Pricking Irons Revisited

[Ferg]

The pricking irons have fascinated me since my first time seeing them.

I bought an Osborne recently from Mid-Continent. No particular problem with that except there is little info on the web-site as to what you are getting.

The tool I got is a number eight, actually thought I was getting a nine. That aside, the prongs on the tool are a full 3/16" wide. If you use this to mark the stitch spacing and angle your thread length between stitch marks will be slightly less that 5/16" which may be well and good for real heavy work but that doesn't happen to be what I want at this time.

Does anyone know if the prongs on a #10 are this same size?

I have a grinder that is accurate enough to grind the thickness of the tool so it marks a smaller stitch or as I ask above, do the prongs vary with increased number of stitches?

I don't wish to screw up this tool which BTW, is very well made. Nice smooth material and is very accurately made. From some of the conversation about the Osborne tools I was expecting something less

Abbey Saddelry in UK has Dixon irons that with the shipping isn't going to cost more than this particular one as near as I can tell. Just have to wait longer

ferg

[longlivealfred]

hi ferg,

i have a little bit of knowledge and experience with prickling irons, but i am slightly confused.

thread length between stitch marks of 5/16 would be a number 3 maybe 4 iron if we're talking about dixon prickling iron's

a number 9 iron would mean 9 stitch's to the inch; 10, 10 stitches to the inch and so on.

with regards to width of the mark, i only have a number 10 blanchard prickling iron and the teeth on that are 1.2mm (conversion chart on my ruler states that's less than a 1/16) wide.

it sounds like ( taking a stab in the dark) that you have more of a marking chisel/thonging iron than a prickling iron.

hope it helps a little bit

have a nice day, bye

Edited August 3, 2010 by longlivealfred

[Ferg]

hi ferg,

i have a little bit of knowledge and experience with prickling irons, but i am slightly confused.

thread length between stitch marks of 5/16 would be a number 3 maybe 4 iron if we're talking about dixon prickling iron's

a number 9 iron would mean 9 stitch's to the inch; 10, 10 stitches to the inch and so on.

with regards to width of the mark, i only have a number 10 blanchard prickling iron and the teeth on that are 1.2mm (conversion chart on my ruler states that's less than a 1/16) wide.

it sounds like ( taking a stab in the dark) that you have more of a marking chisel/thonging iron than a prickling iron.

hope it helps a little bit

have a nice day, bye

My explanation was way too far off obviously.

I am enclosing a photo of the end of the iron I have, maybe that will clarify a little.

[gary]

Ferg,

3mm is about 1/8" (okay, just a smidge more than 1/8" - we Brits so love the metric system) so the pricking iron you have is about an 8 (8 stitches per inch).

Yes, as the number of stitches per inch on the iron increases, the width decreases. For each size (I use an 8, a 10 and a 12) I also have an awl that fits.

Hope that's of some use.

Gary

[DaveT]

My explanation was way too far off obviously.

I am enclosing a photo of the end of the iron I have, maybe that will clarify a little.

That looks like a thonging chisel, not a pricking iron. The pricking irons I've seen (I got rid of mine, prefer the wheels) have much sharper points. More like needle points that chisels. I suspect you've received the wrong tool. Nice chisel though.

Dave T.

[Ferg]

That looks like a thonging chisel, not a pricking iron. The pricking irons I've seen (I got rid of mine, prefer the wheels) have much sharper points. More like needle points that chisels. I suspect you've received the wrong tool. Nice chisel though.

Dave T.

Dave,

It is a pricking iron, definitely not a thonging chisel. According to Gary, the #10 iron would be thinner in thickness of the tool.

Gary,

I have four or five different size awls, two of which are Bob Douglas, fantastic tools.

ferg

[longlivealfred]

hey ferg,

that defiantly looks like a prickling iron, rather nice one too. thanks for clarifying with the picture, i had been thinking about it a bit during the day second guessing myself.

as for the mm thing, i'm sadly of the metic generation, thank god for the conversion tables on the back of rulers.

anyway, happy stitching , hope your able to acquire a number 10 without too much hassle.

bye

[chouinardragon]

I have #7,8 and 10 pricking irons. I am confused on which pricking irons should I use when stitch on different thickness leather.

The stitches look differently on different thickness leather. And the thread size will slightly changes the apparance of stitches,too.

Also, my stitches on the back is kind of overlap, not like the front \ \ \ \ \. Why? Is it ecause of the knot or the awl blade is tapered that makes the cut in two different sizes?

So confused. I would like to know the relationships between pricking iron numbers , thread size and leather thickness, if anyone knows.

I'd like to make the stitches as beautiful as Hermes does. BTW, it is said that the Dixon's pricking iron angle is different than Blanchard's, is it true?

Chris

[chouinardragon]

Hello,

Sorry for bothering.

I read many articles you wrote on pricking irons. I think you should know more things about them more than we do.

I have #7,8 and 10 pricking irons. I am confused on which pricking irons should I use when stitch on different thickness leather.

The stitches look differently on different thickness leather. And the thread size will slightly changes the apparance of stitches,too.

Also, my stitches on the back is kind of overlap, not like the front . Why? Is it ecause of the knot or the awl blade is tapered that makes the cut in two different sizes?

So confused. I would like to know the relationships between pricking iron numbers , thread size and leather thickness, if you have any idea.

I'd like to make the stitches as beautiful as Hermes does. BTW, it is said that the Dixon's pricking iron angle is different than Blanchard's, is it true?

Chris

hey ferg,

that defiantly looks like a prickling iron, rather nice one too. thanks for clarifying with the picture, i had been thinking about it a bit during the day second guessing myself.

as for the mm thing, i'm sadly of the metic generation, thank god for the conversion tables on the back of rulers.

anyway, happy stitching , hope your able to acquire a number 10 without too much hassle.

bye