What Are Your Favorite Tools?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

All of us have certain tools that just work right. Every time we pick them up, they feel like nothing else. Some even have other positive associations.

My top 5 are as shown in the photo below. From left to right they are:

1) My main leather knife. When I worked for Charlie Miller in his saddle shop, I copied the knife he made many years prior. I wore it all the time in the shop. It is made from an old power hacksaw blade with shoe sole material from the local boot repair shop for grips. It not only does more than any other knife I've had but it reminds me of Charlie, who taught me how to really work leather and inspired me to make my own tools.

2) A 4 oz mallet I made for tooling leather. It's made from a 3" piece of 1-1/2" round UHMW. A full 90% of my stamping is done with this little gem.

3) A #3 edge beader, one of the very first tools I bought when I first started tooling leather, a few years before I even started working in the saddle shop. I use this on most cowboy leather items I make.

4) My 7/16" Hackbarth swivel knife. I have other swivel knives, several with bearings like this, but this one is the smoothest and easiest to use. It just feels 'right'.

5) The latest of my favorites. After years of going without finding a good knife for skiving, this one fills the bill. It is made from an old circular saw blade I had. It can shave off the slightest bit of leather precisely and easily.



So what are your favorites?

[Rube Burrows]

Great grouping of tools. I love the handmade tools you have. I remember in my grandpaw's shop he had lots of special hand tools that he made himself or his father made.

I will get some of my tools that I use most together when I get home for a photo. I have not been doing this for a very long time so my tools will look different and not be as flattering as yours.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I look forward to seeing them. Heck, I have some I made for other purposes that are rather rough looking but they work. Like this T-handled ratcheting speed wrench I made out of a 3/8" ratchet when I worked as a maintenance/fabricator right after I got out of the Army. The finish work on it is crude but I still like the thing and use it often.

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[Major 2]

I've never seen one like that before...very cool

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I've never seen one like that before...very cool

Thanks. It wasn't my idea, though. A guy I worked with told me about a craftsman wrench he used to have. I liked the idea so I made that from my interpretation of his words. I have recently found out what the wrench was he described.

[Baltimore Ed]

I love my mini mill.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That mini mill is a very cool item. It's something I always wanted but haven't the space for. Very cool. Did you make the stand for it?

[Baltimore Ed]

I had a local welding shop weld it after I made the pieces. Can’t weld but i can use a chop saw and angle grinder. I did a lot to it. Added a stiffener to it, put gas pistons in the post for the cable, replaced the cheap plastic drive gears with a belt and pulleys. I don’t have any auto feed or digital stuff on it though. The Little Machine Shop carries a ton of add ons and upgrades for these chinese mills. The table that it’s on is a kitchen chopping block table that I redid the top on.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

It's certainly up to snuff with the things you did to it. Nice choices, there.

[Rube Burrows]

I don't have a lot of custom tools yet. I really want to up my knife tools. Here are my most used tools though and one I just got in that surely will become a favorite.

Left to right

I keep my Barry King stamps seperate from all my others. They are made very nice and so I made this little tool pouch for them out of some old jeans.

My Horeshoe Brand edger gets a lot of work.

I use this Husky Brand Utility knife to cut most of my stuff. Got it from Home Depot when I first started.

My Barry King Swivel knife has been my favorite so far.

Barry King Mallet gets a lot of work.

Just picked up this Barry King #2 Edge Beader with encouragement from Marshal Will. I believe it will get lots of use in the future.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Ah, now there you go Rube. Thanks for posting about them. That edger is a really good one. I bought an extra handle for mine and just keep the two most used sizes in them all the time. I seldom use the rest but when I do, I can simply switch with one in a handle.

Looking forward to hearing how that BK edge beader works when you get going with it.

[Rube Burrows]

Ah, now there you go Rube. Thanks for posting about them. That edger is a really good one. I bought an extra handle for mine and just keep the two most used sizes in them all the time. I seldom use the rest but when I do, I can simply switch with one in a handle.

Looking forward to hearing how that BK edge beader works when you get going with it.

I tried it out on a few scraps and can tell I will like it.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I tried it out on a few scraps and can tell I will like it.

Practice on tight inside and outside curves. They're the hardest to get smooth and even.