4 inch or smaller head knife around $150 or less? Is a "French" knife a good alternative?

[toxo]

2 minutes ago, jcuk said:

Have to confess i have never used this kind of knife as you can tell from my previous post is this topic its a Round knife foe me at least 95% of the time .Skinny ali things with a really sharp point ? 

LOL! Third from the right in Hardradas pic above. I hold it like a pencil and it's easy to follow any curve with precision. Bear in mind I only work up to 2.4mm.

[jcuk]

25 minutes ago, toxo said:

LOL! Third from the right in Hardradas pic above. I hold it like a pencil and it's easy to follow any curve with precision. Bear in mind I only work up to 2.4mm.

Oh a Exacto type knife i have a full set which i have had  25+ years all pretty much in mint condition that's how much i use them,  for cutting lighter leather i use a Clicker knife which is the far right one.

[toxo]

2 minutes ago, jcuk said:

Oh a Exacto type knife i have a full set which i have had  25+ years all pretty much in mint condition that's how much i use them,  for cutting lighter leather i use a Clicker knife which is the far right one.

Have looked at the clicker type but has a thicker blade so can't get enough pressure if holding like a pencil and if you use overhand I seem to have trouble seeing the line. And why clicker?

[jcuk]

17 minutes ago, toxo said:

Have looked at the clicker type but has a thicker blade so can't get enough pressure if holding like a pencil and if you use overhand I seem to have trouble seeing the line. And why clicker?

Easier to cut and paste this. Many make their own blades from old hack saw blades.

https://www.artisanleather.co.uk/clicker-knife-1476-p.html

Edited January 26, 2021 by jcuk

[Hardrada]

I tried cutting curves with the clicker knife but I could never get it to work for me. I also wonder whence the term 'clicker' came? Mine doesn't make any sound when I use it.

[jcuk]

5 minutes ago, Hardrada said:

I tried cutting curves with the clicker knife but I could never get it to work for me. I also wonder whence the term 'clicker' came? Mine doesn't make any sound when I use it.

Might be of interest.

https://www.crockettandjones.com/the-article/the-clicking-room-secrets-of-the-shoe-trade/

[zuludog]

Why are clicker knives called clicker knives?

In the early days of manufacture of leather goods,  before a lot of automation, the pieces would be cut out by hand. So a factory would have rows of benches with leatherworkers at them; and a large cutting out hall would have many workers. Top class, and therefore expensive, leather goods are still made this way, but on a smaller scale

On thick leather the pattern would be cut out by a few cuts on the same line . At first, before the piece was fully cut out, when the knife came to the edge of the hide it would slide off the edge and hit the bench underneath, making a clicking noise as it did so

Thus the knife became known as a clicker knife, after the sound it made

Traditionally the workers would be provided with a basic, blunt, knife or awl, so they could sharpen and shape it to suit themselves. This practice has continued for some makers 

Edited January 26, 2021 by zuludog

[toxo]

6 minutes ago, zuludog said:

Why are clicker knives called clicker knives?

In the early days of manufacture of leather goods, like bags and footwear, before a lot of automation, the pieces would be cut out by hand. So a factory would have rows of benches with leatherworkers at them; and a large cutting out hall would have many workers

On thick leather the pattern would be cut out by a few cuts on the same line . At first, before the piece was fully cut out, when the knife came to the edge of the hide it would slide off the edge and hit the bench underneath, making a clicking noise as it did so

Thus the knife became known as a clicker knife, after the sound it made

Traditionally the workers would be provided with a basic, blunt, knife or awl, so they could sharpen and shape it to suit themselves. This practice has continued for some makers 

Thanks dog. I have no problem hanging on to old names even if they're redundant. Where I struggle is when they put £50 on the price because "It's a Clicker knife". LOL

[zuludog]

I know we're in danger of going off topic here, but I have shaped & sharpened some of my own leatherworking knives - 

A skiving knife from a dirty, rusty old putty knife, but a good one with a forged spring steel blade; cost me 50p from a car boot sale. I used a hacksaw, files, oilstones, and a strop

A kiridashi - cum - English paring knife from a 25mm hacksaw blade

I had a cheap block plane that was fiddly and difficult to adjust & use, but the blade was quite good, so I turned it into a Japanese style leather knife

I had arranged for my local photographic club to help me post pictures, but the Lockdown stopped that. Hopefully, one day soon......

[zuludog]

31 minutes ago, toxo said:

Thanks dog. I have no problem hanging on to old names even if they're redundant. Where I struggle is when they put £50 on the price because "It's a Clicker knife". LOL

Have a look at www.georgebarnsleyandsons.co.uk They have a few types of fixed blade knives fairly cheap. I suspect they are old stock, and none the worse for it