Your favourite tools

[zuludog]

2 hours ago, Spyros said:

Man, I really need to make a proper stitching horse.  I made a couple of "ponies" for myself while I was still researching leatherworking and waiting for my first tools to arrive, without actually having stitched anything in my life.  So I went ahead and made a couple of tabletop versions because that's what I could see everywhere on Etsy etc so I thought ok that's what what everybody uses.  Didn't even know stitching horses exist.  But those little things that clamp on the edge of table are only really good for wallets IMO.  They're just too high when I sit and too low when I stand, the actual clamp is small and I don't like the screw knob, it's unnecessarily slow, I should have made a quick release. 

So now I'm looking at stitching horses and trying to imagine some sort of a design that will work for me.  I don't want to create another furniture though, my house is full.

Any ideas are welcome

Something bigger than a stitching pony, but not as big or bulky as a stitching horse that you sit on?

How about the traditional saddler's clam, aka saddler's clamp? - Search Google and YouTube accordingly

You can sit down to it on a separate chair, or stand up to it; then tuck it away in a corner somewhere , upright or lying down, when you don't want it. Usually you sit down and put it between your knees to give it a bit of support; by varying the angle you can adjust the height

Nigel Armitage, Jo from JH Leather, and many others use a clam

[William Bloke]

3 hours ago, jcuk said:

Yes rolled work is a acquired taste (time is money) don't get a lot of it but do some for myself just to keep my eye in.

Oh the square el cheapo Chinese made would not buy it today kind of think that's why Dixons and other Leather tool makers went to the wall cheap imports from the far far east glad to see Blanchard still going strong i hope.    

Well you'll never guess what just arrived for me to repair/remake! Looks like my martingale groover will be getting an outing after all.

 

I really hope Blanchard carry on, they seem to be the only ones makeing quality working tools, they'll cause problems for the trade if they do go. (And I really like their sewing awl handles.)

[battlemunky]

6 hours ago, Spyros said:

Man, I really need to make a proper stitching horse.  I made a couple of "ponies" for myself while I was still researching leatherworking and waiting for my first tools to arrive, without actually having stitched anything in my life.  So I went ahead and made a couple of tabletop versions because that's what I could see everywhere on Etsy etc so I thought ok that's what what everybody uses.  Didn't even know stitching horses exist.  But those little things that clamp on the edge of table are only really good for wallets IMO.  They're just too high when I sit and too low when I stand, the actual clamp is small and I don't like the screw knob, it's unnecessarily slow, I should have made a quick release. 

So now I'm looking at stitching horses and trying to imagine some sort of a design that will work for me.  I don't want to create another furniture though, my house is full.

Any ideas are welcome

Stohlman's got the design in his "how to handsew leather" book. I don't know if it is still free on Tandy or not but a hint is that those designs are out there on the interwebs if you don't find the book.

2 hours ago, William Bloke said:

I really hope Blanchard carry on, they seem to be the only ones makeing quality working tools, they'll cause problems for the trade if they do go. (And I really like their sewing awl handles.)

 

Vergez Blanchard wind dividers are about as solid of a tool as I've ever used. I have Barry King's sewing awl and it is really well made as well, so there is hope for the future. 

[zuludog]

There is still a Sheffield based maker of leatherworking tools -

https://www.georgebarnsleyand sons.co.uk

I have one of their head knives. As a traditional maker Barnsley only provide a basic cutting edge, which helps to keep the cost down. But once you've done the final sharpening and polishing it's excellent

Edited June 26, 2020 by zuludog

[jcuk]

3 hours ago, William Bloke said:

Well you'll never guess what just arrived for me to repair/remake! Looks like my martingale groover will be getting an outing after all.

 

I really hope Blanchard carry on, they seem to be the only ones makeing quality working tools, they'll cause problems for the trade if they do go. (And I really like their sewing awl handles.)

Yes it is one of those repair or remake.

Just read your first post again sorry about your tools being stolen, bet some of them you could not replace like for like.

In better times like to go to antique fairs sometimes you can pick up some old tools( won't use the term vintage with nice patina ) its a old tool that can and will do the job if was made for, some of the sellers have not got clue what they have so good bargains can be had.

On Blanchard yes expensive but will last you and someone elses lifetime, if i was starting they would be my go to place often people ask which tools for a beginner the way i look at  it if you buy quality tools from the out set you will always have people wanting to buy quality tools if you decide you no longer want to do leather work anymore easier to sell good tools and maybe get a large chunk of your investment back hopefully.Plus the better the tool the easier your life is.

Was lucky enough while on holiday in France last year Normandy, guess where i took my family for lovely a day out they loved it (not) 

Edited June 26, 2020 by jcuk

[Hardrada]

53 minutes ago, jcuk said:

On Blanchard yes expensive but will last you and someone elses lifetime

Precisely why I prefer to pay top buck for my tools even if that means I can only buy few of them at a time.

As I always say: "I'm too poor to spend my money on junk".

[battlemunky]

I still haven't learned. I'm happy with all my top notch gear but I still can't resist buying cheap Chinese crap and then upgrading it to the good stuff later. Its a tax on the higher end tools really.

[Spyros]

10 hours ago, battlemunky said:

Stohlman's got the design in his "how to handsew leather" book. I don't know if it is still free on Tandy or not but a hint is that those designs are out there on the interwebs if you don't find the book.

Τhanks.  I found this illustration, is pretty much all I need.

So this is made basically with furniture grade materials and finishing and looks ridiculously over engineered for what it's meant to do, which is to firmly but gently hold two pieces of leather together.

Which is awesome.  It's the sort of thing if you found it forgotten in the attic from your great grandpa's days you'd restore and put it to good use for another lifetime (or three). 

 

My problem is, just from looking at the illustrations, it doesn't look very comfortable to me?  I know after an hour I'd wish the position of the hands was a little lower, or I could change position and use it standing up for a while. 

And I don't think I'd want to squeeze it with my knees for too long, because it seems that mechanically that's the only thing that keeps it closed?  Unless there's something I'm not understanding about the mechanism (talking about the middle one here, I already know I don't like screw knobs for this job, so the other two are out for me).

I don't know, it's the kind of thing you have to try to see what works and why it's designed like that.   I'm sure there's a reason, people have been using and fine tuning these things for centuries.

 

[Handstitched]

I never gave it much thought until I read the post, I just use them.  So  I went to look at all my tools, and while all of  my  tools are my favorite especially the vintage tools ( including me...ha !! ) , it took a while to narrow it down. 

So what are my favorite tools? I would be lost without them or annoyed if I lost them . 

Well, here they are: L > R 

1. my carving knife, its an  angled blade , adjustable. 2. my B701 beveler, I pretty much use it all the time on just about everything .  3. My fave modeling tool , I use the narrow end mostly. 4. My folding  knife, with blades that are easy to change .  I have tried round knives, but my hands are  small and this knife suits me  fine .( its also good for scoring Pork rind   )  I sometimes sharpen the blades to extend the life of the blade. 5. My beveler. It has 5 interchangable blades, stored inside the handle, but  # 3 is used mostly, I have others but this is the ' main one' . 6. Last but not least, my  rubber maul /mallet, with leather ..." embelishments" .  I found it in the toy section of a discount shop, never weighed it, but its about 6 oz  I'm guessing , but its just perfect for me . Its been repaired   a few times, but I would be totally lost without it, and I have never found another one since . 

 I have a larger one ( about 9 oz)  that I use for 3D stamps etc. 

Its not the tools that count, its the end result  

HS 

 

[William Bloke]

9 hours ago, Spyros said:

Τhanks.  I found this illustration, is pretty much all I need.

So this is made basically with furniture grade materials and finishing and looks ridiculously over engineered for what it's meant to do, which is to firmly but gently hold two pieces of leather together.

Which is awesome.  It's the sort of thing if you found it forgotten in the attic from your great grandpa's days you'd restore and put it to good use for another lifetime (or three). 

 

My problem is, just from looking at the illustrations, it doesn't look very comfortable to me?  I know after an hour I'd wish the position of the hands was a little lower, or I could change position and use it standing up for a while. 

And I don't think I'd want to squeeze it with my knees for too long, because it seems that mechanically that's the only thing that keeps it closed?  Unless there's something I'm not understanding about the mechanism (talking about the middle one here, I already know I don't like screw knobs for this job, so the other two are out for me).

I don't know, it's the kind of thing you have to try to see what works and why it's designed like that.   I'm sure there's a reason, people have been using and fine tuning these things for centuries.

 

Seeing as I've found myself in the workshop on the weekend...

Here's my clam and a picture of a scruffy old git using it.

These things are pretty much standard in the UK (The clams, not scruffy old gits, though you'll see a lot of us too.) They are made of laminated beech and spring closed to hold the work. You can increase the pressure if you want by pressing down with your right leg. What's nice about them is there's nothing on the outside to catch loops of thread and there's a big area inside to hold large pieces, which is useful when making briefcases and such.

It might just be that I'm so used to it, but I don't find it uncomfortable to work like this, I can easily do a full day sewing and it's my fingers, not my back that give up first.

Some folk like to tie their clam to the bench and or add a foot stirrup to close them tighter, but I've never felt the need. I like their versatility as they are.

 

Edited June 27, 2020 by William Bloke