep the books balanced.  Which still isn't happening, this hurts everyone, including USPS, and small businesses or sellers like us, but helps China.

YinTx

[tsunkasapa]

Plain and simple, if I mail an invitation to the neighbor I can SEE from my window, it goes 200 miles east to Spokane, back to Ellensburg, and then gets delivered. WHAT is efficient about that? The USPS needs to GO AWAY!!! Either that or be  COMPLETELY restructured. 

[Rhale]

USPS is so inefficient it’s pathetic, how did the unions get into the government run postal service?  Makes no sense to me and we, the taxpayers ,have to keep bailing them out!  Of course the government is terribly inefficient the throw the union into the mix you’re going to have an inefficient, overpaid group of people!

[YinTx]

Routing is a mathematical computer model that can resolve any inefficiencies in delivery paths.

Managing the financial aspects that have been politicized is something else entirely.  

For a detailed read here is the report by a Presidential Task force on the condition of the USPS, and on recommendations to shore it up.

https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/USPS_A_Sustainable_Path_Forward_report_12-04-2018.pdf

Interestingly it leaves out some of the topics we refer to in this thread.  Also, we risk hijacking the thread, so I will stop commenting on this topic here, and revert to YangTools, which Tandy says I am not allowed to try.  

YinTx