Craftool Strip & Strap Cutter Leather Cutting Tool Leathercraft Tandy 3080-00

Product Information

The strap cutter consists of a 3 timber parts. A wooden handle with a rectangular slot cut out whereby 2 parallel timber pieces fit and slide through this slot. See image above. The handle is usually quite bulky, particularly if you have small hands, but you should be comfortable with it after a few practice tries. The draw gauge can be used to cut heavier leather while strap cutters are great for light to medium weight leather. As far as learning how to use both tools is concerned, the draw gauge has a bit of a learning curve to it and may result in you wasting some leather straps. It’s however, a great money making tool after you have mastered its use. 4. Cost:

A draw gauge is a handheld strap cutting tool you can use to cut out straps from heavier leather. You can use a draw gauge to cut over 11oz leather, tooling leather, heavy harness leather or skirting leather. It does help if you are cutting/ holding the strap cutter in your right hand, to hold the strip that is being cut with your left hand as you pull the cutter towards yourself. The numbers on the ruler should be facing you as you cut and keep the cutter flush with the leather edge as you cut. Pull all the way until the leather cut is complete and you now you have one belt blank. If you’re new to cutting straps and you want a much simpler, less expensive, and no maintenance strapping tool you can use mostly for belts and straps then the wood strap cutter will be an awesome choice.One unique thing about the draw gauge is that you can get more use for the blades because you can move the blade up and down to get completely new blade edge to cut with. The cutter can also be adjusted to cut wider or narrower leather straps or belts. Situated at the top of the wooden handle is another wingnut that can be adjusted. You will notice that there is a ruler with measurements on the 2 pieces of parallel timber pieces. Usually shown in inches and millimetres that can be set by sliding the 2 pieces of parallel timbers in our out of the slot. Set the ruler to your required measurement and tighten the wing nut and you are ready

Can effectively cut up to 8oz leather anything above 8oz might require quite a bit of effort and the quality of cut will not be as good. Another obvious difference is that the strap cutter has a top wooden bar that guides and also helps to feed the leather smoothly through to the blade.

If you’re looking for this particular style, prices will usually be higher. Fewer of these styles are manufactured, though the quality materials used are often necessary to make this push-style tool be effective (the cutting mechanics of push vs. pull are a little different). Make sure to press the handle of the strap cutter to the edge of the straight edge of the leather you’re strapping as you pull to cut. The draw gauges are usually made of metal and because of that it’s usually more expensive. They are, however, more durable and worth the cash if you want a sturdier strapping tool. You will find that the draw gauge unlike the strap cutter will have a pistol grip making it more easier to use.

There are a few factors I have outlined that you can use to compare the differences between a draw gauge and a strap cutter. These factors include their design, material, usage, safety, maintenance, cost, and who it’s most suitable for. 1. Design: Firstly you will need a nice big cutting surface, preferably a table when using this tool. Belts for men are usually around 32 inches (1000mm) long and up so you will need an adequate cutting surface to handle this kind of length. Or if in any case you lose the blade on the draw gauge or you’re aren’t happy with the blade on your draw gauge, you can replace them. You can also clamp a regular sharp knife into the draw gauge if you’re unable to get replacement blades immediately.To use the draw gauge, you must prepare the edge of the leather you’re to strap. The preparation is essentially getting a very straight edge on the leather. This is very important to the accuracy you’re going to get with you’re draw gauge. There are other, and sometimes less expensive options available, though build quality might be questionable, some have the cutting blade fully exposed, and their overall durability can vary. This is a solid, sturdy tool that has been used for this exact purpose, successfully for years. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

You will find the strap cutter very useful for a lot of your projects. The tool in itself is a very simple but it’s a very efficient tool and could last you a lifetime. I find the strap cutter a lot safer to use. It’s blade is well covered and it’s the least likely strap cutting tool to result in an accident. The draw gauge on the other hand has an exposed blade and a could easily cut you if extreme care is not taken. 6. Maintenance: On average, you will find that the draw gauge to be more expensive when compared to the strap cutter. This is often due to the materials (metal and wood respectively) used. 5. Safety: Strap cutters are tools, with sharp blades, used to cut long lengths of leather material into consistent widths. For example, if you have a large leather hide and want to turn it into 2″ wide straps for belts, this is the tool for the job. Most have interchangeable blades, so over time a fresh one can be put in to help ensure the cutting edge is sharp, making cuts smooth and easy. Types of Strap Cutters Push Cutters (Plough Cutters) It’s a relatively easy tool to master and once you have cut a few test straps you should be ready for the real thing. Having said that though there are a few important steps that i would like to discuss before you begin cutting.A Strap cutter is used to cut long lengths of equal width leather eg. a leather belt or strap. Say you wanted to make a belt that is 2 inches wide, you would set the gauge/ ruler on the strap cutter at 2 inches and that would allow you to cut a nice even length of leather set at 2 inches. With a strap cutter also known as a wood strap cutter, you will be able to cut straps from any kind of leather, with width from 1/8inch of an inch all the way up to 3-4 inch straps. Now you are ready to cut. Place the strap cutter at the top end of your leather hide. This is where you want to start your cut and pull the cutter towards you. Position your blade. Make sure that the side of the strap cutter is placed against the edge of your leather hide. This will allow you to cut straight when you pull the cutter towards you. The draw gauge will usually have some form of adjustment arm that you will slide in and out to adjust for the width of the strap you intend to cut. It will come with a thumb screw or wing-nut you can use to clamp down, fasten or loosen the blade and also making width adjustments for your straps.