Swivel knife..............Hmmmmmm..................what length?

[battlemunky]

Wide and narrow are for bigger projects and filligree, respectively. Thick and thin is for depth control. If you search "Cut less, bevel more" Mike explains this in pretty decent detail. Some folks like to cut to the core and some folks don't. Its an aesthetics thing as well as a structural thing depending on the thickness of the leather.

I have a Barry King, a Tandy cheap jobber, and a no name and like them all pretty much equally. As long as they swivel freely, I'm pretty happy I reckon.

Edited November 20, 2020 by battlemunky

[Chris623]

Thanks, battlemunky, I'll check it out.

Edit:

Thanks again.  I watched the video and it was very helpful.  I teach wood carving at the local Vo-Tech, and one of the things I teach is low relief..........which it looks as if he does a lot of.  I'm not sure what that "swivel bevel" tool is really called.  Very effective, though. 

I've tons to learn, but I'm a sponge, so I'll get there.

Edited November 21, 2020 by Chris623

[YinTx]

If I may make another recommendation on your basic swivel knife:  Take the top off (it just pulls straight up if it looks like the one in the photo) and polish the nib that the yoke rides on. ( The pointy bit in my photo) Make sure it is shiny too, this is what lets the knife swivel smoothly.  I used various grits of sand paper, then jeweler's rouge.  Add a drop of oil into the barrel under the yoke, and reinsert the nib.  You will find it swivels very smoothly now compared to before.  A rough swivel tends to make life more difficult when carving!

 

Here's what the blade looks like.  Kinda difficult to photograph, but fairly mirror polished:

These are some the knifes that were neglected in favor of the cheapo above.   The ones on the right are Craftool Pro, and the Craftool Ergo version.  Knife in the middle is the Robert Beard.  If anyone knows who the makers are for the ones on the left, I'd be interested to know!  They do appear to have Tandy's Ruby blades in them.

 

YinTx

[Chris623]

Thanks, YinTx.  I must have lucked out because my swivel mechanism is as smooth as butter............but I'll still take your recommendation.  You say it just "pops" off?  Hmmmmm.   As I mentioned previously, my "thing" is sharpening and polishing.  I make knives.  But I also make a lot of wood carving knives.  I teach wood carving and if a knife isn't scalpel sharp it's a waste of time to use.  So the bevels on my new swivel knife are absolute mirrors. 

I've a lot of practice ahead of me. 

[YinTx]

4 hours ago, Chris623 said:

You say it just "pops" off? 

If it is like the one in the photo, yes.  If it is already smooth, maybe you don't need to work it over?

4 hours ago, Chris623 said:

So the bevels on my new swivel knife are absolute mirrors.

Awesome, then it is going to cut just fine and no one will have any clue whether you cut with a $15 knife or a $250 knife.  Just strop every once in a while when you are cutting to get the leather buildup off the blade, and you are off to the races.

Get different sized blades when you are ready to experiment.  When you have it all dialed in and you are ready for a big $$$$ tool, you'll know what you want.  Or you may decide meh, money better spent elsewhere!  If you make knives, you may even decide to make your own!  They are pretty straightforward, I'd think.  

YinTx

[Rhale]

Hey YenTx are you wanting to sell the Robert Beard swivel knife? Thanks 

[Chris623]

7 hours ago, YinTx said:

If it is like the one in the photo, yes.  If it is already smooth, maybe you don't need to work it over?

Well, mine is the Tandy Leather Comfort..........bottom of the line.  Don't know if that's the same one you showed.

[YinTx]

4 hours ago, Chris623 said:

Well, mine is the Tandy Leather Comfort..........bottom of the line.  Don't know if that's the same one you showed.

The one I showed is probably from the 60's or 70's, no idea how old the blade is.  Could be newer or older.  But the design looks similar to the one you have.

4 hours ago, Rhale said:

Hey YenTx are you wanting to sell the Robert Beard swivel knife? Thanks 

That one is a recent acquisition, so I hope to sharpen it up and use it.  But I don't know the correct profile for the edge.  I'm guessing just a simple V wedge profile, but it could be a convex bevel?  Anyhow, I have several swivel's I'd sell, but the Beard is not one of them.  

YinTx

[Chris623]

I pulled the finger cradle off and the top of mine was flat...............but I polished and oiled it anyway.  Works great.

[Rhale]

YinTex , what swivels are you selling? And prices please! Thanks