My wife and I accumulated a few properties over the years. When I was younger, I did flooring, walls, changed my own windows and doors. I have lots of tools, but as I get older this is the renovation tool that I rely on more and more... For my leather hobby, however, I have accumulated additional tools and here are some of my most commonly used ones, plus a few obscure ones. List: Adler patcher, Special straps for a big man, Anvils, Clamps to bond leather, Hammers, Boot/shoe stretchers for the mrs’ Ferragamo collection, Edge creaser, Edge beveler, Channel making tool, Awl, Cutting board / rotary cutter and ruler, Skiver to thin leather (looks like a razor), Potbelly stove for winter, Singer patcher, Strap cutter for belts, Longines too that I added just because it’s cool, Hand tools on a wall bracket that I made out of leather, Old fur removal blade (looks like Damascus), Swatch (works!), Needles, Singer 201, Old Ikea bench for naps (this is the upstairs of my shop), Heavy duty leather cutter and skiver, Thread, Punches (old ones from England are the best I’ve used), Leather scissors, I have no idea what the hand tool with the conical expanding end is for. Some type of pain implement? A strap end punch, Buffing pad, and my favorite blade that I strop regularly. What have you got?
If I ever find reason to use this laser level I will be amazed. I have enough tools to open a store, mostly Stanley and Dewalt. Maybe I use 1/10 of what I have. This is just some pics I have on my phone it’s actually too overwhelming to show them all. None of the cool old stuff you have
I always love how everyone’s tools are as individual as their interests/trade and personalities. As I work on vintage electronics for fun, my tools are geared towards that trade- life got infinitely better when I upgraded most of my hand drivers to Klein and Wiha.
My favourite leather tools to pick up, are these. A thrift shop machinist’s hammer and a thrift shop pair of wing dividers. The handle had dried up leaving the hammer’s head quite loose, so I drove an old square nail in the top and soaked the head end in linseed oil for an hour until it swelled tight. The quality of old tools is amazing. You can see it. My favourite tools to use are these saddle stitch needles along with a bees wax candle to straighten out the thread so it glides through the eyelets nicely. Nothing smells better than leather and beeswax (except maybe an old Evinrude outboard combined with morning mist). I did a bunch of sewing a few weeks back while listening to the Fratello podcast. Sweet deal. And this is my workshop. I am envious of @Duracuir1 ’s workshop with the stove and-all-that-space. But I live in a small place, what are you gonna do? My “storage cupboard” is two vintage suitcases. One for leather and one for shipping supplies I went down to the storage locker a few weeks ago just to look at this again, my great grandmother’s Wilcox and Gibbs sewing machine from 1873. Still works like a charm.
A much admired hobby. Tools do rule. Here is one of my favorite expressions of this: It's become a family tradition. When someone does something in a new and smarter way we say "hey, look what Zog do!" Now a days I spend more time looking for my tools than using them. By the way, can I borrow your tool box?
Being a water skier when young and a fisherman now. A smell that always lingers in the brain, also that feeling of calmness on the water as the day is breaking or setting.
I posted some of my tools in another thread, but I’ll stick them here as well. I love my trusty Wiss shears, and the rest are in my trusty Snap On tool chest, and still getting used on a fairly regular basis. Like everything else in life, you pay extra for higher quality and you get better performance and longer lasting products. Good to see your old Singer sewing machine, pretty much the same model I used back when I was a coach trimmer . I can almost smell the adhesives we used to use (Dunlop L107 and S758].
I worked as a mechanic for years so I have a pretty decent collection of automotive tools. Some were my dad's, he was a GM master mechanic, some I bought. Being cheap I always looked for good used tools at pawn shops, yard sales, etc. It's amazing how many Mac, Thorsen, and Craftsmen tools I found this way. I also like antique hand tools and when I run across something that is a good deal, I tend to buy it.