Barry King tools

Anybody use them? Good, bad, great??? A friend recommended their mauls and I was about to order a tapered 28oz. I was also thinking about their Bissonnette edger as well. Maybe the sharp curve version for those tricky curves at the top of a Slim Jim holster.
http://www.barrykingtools.com/edgers.htm

 

[LaBonte]

All of Barry's tools I've used are very nice. I like Bissonete type edgers as well, but prefer Jeremiah Watt's tight edger for tight areas http://www.ranch2arena.com/hsbttightcornr.html


As for poly mauls - I had one of Barry's and tried a couple of other brands and didn't care
for them - the heads all seemed soft and the tools left divits in them - I reckon though I'm a bit set in my ways and after 51 years I still prefer rawhide mauls best of all.

From the feedback I have seen on poly mauls on the Leatherworker site, one favorite seems to be those by Bearman http://leatherburnishers.com/BearMauls.html

He also sells some real nice burnishers for a Dremel tool they come highly recommended.

 

All good lookin' stuff! I like that he uses exotic woods for his mauls and the optional weights. Those Dremel burnishers look like a great idea too.

Who makes a good rawhide maul?

PS, I broke down and got a good bench sander and that has done wonders for the quality of my mainseams. :thumbsup:

 

[LaBonte]

Springfield Leather is one of the few sources left for rawhide mallets - if you can get an extra head and you should be good to go for a Looooong time. When my heads get a bit ratty I just re-grind them a bit using the belts sander, which as you can see is a great time saver - and FWIW sanding devices of various types have been used in leather work since at least the 1800's..just not electric powered ones...

 

Works for me, thanks again!

 

I found some Osborne rawhide mauls here:
https://www.osborneleathertools.com/product_details.php?pid=516


And some by another maker here:
http://www.wrising.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

 

[Short Arm]

I have some of Kings tools, edgers a few stamps nice tools. I have two maul by Bearman and love them.I leaned the hard way,don't buy cheap tools. Buy the best you can the first time go slow.I purchase most all of my stuff from Weaver.

 

[Kootenai]

Make your own. Used to work for a saddlemaker. He used the business end of a pick handle. Wrap it in rawhide or leather. I really like it for tooling. Choke up on it and the balance work just right. I also use the same one for gunbuilding.

Mark

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have a lathe and wouldn't even think about buying a maul. My head would be made of Osage Orange, Persimmon, Dogwood or some other really tough wood. Plus there is a satisfaction in making ones own tools.

 

Thanks for all the input. I had actually gone ahead and ordered the tools from Barry King before anybody had a chance to respond. I got the 28oz tapered maul and the #3 tight curve Bissonnette edger. Both are beautifully made and the edger works wonderfully. I'll probably order the standard Bissonnette edger too, in the same size. The maul works great too. So far I've stamped a holster and a belt using it. If I find it lacking at some point in the future, I'll get a Bearmaul or a rawhide maul from Osborne.

I have a screw-cutting lathe but at this point in time, I'd rather spend whatever spare time I have working on leather projects than trying to make tools that I can readily buy. I'm trying to improve upon what is commonly available at Tandy and I know I can't make better tools than I can buy from the pros.