eBay frustration.

[William Bloke]

We all know that eBay can be a great place to find old tools, but I have a particular frustration with it at the moment...

I'm looking for a nice strap pricker for part of a gift to a kid who did work experience with me and is about go down to Walsall to start her apprenticeship.

However all to ones the come up are bought for far too much money by people thinking they are getting pricking irons. 

To be clear, I don't mind being outbid, but it seems a shame to be outbid by someone who is going to be disappointed when it arrives.

 

Ok rant over! Any of you have anything similar?

[Aven]

Have you looked at G&M Tools or with Bruce Johnson?

[William Bloke]

23 minutes ago, Aven said:

Have you looked at G&M Tools or with Bruce Johnson?

I can't imagine Bruce has strap prickers I don't think they're an American thing, but I've not heard of g&m. Do you have a link?

I'm really looking for old tools though. Barnsley or Adams or such. Nice things for a girl starting out in her career. Nothing too flash.

Edited March 9, 2021 by William Bloke

[jcuk]

Have to check every now and then.

https://gandmtools.co.uk

Also try here

https://www.georgebarnsleyandsons.co.uk/leather-working-tools

JCUK

P.S. And yes people who don't know what they are buying inflates the price but sometimes on the flip side people who don't know what their selling. Good place to look in better times are Antiques fairs.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2021 by jcuk

[William Bloke]

Thanks for the links. The new Barnsley don't list a strap pricker but I'm sure they'd make one if you have them a ring and asked.

 

 

[jcuk]

I am taking it you do know Abbey stock them.

[Matt S]

You could try giving Graham Williams at G&G Leather Tools a call. He worked for Dixon for 18 years and then set up on his own hook. No catalogue or website, just give him a bell and say what you're after. He says he can make basically anything in the old Dixon catalogue except things that need castings, like gauges and splitting/skiving machines.

[Aven]

Forgive my ignorance, what's the difference between a strap pricker and a pricking iron?  Abbey's description wasn't very helpful, except that it seems that the strap pricker is available in one size/spacing. Is it the spacing? 5.8mm is a bit wider than most iron configurations I've come across.  But wouldn't 5.4mm be close enough?  I'm just curious.

[William Bloke]

1 hour ago, Aven said:

Forgive my ignorance, what's the difference between a strap pricker and a pricking iron?  Abbey's description wasn't very helpful, except that it seems that the strap pricker is available in one size/spacing. Is it the spacing? 5.8mm is a bit wider than most iron configurations I've come across.  But wouldn't 5.4mm be close enough?  I'm just curious.

A strap pricker makes square holes and is driven right through the leather. It's used to make the holes in girth billets before backstitching them onto the saddle webs of an English saddle. This is done with a sharp needle and no awl to avoid damaging the webbing.

A pricking iron makes diagonal marks in the leather to guide the placement of the awl.

You'd have a hard time making nice saddle stitches with a pricking iron because it gives no help with the slant of the awl.

Hope that makes sense.

[William Bloke]

5 hours ago, jcuk said:

I am taking it you do know Abbey stock them.

Yes but I'd like to get he an old one. She likes the old tools.

 

(Also god knows how long it would take to arrive from Abbey. There's always a good chance it'll be back ordered and turn up out of the blue in six months time.)