I have some doubts about stamps or craftool

[D2G]

 Hi every....

Please excuse my english, I'm from Spain and not study english language. If someone speak Spanish please do it to solve my doubts.

Ok. ¿What is Craftool? I know is stamps craft but I need know more about that, who have the patent or where buy originals or good stamps. I see and bought some on internet shops and the quality is very bad. I refere to backgrounds, bevelers, camouflage, border tools, crowners, mule foot etc.

Thank you.

[Frodo]

 

puedes obtener sellos artesanales en este enlace.   Herramienta de artesanía son sellos ok.

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/category/craftool-stamps-leathercraft

 

 

 

 

 

[D2G]

Gracias Frodo so. The tandy is the genuines stamps? That is my question. If is yes all clear.

16 minutes ago, Frodo said:

 

puedes obtener sellos artesanales en este enlace.   Herramienta de artesanía son sellos ok.

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/category/craftool-stamps-leathercraft

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hardrada]

AFAIK, Tandy either owns the Crafttool brand or are their main distributors. Someone, please, correct me if I'm wrong.

(Por lo que se, Tandy posee la marca Crafttool o son sus distribuidores exclusivos/principales.)

Podés ordenar directamente de Tandy, pero creo que Curtidos Cabezas redistribuye Craftool en España. Evita sitios como Amazon or aliexpress u otros sitios chinos donde es muy probable que te puedan vender herramientas espuria.

[battlemunky]

The older Craftool stamps are far better quality than the modern ones are. If you can find them at reasonable prices, get them.

[Hardrada]

Looks like everyone is cutting corners nowadays. Are Barry King stamps still top notch?

[terrymac]

Barry's are still top notch quality.  Doubt if you will ever see him cutting corners.  Same is true of Robert Beard

[Hardrada]

Personally, I've been looking at these: https://www.tandyleather.ca/en/product/basic-7-tool-set-with-rack

Not sure if they're good, so-so, or poor quality. Description says they are precision made, unlike their basic starter set, but not being able to see them in person, I'm still on the fence on whether to buy them or not. Currently, I have absolutely no tools for leather tooling.

[fredk]

5 hours ago, D2G said:

Gracias Frodo so. The tandy is the genuines stamps? That is my question. If is yes all clear.

yes and no. Craftool is Tandy, but there are many, many copies available with Craftool on them but they are not from Tandy

 

2 hours ago, Hardrada said:

AFAIK, Tandy either owns the Crafttool brand or are their main distributors. Someone, please, correct me if I'm wrong.

yes, Tandy originated the name Craftool,  but see above.

Early Craftools seem to be all steel & brass, newer ones are a cast alloy. Cheap copies are an aluminium alloy or low grade steel with alloy heads (the stamping part) To hide the low quality they chrome plate the tool and the plating fills in the detailing of the stamp.

Its a lottery out there whether you get a good tool or not. I have 'Craftool' stamps from Tandy, some are good and some are rubbish. I also have cheap ones from Taiwan and China which also say 'Craftool', again some are good and some are rubbish.

[Frodo]

D2G,  I suggest that if you want to buy quality tools to find a company close to your location that will make to order what you require.  I myself, am tired of the cheap alloy stamps and am having stamps made from steel machined for me one at a time as i can afford

D2G, te sugiero que si quieres comprar herramientas de calidad para encontrar una empresa cercana a tu ubicación que hará pedir lo que necesites.  Yo mismo, estoy cansado de los sellos de aleación barata y estoy teniendo sellos hechos de acero mecanizado para mí uno a la vez como puedo permitirme

[Sheilajeanne]

15 hours ago, fredk said:

yes and no. Craftool is Tandy, but there are many, many copies available with Craftool on them but they are not from Tandy

 

yes, Tandy originated the name Craftool,  but see above.

Early Craftools seem to be all steel & brass, newer ones are a cast alloy. Cheap copies are an aluminium alloy or low grade steel with alloy heads (the stamping part) To hide the low quality they chrome plate the tool and the plating fills in the detailing of the stamp.

Its a lottery out there whether you get a good tool or not. I have 'Craftool' stamps from Tandy, some are good and some are rubbish. I also have cheap ones from Taiwan and China which also say 'Craftool', again some are good and some are rubbish.

Fred, that's exactly what I found when I got that large batch of used tools last year! Some of the older Craftool stamps were good, some were rubbish, perhaps due to age, and being used a lot. Some of the 'Made in Taiwan' stamps were good, some were not. There was no way I could generalize and say, Oh, this one is from XYZ manufacturer, so it must be better and I'm keeping it. EACH stamp had to be tested before I could decide whether to keep it or not.

[kgg]

15 hours ago, fredk said:

yes, Tandy originated the name Craftool,  but see above.

From the info I have seen Dick McGahen founded the Craftool company in 1947 in South California and later sold too Tandy in 1959 with some Craftool's still being made in the USA until about 1999. After that they are made in Asia somewhere. Maybe not all the stamps are being made in the same factory so that may explain why some are good while others not so much. With the invent of the CNC machines, 3d printers and computer design programs one would think the stamps could / should be of superior quality to the originals. 

kgg

[Rhale]

I collect stamping tools, about 800 to date, the older craftool that just say craftool co. And a # without a letter in front of the # are the best ones under the craftool name, then comes the ones stamped the same except there is # and letter.  You will also find some withou # or letter.  Most all of these are good stamps, they are earlier stamps made in USA. After that they are stamped craftool co. USA, these are as a whole good stamps also.  In 1999 all there stamps were being imported and from then to date you are not getting the quality they use to be.  If you want good quality stamps get the USA made ones or better yet buy Barry King,  Robert Beard, Hackbarth, Clay Miller and a few other custom made stamps! They are more money but the difference in the quality and crispness of the stamps are undeniable.  Hope this helps! Rodney 

[Hardrada]

Another option would be GoodsJapan.com. All the items I've ordered from them are made in Japan and of good quality. They look mundane (maybe because many are hand-made) but once you put them to leather they're very good.

They have stamps too: https://www.goodsjapan.com/leathercraft-items/leathercraft-stamps?items=100

[D2G]

WOW!!

Many information, it is appreciated... "or not to my english understund "  i'm kidding,  so i'm go to read em with help of translator and after i'll can answer.

In advance: many stores here in spain like curtidos cabezas buy in Ivanleather "china" and after sold to the beginners spanish craftmans/craftgirls.  It's no good to beginners.

Edit: All right, thanks to all for the information. Finally i'll buy some ones in tandy Jerez Spain to can do Sheridan styles. I think I can't found here in Spain an craftman stamper to make it, anothers stamps like the Bulgarian guy are lovely but is for others details, so i'll buy that i'll need to can do sheridan style in tandy and do some right things.
Buy in Japan to send in after in a transatlantic boat that burn 400 galons gas to minute in my opinion is a bad bad idea.

Thanks to all.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2019 by D2G