Learning the Head Knife...an epiphany!

[JazzBass]

I've always found that accurate cutting, for me, might just be THE biggest challenge in leather work.
I have tried many knives, but had avoided the round knife ONLY BECAUSE of all the comments I've seen online, talking about the difficulty of learning to use one, (essentially) due to a relatively steep learning curve.

WRONG!!!  I LOVE this knife!

It does most everything that other knives do, and does it better in most cases. Learning curve? Well, sure...every new type of tool has a skill set to be developed, BUT - right off the bat, I was kicking myself for listening to the "it's too hard to learn" crowd. Almost immediately, it became my favorite knife of all.

I should have known that such a unique tool with such a long history, had good reasons behind its continuing popularity with leather workers. DOH!! (forehead slap)

So don't shy away from the head knife...if you don't have one yet, make it next on your list of tools. You won't be sorry - it's not THAT difficult to learn, and it's worth its weight in gold IMHO. I can't say enough about this great tool.

[bermudahwin]

8 minutes ago, JazzBass said:

I've always found that accurate cutting, for me, might just be THE biggest challenge in leather work.
I have tried many knives, but had avoided the round knife ONLY BECAUSE of all the comments I've seen online, talking about the difficulty of learning to use one, (essentially) due to a relatively steep learning curve.

WRONG!!!  I LOVE this knife!

It does most everything that other knives do, and does it better in most cases. Learning curve? Well, sure...every new type of tool has a skill set to be developed, BUT - right off the bat, I was kicking myself for listening to the "it's too hard to learn" crowd. Almost immediately, it became my favorite knife of all.

I should have known that such a unique tool with such a long history, had good reasons behind its continuing popularity with leather workers. DOH!! (forehead slap)

So don't shy away from the head knife...if you don't have one yet, make it next on your list of tools. You won't be sorry - it's not THAT difficult to learn, and it's worth its weight in gold IMHO. I can't say enough about this great tool.

Good for you, I am pleased that it works for you.

I am great with half head knife but round knife is only for specific tasks for me.

Don't have any issues with it, but years of using clickers knife and half head leave me rerely using the round knife.

Horses for courses.

H

[TomG]

My problem with the round/head knife is it digs into the cutting surface.  I'm usually cutting on a long pine board.
What do you guys cut on?

[JazzBass]

1 minute ago, hwinbermuda said:

Don't have any issues with it, but years of using clickers knife and half head leave me rerely using the round knife.

Interesting... I DO like the clicker's knife, as it's the knife my grandfather used for years at Endicott-Johnson shoes.
I can certainly see the half-round knife as being wonderfully useful. Remember...I'm still a relative newcomer - it's just nice to find that I was wrong about this tool.

re: the clicker's knife - do you resharpen the blades, or just replace them? I found that the ones from Tandy need at least stropping, right out of the package. Nonetheless, it's probably the best knife for really tight curves.

2 minutes ago, TomG said:

What do you guys cut on?

Poly board...I found that poundo board was too soft, resulting in what you mentioned - digging in too much.
For skiving, I use the slab so the point can glide.

[bermudahwin]

13 minutes ago, JazzBass said:

the clicker's knife - do you resharpen the blades, or just replace them? I found that the ones from Tandy need at least stropping, right out of the package. Nonetheless, it's probably the best knife for really tight curves. 

I make my own blades out of hacksaw blades, sharpen, strop, use, strop and so on.

One of my blades is 30 years old, and still very sharp.

H

[Grumpymann]

15 minutes ago, TomG said:

My problem with the round/head knife is it digs into the cutting surface.  I'm usually cutting on a long pine board.
What do you guys cut on? 

Just picked up some new conveyor belt the last one I had lasted me a good decade. 

If there is a company that makes equipment drop in ask for some cast offs, keep a few bucks in hand but it's rarely needed.

[JazzBass]

Just now, hwinbermuda said:

I make my own blades out of hacksaw blades, sharpen, strop, use, strop and so on.

One of my blades is 30 years old, and still very sharp.

WOW...that's EXACTLY what my grandfather used to do too!

[jcuk]

Good for you,  would not be without mine I use it for various jobs - no need to to buy to many fancy specific knives for those jobs. 

 

Hope this helps 

JCUK

[bermudahwin]

I find it holds the edge better, and is certainly a better use of funds.

Sensible man, your grandfather.

H

[JazzBass]

2 minutes ago, hwinbermuda said:

Sensible man, your grandfather.

Haha!  Folks from the Depression era were EXTREMELY good at saving, improvising, and repurposing just about everything!