Tempting Deal On Pricking Irons ..

[CustomDoug]

[I have no affiliations to this seller] - Here's a really tempting set of French style pricking irons I just came across. Tempting for someone new to hand stitching if nothing else.. and tempting because you get 12 irons for $162 shipped (like $18 each !).. they are chinese though which will be reason enough for some people to dismiss them. Though I have to say that the edge guides for my industrial machines, that I ordered directly from china were of very good quality and I'm very pleased with them. Unfortunately the seller has a fairly low feedback rating at 97.3%. Says they are made of white steel - for whatever that's worth. Thought?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-7-3-38-3-85...

Doug C

Edited September 20, 2014 by CustomDoug

[DavidL]

Personally I would get a dixon if cost is an issue or Japanese pricking iron. If the item cost 18 dollars each they probably cost 6 dollars in material and labour. Buy one pricking iron test it out for a month or two then buy the set.

Haven't tried the chinese ones but for such a precise tool I wouldn't cut corners personally. . You could buy a dixon, vergez and chinese and sell/trade after a month or two in the marketplace. I own a dixon, vergez and japanese iron and the dixon and vergez work well for my needs. Vergez being the best, dixon best bang for the buck.

[billybopp]

Doug, just a few of things to look out for with the Chinese irons:

1. It looks as though there are machining marks on the teeth that may make it more difficult for the tool to go into / out of the leather. Is that a problem?

2. Is the orientation of the slant the right direction and pitch?

3. Is the metal hard enough?

For the first two, it might help you if somebody on here that has Blanchard or Dixon punches could post some close up pictures of the working end of their punches.

For the third, there's only one way to find out. It begs the question of whether many times the price for a lifetime tool is better than paying for a tool that will last a few years.

Hope that helps

Bill

[CustomDoug]

Hi guys, my plan is to be outfitted with the Blanchard tools specifically, always has been. I was just thinking that this might be a good way to have a complete set of irons at an affordable price - while I slowly replace them individually with the Blanchard ones (because of the expense). I would not be buying them with the idea of them being lifetime tools - but then you never know, not everything from china is Wal-mart quality. Besides like was mentioned, they could be sold later at a slight loss to recoup some/most of the initial investment. Buying one to test first is a good idea though. The slant and orientation of the prongs look to be correct (if wanting the tradition " / " angle of the punch) - there's a picture of pricked leather in one of their other auctions.

Doug C

[LeatherLegion]

I believe there are few other sellers on EBay selling them for cheaper...some of them offer free shipping too. I would buy just one set first, check the quality and then buy the rest of them...or not...

[CustomDoug]

Yea I just noticed that.. I saw a 3 piece set (2,5,10 prongs in 7 spi) for $37.50 shipped. The seller has a much better rating and describes the irons as being made from 'high quality steel' and an 'improved design: refined tips are much easier to pull out' . So that's probably a smarter move to test the quality on.. and tide me over until my Blanchard irons are collected.

Doug C