CS Osborne Leather Tools - We are now stocking a limited number of new leather tools made by CS Osborne. I know there are several CS Osborne dealers on the internet - Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, and others. What sets me apart? I am not just transferring a box with a tool in it. I take the splitter out and put a final edge on the blade. Round knives are sharpened to a ready to use edge before you get them and these are realistically nice knives when they are sharp. I have a machine to quantitatively measure edge sharpness and the difference is big. Hammers are smoothed and polished. Punch tubes are sharpened. Even the fids are further polished to slide easier through your leather or braids. I am also stocking small parts like the draw gauge shims/gibs that are often missing from the used and vintage ones. I am selling "stock" draw gauge blades as they come or the option of the sharpened draw gauge blades. We will be adding more tools as time goes on.
- #84 Leather Splitter
- #86 Leather Splitter
- Knives
- Gouges
- Hammers
- Pliers
- Compass Style Stitch Groover
- Awl Hafts and Awl Blades
- Draw Gauge Parts
- Wing Dividers
- Lace Cutter
- Lace Pullers
- Scratch Awls/Saddle Spike Awls
- Fids
CS Osborne #84 Leather Splitter - This is the tried and true twist handle leather splitter. The handle is twisted to lock the thickness for level splitting. The handle can also be pushed forward as the leather strap is pulled through to make a tapering lap skive. There is an adjustable stop and pointer for repeatability of splitting thicknesses. It is a very versatile splitter and skiver. The blade is a bimetal blade and has been sharpened. The frames are painted a gray color.
CS Osborne #86 Leather splitter - These have been the workhorse splitter for at least 125 years with no real changes. They've been a military issue item back in the horse drawn and cavalry days, on the benches of harness makers, saddle makers, braiders, and leather workers everywhere. They are compact and easy to adjust, easy to use. They mount on the edge of the bench. The 6" bi-metal blade has been sharpened and ready to get to work. Frames are painted the same black color since the beginning.
CS Osborne #70 Round Knife - This is the traditional 5 inch wide round knife design. In the past these knives do not always get great reviews on the internet forums. The fact is that many of the people buying them are first time buyers and expect them to be ready to use sharp out of the box, and get the the advice to strop them a few times. That will not get it. In my refurbishing and sharpening shop I have a few different knife sharpeners and edge buffing equipment that I use to bring out a sharp edge. Honestly, I am impressed at the quality with steel and treatment in these particular knives. They take some time and that to me is a good thing. These are good value nice knives.
Adjustable Gouges - These are CS Osborne adjustable depth gouges in "U" and "V" shaped blades. Perfect for gouging for fold lines! These are sharpened by me and ready to go to work.
Hammers - These hammers have a some final cleanup for use. The faces have the sharp corners slightly rounded over and then polished to a mirror finish to avoid marking your fine leather work. The heels have likewise had the sharp edge and corners lightly rounded and are polished. The heads of the #65 and #66 hammers are secured to the handle with a circular wedge. If you have ever rehandle a striking tool, these circular wedges are the real deal. I personally use them whenever I rehandle.
CS Osborne Pliers
CS Osborne #34 Stitch Groover - This is a new CS Osborne compass style stitch groover with four interchangeable tips. There is a sharp scratch point tip and three sizes of stitch grooving tips - sizes 1, 2 and 3. I have polished and removed edge burs from the groover tips to cut smoothly.
Awl hafts are used to hold the awl blades for hand sewing. These normally have a chuck that tightens down on the end of the awl blade to hold it securely.
Awl Blades - These are diamond profile awl blades that I have sharpened and polished to be ready to use. I start with CS Osborne blades and take them to a finer edge and durable point. We are stocking two styles and several sizes with a few more sizes to come.
Harness Style Awl Blades - These blades have a long edge from tip to the base. They are the most commonly used awl blade style for general sewing. The #42 and #43 sizes have a smaller end will need to be driven into a haft or used in a haft with a chuck that closes down fairly tight.
Saddler or "Snake Head" Awl Blades - These awl blades have a flared tip with the point and edges sharpened then a rounded shaft. Many saddle makers prefer these for thicker leather. The end makes the slit and the round shaft holds it open.
CS Osborne Draw Gauge Blades and Small Parts - You know those little shims that are always missing when you buy a used draw gauge? I have them. With my business of refurbishing it is usually hard to find the amount I needed. Most dealers didn't stock them and if they did - two here, three there. It was hard to sell any spares because I was needing them. I've got them stocked now and for sale. I am also selling draw gauge blades. I am selling the blades two ways. I am selling them "stock" as they come from CS Osborne. I am also selling them sharpened and the pointed tip rounded over for safety. These sharp and rounded blades are the same ones I provide with my refurbished vintage draw gauges. For more information on why I do that, please read the Draw Gauge tutorial on the Tutorial page of the website.
CS Osborne #106 Wing Dividers - These are new CS Osborne #106 wing dividers. They have nice sharpo points for distinct marking of leather or scratching a stitch line. The round legs make them easily to go smoothly around corners when marking. Three sizes available - 6, 8 and 10 inch currently.
CS Osborne #1000 Lace Cutter - Also called a Western Lace Cutter. This lace cutter will cut lace up to 3/8" wide. It cuts from the inside of a circle and the blade is resharpenable and replaceable. You may notice this version looks a bit different from other ones you see on the internet. On the original version the blade slides into the slot and just sits there by friction. On the suggestion of a braider who uses these (and a few who learned from him) I have drilled, tapped, and added set screws to hold the blade firmly to the fulcrum. It makes starting the cut much easier and also allows more control for which part of the edge you are using. If you decide you don't like the set screws, easy enough to remove them and you get a bonus Allen wrench.
Lace Puller - These are lace pullers designed to pull lacing and saddle strings for saddle making and repair work. I start with stock CS Osborne blunt awls and polish the tips to a nice smooth finish to avoid scarring your lace and then refinish the handles. These are an item we plan to keep several in stock.
CS Osborne #4 Scratch Awls - These durable scratch awls are multipurpose. They all can be used for marking leather and they can be used for enlarging punched round holes. The smaller sizes can be heated and the tip used to burn and bond thread ends on stitching. The larger sizes can be used as saddle spikes for drawing and tightening leather.
CS Osborne Lacing and Braiding Fid - Fids are used to open slits in leather for edge braiding and also for parting strands in larger braid patterns for passing lace or interweaves. Even these have been worked on a bit. I have polished the tip to allow smoother passage. My wife asked me why are we stocking a lower cost tool like this? Easy answer, I get inquiries at least once or twice week for them. Yes I've got them and a bunch.
