Awl makers

[Retswerb]

24 minutes ago, FrenchMich said:

I master these areas of engineering quite well but the English is not my native language and it's not easy to to me to follow this kind of conversation. I'm afraid to write nonsences whitch will be misinterpreted

You’re doing well so far. As you say, technical discussions are challenging in a second language and go beyond simple conversation! Thanks for the effort you’re putting in to engage here.

As for the awls, I’m interested in the Jerome David products although they are probably outside of my price range. I’ll send you a PM (private message).

[Spyros]

32 minutes ago, FrenchMich said:

I master these areas of engineering quite well but the English is not my native language and it's not easy to to me to follow this kind of conversation. I'm afraid to write nonsences whitch will be misinterpreted.

Same for me but keep writing, you'll see it gets a lot better very quickly.  Your English is probably better than mine 5 years ago.

[Matt S]

4 hours ago, jcuk said:

 Cheers yes have seen them but not in SPI i need 

What SPI are you after? Maybe they would be willing to make you one custom?

Alternatively, some of the people who used to work for Dixons are making irons again on their own hook. I wonder if they would be willing to do something to your spec?

[FrenchMich]

Sorry, but can I ask you what is it ''SPI''?

[jcuk]

4 hours ago, Matt S said:

What SPI are you after? Maybe they would be willing to make you one custom?

Alternatively, some of the people who used to work for Dixons are making irons again on their own hook. I wonder if they would be willing to do something to your spec?

Have thought about asking Barnsley about that, 6 or 7 SPI, yes i know some of the people who were at Dixons are making some tools but not sure how or where to contact them.

Thanks again

JCUK

2 hours ago, FrenchMich said:

Sorry, but can I ask you what is it ''SPI''?

Stitches Per Inch we still work in old money over here or some of us do, i can use the metric system but was taught to work in the imperial method and prefer it, oddly though we use mm to measure the weight of the leather.

By the way nice work.

Hope this helps

JCUK 

Edited September 1, 2020 by jcuk

[Matt S]

23 minutes ago, jcuk said:

Have thought about asking Barnsley about that, 6 or 7 SPI, yes i know some of the people who were at Dixons are making some tools but not sure how or where to contact them.

I reckon it'd be worth emailing or calling Barnsley, seeing what they can do. The contact I had for the ex-Dixons iron maker (Leather 4 Craft) seems to have stopped taking orders for them. Otherwise... how handy are you with layout tools and a file? Dixons irons were AFAIK always soft mild steel and almost entirely hand cut, right to the end...

As it happens I have a left handed iron marked 6, but it's more like a 6.5 (sits between my right handed 6 and 7 Dixons so the stitches don't line up!).

[jcuk]

7 hours ago, Spyros said:

Personally I'm very happy with my Chinese steel.  It works for me 

 

Glad to her that but its not just the steel with me, i would like to know how ethical they are in treating their work force and environment in the production of said products and other products in general, how they can under cut companies here by maybe paying there workforce peanuts in doing so putting pressure on good old companies else where in the world, we have seen one good tool maker go out of business trying to compete with cheaper imports towards the end the tools being made were not as good as the older tools that were made, maybe because they were cutting costs trying to compete, sadly think it maybe happening to a good tool companies across the pond hopefully i am wrong about this but it does seem there have been some issues with the quality of their newer tools.  I for one have first hand knowledge of this.

Just  another big issue with me about things coming out of there is the thing that has been unleashed upon the world they are not telling the truth about that in my opinion - more to it than meets the eye on that one.

And yes i know this is a leather forum. 

JCUK   

[jcuk]

1 hour ago, Matt S said:

I reckon it'd be worth emailing or calling Barnsley, seeing what they can do. The contact I had for the ex-Dixons iron maker (Leather 4 Craft) seems to have stopped taking orders for them. Otherwise... how handy are you with layout tools and a file? Dixons irons were AFAIK always soft mild steel and almost entirely hand cut, right to the end...

As it happens I have a left handed iron marked 6, but it's more like a 6.5 (sits between my right handed 6 and 7 Dixons so the stitches don't line up!).

That the thing you will be better off using left and right handed irons of the same make so they match up the same each side of your work looked into Blanchard hellish expensive for the four irons i would need especially as this might just turn out to be a one off job and i have done without them this long. Think the older style irons on Abbeys site  are also made by ex Dixons workers can't be sure.

JCUK 

 

[FrenchMich]

Jcuk,

I didn't know this abbreviation but in Europe we also work with the same system and all the leather tools as  Stitching claws are in SPI too.
I'm happy to know this detail thank you

Mich'

 

[Matt S]

13 minutes ago, jcuk said:

That the thing you will be better off using left and right handed irons of the same make so they match up the same each side of your work looked into Blanchard hellish expensive for the four irons i would need especially as this might just turn out to be a one off job and i have done without them this long. Think the older style irons on Abbeys site  are also made by ex Dixons workers can't be sure

Yeah it's a bugger. Can't remember where I got it from now, probably a job lot of tools. You're right about the older/English style irons that Abbey sells they look dead like late Dixons. Maybe it's worth emailing Abbey? They're usually pretty good at replying constructively to odd requests.

11 minutes ago, FrenchMich said:

I didn't know this abbreviation but in Europe we also work with the same system and all the leather tools as  Stitching claws are in SPI too.

The funny thing is, Blanchard appears to use pouce (Fr. inch = 27.07mm) rather than English/American inch (25.4mm). Pouce hasn't been used officially since the revolution but I suspect was used informally for far longer.