Brass tacks

[tallpine]

Anyone have a source for solid brass tacks? The only ones I can find have steel shanks.

 

[Runewolf1973]

Anyone have a source for solid brass tacks? The only ones I can find have steel shanks.

Did you check Crazy Crow Tading Co?

 

[tallpine]

Yes, they are plated, not solid brass.

 

[SDSmlf]

If you want solid cast brass tacks, square shank and all, you will most likely have to find antique ones. Expect to pay top dollar when you find them.

 

[LRB]

Yes, they are plated, not solid brass.

Unless there has been a very recent change, those brass tacks from Crazy Crow have solid brass heads, but steel shanks. Just to know, for the super PC folks, the original brass tacks had a slightly lower dome than what you will find today offered by Crazy Crow and others. Just a few years ago you could buy new original type one piece cast brass tacks with square shanks from antique renovator suppliers. These came in from England, but I think they are no longer being made.

 

[tallpine]

Thanks Wick, just ordered some, we'll see what they look like.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Unless there has been a very recent change, those brass tacks from Crazy Crow have solid brass heads, but steel shanks. Just to know, for the super PC folks, the original brass tacks had a slightly lower dome than what you will find today offered by Crazy Crow and others. Just a few years ago you could buy new original type one piece cast brass tacks with square shanks from antique renovator suppliers. These came in from England, but I think they are no longer being made.

Thanks Wick, just ordered some, we'll see what they look like.

@tallpine , did you get your tacks from Crazy Crow? What do you think? Solid brass heads, or plated steel?

Thanks,

Notchy Bob

 

[tallpine]

I ordered some and used them on a Plains indian sheath. The heads are solid brass and the shanks are steel. The sheath came out very nice but believe me, they are not much fun to work with.

 

[LRB]

I ordered some and used them on a Plains indian sheath. The heads are solid brass and the shanks are steel. The sheath came out very nice but believe me, they are not much fun to work with.

I used a lot of them years ago. I first would layout how many I needed, head down on my vice anvil, torch the shanks to red so as to anneal them a bit, let cool. Then poke a hole through the leather, run the tack in, trim the shank if excessively long, and bend the shank over like a fish hook with needle nose pliers, and then give a hammer blow or two to seat the point into the leather locking it tightly in place. Chuck Burrows said he tapped his through the leather, then sniped them off, then peened the tip as was done on originals. I never tried it that way, and he admitted that many original pieces of tack work would be missing a tack here and there. If the solid brass tacks were still available, the peening should have worked very well. The advantage of peening, other than being more PC, is that the peened tip would be below the surface and not scratch or rake something. I found if the fish hook was carefully hammered in well, close to the same result would happen.