Need a source for leatherworking tools

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Good day:

I want to make my own leather goods and would like to find a source for QUALITY tools like pricking irons, punches, and basic leather stitching tools. I am familiar with Tandy- what other suppliers or manufacturers can you folks recommend? Also if you have any good sources for leather, that would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[John Vernier]

The best known, and perhaps last remaining, US manufacturer of leatherworking tools is C.S. Osborne: http://www.csosborne.com/leather_1.html
They only sell through distributors. The other name which turns up a lot is Vergez Blanchard, in France. Their tools are impressive looking and very pricey. I haven't used them: http://www.vergez-blanchard.fr/boutique/liste_rayons.cfm

I buy from Landwerlen Leather company in Indianapolis, which is a fantastic old business supplying shoemakers and leatherworkers. I used to know of several similar businesses in the midwest but all the others I know of have vanished. It's easy for me to get to Landwerlen but I understand they ship a lot of orders - It's certainly worth getting in touch with them and seeing if they would be easy for you to work with. They do carry C. S. Osborne tools. Landwerlen doesn't have a website, but if you use the Osborne website for reference, and familiarize yourself with tool terminology in general, the owner is pretty relaxed and he has all sorts of stuff squirreled away. I found him great to deal with as a walk-in neophyte.
The last time I was in there they were stocking Mexican-sourced oak tanned leather because U.S. production has pretty much stopped. He said he'd looked around to find the best quality he could get, and it looked pretty good to me.

On a more general note, I've been fiddling around with shoemaking recently, and did a little about 15 years ago, and it seems a lot of leather hand tool production has stopped in that time. Good quality awls are hard to find (and old stock on the auction site goes for shocking prices). Even the Osborne quality isn't what it was. I have been turning my own awl handles and trying to get my metalworking chops back up and functioning so that I can make simple tools if I need to, rather than wringing my hands when I break an awl.

I can recommend a website, The Honourable Cordwainers' Company, as a source for serious leatherworking information: http://www.thehcc.org/ Their forum, the Crispin Colloquy, is fairly slow but a great source for information about materials and techniques, although it is also a compendium of the tools and materials which can no longer be found, or are now a shadow of their former quality. There is nothing like the renaissance in woodworking tool making!

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Excellent info, John. I appreciate your time and detailed response. I will check these out. I want to make a leather backpack and some tool holders for starters, but I really want to try making a pair of sandals.

[Al Launier]

Tandy Leather is another option. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/?gclid=CJXj4-rU0dMCFYSKswodNHUB1w

[John Vernier]

Glad to be of use. BTW I have found that YouTube is my friend when trying to figure out leatherworking techniques. Check out Armitage Leather's channel for a lot of tutorials about harness stitching, and his reviews of various types of pricking irons. He goes on and on, in stultifying detail, but he knows his stuff and I have yet to see a leatherworking book which is worth the trouble.

[Roger Nair]

I hope this mention doe not violate rules, leatherworker net is a good source of information of all manner of leather related matters.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Tandy Leather is another option. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/?gclid=CJXj4-rU0dMCFYSKswodNHUB1w

Yes, I know them, and it just seems like much of their stuff is of the Chinese import variety. I'm okay with Chinese imports if they are verified by someone to be good, but so often I find they aren't.


Glad to be of use. BTW I have found that YouTube is my friend when trying to figure out leatherworking techniques. Check out Armitage Leather's channel for a lot of tutorials about harness stitching, and his reviews of various types of pricking irons. He goes on and on, in stultifying detail, but he knows his stuff and I have yet to see a leatherworking book which is worth the trouble.

Funny thing, I found that channel already, and you are right- very detailed.


I hope this mention doe not violate rules, leatherworker net is a good source of information of all manner of leather related matters.

Thanks much. I think as long as you don't link to another forum it's okay.



I really appreciate the feedback. I wasn't sure if I should post in off-topic, but I know a lot of us Neanders make our own tools, holsters, and other things, and I figured this would be the best place to ask. After looking unsuccessfully for a leather backpack, I have decided to make my own. All the ones I found within my price range were made of thin, flimsy leather. I want one out of 6 ounce oil-tanned leather. Also I made the pattern for some sandals a long time ago and even bought the leather, but never got around to making them with all the other projects at hand. As I clear out the project list, I'm getting ready to try a bit of leatherworking.

[Jim McGee]

Vintage tools has used leather working tools. https://www.vintagetools.net/

[george wilson]

When I visit my old harness maker friend, now 80 years old, and retired from Williamsburg now, He didn't do the 40 years like I did! I am always impressed with the collection of leather working tools he has acquired over the years, and still uses. He has a bunch of multi toothed stitching punches. Some are nearly 2" wide, and with the finest teeth! Some have the broad arrow head English government mark stamped on them. All the little chisel edged teeth cut perfectly spaced slits for the stitches, on 45 degree angles. He is the real deal, having served a proper apprenticeship in England, starting when he was in his early teens. He is very Cockney, and a great, very helpful and generous person. He still takes care of the harnesses the horses use, pulling coaches and wagons about town. They can't find seem to find anyone else who knows how to make the harnesses. And, it is pretty involved stuff. And, not like modern harness. They will probably wait until he is dead, then run around like chickens with their heads cut off, in a huge quandary to find a replacement! This is standard practice.

He repaired all the damaged leather goods(aviator's hats, boots, etc. used in the movie " The Battle of Britain". He has many stories. One is how they had to install Jaguar car engines in planes cobbled together, but missing the engines. They were used in shots where they were JUST leaving the ground. And, just leaving the ground is all they could do with the Jaguar engines at, what? 275 H.P.,compared to the minimum 1000 H.P. Merlin engines on the earliest Mk.1 Spitfires. That figure soon doubled as the British kept up with the German advances on their 109's. They had gathered every WWII British and German plane they could find from all over Europe. The Heinkel 111 was still made in Spain, but with Merlin Engines. Used to haul freight and passengers (I guess).

These days, they can make any plane they want with the computer.

When he was a kid, he and 2 friends were walking along an isolated country road, having been fishing. A Rolls Royce stopped and the driver got out. He said" Miss Andrews would like to know if you would like a lift". It turned out to be Julie Andrews!!! So, there they were, sitting in the limousine, facing the lovely Miss Andrews, and wondering what to say!!:)

He also worked on holsters and other items for the early James Bond movies with the original(and ONLY SUITABLE James Bond, in My opinion,Sean Connery. Sean Connery did not trust banks. He kept his money in a large drawer in a chest of drawers in his bedroom. His wife used to think it was so funny, she would take dinner guests to the bedroom, and show them his drawer full of money!!:) Eventually, Mr. Conners BOUGHT himself a bank, where he could trust to keep his money!!! You just never know the little quirks that people can have! Maybe it was a Scottish thing!!

When Sean Connery first got into acting, he had a very thick Scottish accent, which some actress, I can't recall who, thought was so terrible. She thought he sounded like a rough Scottish truck driver!! He had to attend many classes to get rid of that accent (which still comes through some times!) He knew that he would not be able to have a real career on his looks alone. He finally became "Brittified".

[Malcolm Schweizer]

When I visit my old harness maker friend, now 80 years old, and retired from Williamsburg now, He didn't do the 40 years like I did! I am always impressed with the collection of leather working tools he has acquired over the years, and still uses. He has a bunch of multi toothed stitching punches. Some are nearly 2" wide, and with the finest teeth! Some have the broad arrow head English government mark stamped on them. All the little chisel edged teeth cut perfectly spaced slits for the stitches, on 45 degree angles. He is the real deal, having served a proper apprenticeship in England, starting when he was in his early teens. He is very Cockney, and a great, very helpful and generous person. He still takes care of the harnesses the horses use, pulling coaches and wagons about town. They can't find seem to find anyone else who knows how to make the harnesses. And, it is pretty involved stuff. And, not like modern harness. They will probably wait until he is dead, then run around like chickens with their heads cut off, in a huge quandary to find a replacement! This is standard practice.

He repaired all the damaged leather goods(aviator's hats, boots, etc. used in the movie " The Battle of Britain". He has many stories. One is how they had to install Jaguar car engines in planes cobbled together, but missing the engines. They were used in shots where they were JUST leaving the ground. And, just leaving the ground is all they could do with the Jaguar engines at, what? 275 H.P.,compared to the minimum 1000 H.P. Merlin engines on the earliest Mk.1 Spitfires. That figure soon doubled as the British kept up with the German advances on their 109's. They had gathered every WWII British and German plane they could find from all over Europe. The Heinkel 111 was still made in Spain, but with Merlin Engines. Used to haul freight and passengers (I guess).

These days, they can make any plane they want with the computer.

When he was a kid, he and 2 friends were walking along an isolated country road, having been fishing. A Rolls Royce stopped and the driver got out. He said" Miss Andrews would like to know if you would like a lift". It turned out to be Julie Andrews!!! So, there they were, sitting in the limousine, facing the lovely Miss Andrews, and wondering what to say!!:)

He also worked on holsters and other items for the early James Bond movies with the original(and ONLY SUITABLE James Bond, in My opinion,Sean Connery. Sean Connery did not trust banks. He kept his money in a large drawer in a chest of drawers in his bedroom. His wife used to think it was so funny, she would take dinner guests to the bedroom, and show them his drawer full of money!!:) Eventually, Mr. Conners BOUGHT himself a bank, where he could trust to keep his money!!! You just never know the little quirks that people can have! Maybe it was a Scottish thing!!

When Sean Connery first got into acting, he had a very thick Scottish accent, which some actress, I can't recall who, thought was so terrible. She thought he sounded like a rough Scottish truck driver!! He had to attend many classes to get rid of that accent (which still comes through some times!) He knew that he would not be able to have a real career on his looks alone. He finally became "Brittified".

Awesome stories, George. I love your knowledge. My father was bombardier/navigator in a B26 and was awarded the Flying Cross. When he got out of the Air Force, he was asked to be technical advisor on a movie called "Target Unknown" about a WWII bomb squad. I found pictures of the set. They surrounded the aircraft with scaffolding for the film. The plane was pristine.

My grandfather, who was an aircraft mechanic in WWI, took a Hispana-Suiza (sp?) V12 engine and put it in a race boat. This was in the late 1920's or early 30's. It had 12 straight pipes. Imagine the sound that thing must have made. Nobody could beat him, so he decided to let the guy that came in second place have the trophy because he said it wasn't fair that he always won. Upstanding man!

I got to meet Sean Connery in Nassau at the annual Nassau Film Festival, which the company I work for sponsored. He is just a good old down-to-earth guy. He doesn't live beyond his means, and he isn't stuck up like some Hollywood actors.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Awesome stories, George. I love your knowledge. My father was bombardier/navigator in a B26 and was awarded the Flying Cross. When he got out of the Air Force, he was asked to be technical advisor on a movie called "Target Unknown" about a WWII bomb squad. I found pictures of the set. They surrounded the aircraft with scaffolding for the film. The plane was pristine.

My grandfather, who was an aircraft mechanic in WWI, took a Hispana-Suiza (sp?) V12 engine and put it in a race boat. This was in the late 1920's or early 30's. It had 12 straight pipes. Imagine the sound that thing must have made. Nobody could beat him, so he decided to let the guy that came in second place have the trophy because he said it wasn't fair that he always won. Upstanding man!

I got to meet Sean Connery in Nassau at the annual Nassau Film Festival, which the company I work for sponsored. He is just a good old down-to-earth guy. He doesn't live beyond his means, and he isn't stuck up like some Hollywood actors.

My being raised by a fighter pilot means I've admired the R-R Merlin for years (might even be genetic?;)). Not many boat races in N.Texas, but I recall stories that many of the WWII Merlins got re-purposed to boat racing. A quick search came up empty, but I also have a vague recall that someone resurrected the design and is still building 'blue print' clones specifically for boat racing use..?

I'd love to have one; no particular use for it, but it'd be a hell of a way to annoy a neighbor!

---
My father was in the Texas Air Force for about 4 seconds. He was lead for a flight of 4 F-84's. Instructed to stay clear of an area near San Antonio, he couldn't resist and on the way to Florida, buzzed a movie set at about 50' AGL. The Base Commander greeted him on their arrival. It seems the movie was called "The Alamo".

[george wilson]

Malcom s: Henry Ford had some kind of a very powerful speed boat.Powered by a 12 cylinder Liberty engine, made as an aircraft engine during WWI. IIRC, he lived on an island at some point, and enjoyed blasting his way over the water with the boat.