The first time I saw Vergez Blanchard tools was when I started taking leatherworking classes with my teacher. I immediately noticed how nice they were. Really nice. Easy to use, sturdy build- these were not your modern stamped or die tools but a throwback to an older tradition of tool making. When we started our store and did our research, we found out how long that tradition really was. Nearly 200 years.
Although some aspects of their tool making process have changed, Blanchard’s tools are still mostly made by hand. A single tool goes through several steps includes shaping, tempering and polishing. A 10 tooth pricking iron take several hours and three people to make. We asked more about their tool forging and they were nice enough to take a few pictures:
Their forge:
Firing steel for tool making
Power hammer used to shape tool
Grinding tool head
Hand filing pricking iron teeth
You can see the finished version of these and other Vergez Blanchard tools on our store.
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