Pricking Iron for a beginner!

[Key]

Hi All,

Wondering if I could get some advice.

 I am a novice when it comes to leather craft but trying to learn and get into the craft with the intention of making highend handmade small leather goods.

on doing do I am trying to get my tools together so I can start my journey. However, on research picking irons I am totally confused which ones to get as a beginner. There are so many brands and types of iron. For instance would it be advised to get the more traditional type requiring a awl or the diamond cut that punches right through.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[Klara]

Personally I am in favour of only marking my stitches and working with an awl. It is more difficult at first, I made quite a few things I am not proud of, meaning it's an investment in time and leather. But the stitching irons can be cheap - I am happy with Chinese sets. 

Incidentally, if you get diamond irons, you are not forced to punch right through - with a slight tap you are still only marking your stitches. I am still using the ones I got at the very beginning in a "6 leather tools for € 20" (or so) package. 

 

 

[zuludog]

Welcome to leatherwork -- and the Forum -- and to the fun!

As you've mentioned, sorting out chisels & pricking irons is confusing; here's my explanation --

PRICKING IRONS Have short stubby teeth; you hit them lightly on the surface of the leather and make marks to show the position of the stitching holes, but you make the holes themselves with a saddler's awl aka a diamond awl.. This is the traditional method, and although it looks easy, you need experience and concentration to do it consistently and neatly. For that reason many people have moved on to --

STITCHING CHISELS Have longer prongs so you both mark the position of the holes and make the holes themselves at the same time, which is easier, but not completely foolproof, so you still have to concentrate and be precise. A further complication is that they have evolved into two types - 

French or European style which have  flat sided prongs and flat tips

Diamond or Japanese style which have prongs with a diamond cross section and pointed tips

The diamond style are easier to place, but some people think the French style make a more attractive stitch, though there isn't much in it

You can, of course, tap these sort of chisels lightly and use them just to mark the holes, similar to the pricking irons. If the combined thickness of the leather is too thick for the prongs to penetrate fully, usually about 7 or 8mm, you can complete the holes with an awl. For both types the prongs are set at an angle to the main body of the chisel

LACING CHISELS Have larger flat prongs set in line with the main body of the chisel - you don't want these for sewing with thread

I suggest you start with diamond stitching chisels with 3mm spacing, and take it from there. 

I don't know many suppliers in the USA but these would be as good as any to start - 

Diamond Stitching Chisel Set from www.weaverleathersupply.com

Craft Pro Fine Diamond Chisels from www.tandyleather.com - I use these, bought them when Tandy had a store in the UK

Whatever you get, you shouldn't hit chisels with a steel hammer or that will damage them, so you will also need a soft mallet, such as hide or nylon

There is a Thread about stitching chisels at the start of the Sewing Leather section in this forum

There are YouTube videos about choosing leatherwork tools for beginners, and also watch videos on making the items you want and you'll see how other people do things. They are similar, but slightly different, reflecting the preferences of each leather worker.

Edited August 24, 2022 by zuludog

[PastorBob]

33 minutes ago, zuludog said:

Diamond Stitching Chisel Set from www.weaverleathersupply.com

Great explanation, @zuludog. I have tried several sets of diamond chisels and found the ones from Weaver Leather to be the best (considering I am not buying high end chisels).

[TomE]

Very happy with the European style pricking irons from Rocky Mountain Leather.  Using a sewing awl provides versatility in tidy sewing of odd shapes, very heavy leather (20+ oz), and complicated assemblies like sewing a fixed loop on a buckle turn.   Stitching chisels generally create larger holes that don't match the thread size, which IMO defeats the purpose of hand sewing.  I use awls of different sizes for fine (9-10 stitches per inch) and coarser (5-6 stitches per inch to match machine sewing) stitching.  Highly recommend Stohlman's book on Hand Sewing Leather.

[zuludog]

Here are a couple of tips for using stitching chisels -

Lubricate the prongs by rubbing them with beeswax now & again, to make them easier to place & remove

Hold down the leather with a small block of wood up against the prongs when removing them, to avoid distorting the leather & stitching holes. Sand the corners of the block to avoid scratching the leather

This video shows how to use the separate pricking iron and diamond awl; she uses this method in other videos

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by zuludog

[Tugadude]

I had this "sticky" topic created just for conversations such as this so we don't have to reinvent the wheel each time.

I agree that the stitching chisels offered by Weaver Leather are a good option.  There are all sorts of variations and many of them are popular for different reasons.  Some prefer the diamond shape while some favor the more "slit-like" holes created by irons with flat teeth.  The best choice is the one that provides the look you want to achieve in the most economic manner.  Choosing one because someone else says it is great may be helpful or not.  Just because one person likes something doesn't mean you will get the same results or be happy with the results.

So much depends on execution.  First, you have to determine how far from the edge you want your stitching line to be.  Second, you need to mark the stitching line with a divider or other tool, ensuring the lines are perfectly straight.  Third, you need to make sure that you follow those lines, keeping the chisel perfectly vertical.  Any leaning can and will cause the stitching line to become "wonky".  

Fourth, the choice of needles and thread are crucial.  Thread either too thin or too thick can detract from aesthetics.  Choosing the "right" size for the project is somewhat learned through experience.  Nigel Armitage does make recommendations and they are very helpful.  You can find the suggestions within the reviews he gives of various irons.  It is on his website.

Fifth, the hole spacing matters.  Again, this relates to aesthetics.  

Sixth, pulling the thread in the proper manner, using correct tension and either tapping down the stitch line or not, all affect the aesthetics.

The bottom line, so far as I'm concerned is to figure out what aesthetics appeal to yourself and then work towards executing all of the above in a manner which achieves a satisfying result.  

There is no microwave for experience, but it is true that there are some helpful recommendations out there that will help you along.

[Key]

18 hours ago, Klara said:

Personally I am in favour of only marking my stitches and working with an awl. It is more difficult at first, I made quite a few things I am not proud of, meaning it's an investment in time and leather. But the stitching irons can be cheap - I am happy with Chinese sets. 

Incidentally, if you get diamond irons, you are not forced to punch right through - with a slight tap you are still only marking your stitches. I am still using the ones I got at the very beginning in a "6 leather tools for € 20" (or so) package. 

 

 

Thanks much appreciated. I will search on YT for stitching with a awl.

[Key]

15 hours ago, zuludog said:

Welcome to leatherwork -- and the Forum -- and to the fun!

As you've mentioned, sorting out chisels & pricking irons is confusing; here's my explanation --

PRICKING IRONS Have short stubby teeth; you hit them lightly on the surface of the leather and make marks to show the position of the stitching holes, but you make the holes themselves with a saddler's awl aka a diamond awl.. This is the traditional method, and although it looks easy, you need experience and concentration to do it consistently and neatly. For that reason many people have moved on to --

STITCHING CHISELS Have longer prongs so you both mark the position of the holes and make the holes themselves at the same time, which is easier, but not completely foolproof, so you still have to concentrate and be precise. A further complication is that they have evolved into two types - 

French or European style which have  flat sided prongs and flat tips

Diamond or Japanese style which have prongs with a diamond cross section and pointed tips

The diamond style are easier to place, but some people think the French style make a more attractive stitch, though there isn't much in it

You can, of course, tap these sort of chisels lightly and use them just to mark the holes, similar to the pricking irons. If the combined thickness of the leather is too thick for the prongs to penetrate fully, usually about 7 or 8mm, you can complete the holes with an awl. For both types the prongs are set at an angle to the main body of the chisel

LACING CHISELS Have larger flat prongs set in line with the main body of the chisel - you don't want these for sewing with thread

I suggest you start with diamond stitching chisels with 3mm spacing, and take it from there. 

I don't know many suppliers in the USA but these would be as good as any to start - 

Diamond Stitching Chisel Set from www.weaverleathersupply.com

Craft Pro Fine Diamond Chisels from www.tandyleather.com - I use these, bought them when Tandy had a store in the UK

Whatever you get, you shouldn't hit chisels with a steel hammer or that will damage them, so you will also need a soft mallet, such as hide or nylon

There is a Thread about stitching chisels at the start of the Sewing Leather section in this forum

There are YouTube videos about choosing leatherwork tools for beginners, and also watch videos on making the items you want and you'll see how other people do things. They are similar, but slightly different, reflecting the preferences of each leather worker.

Cheers for the info.

 I don’t mind investing time if the outcome is favourable. Watching YouTube all I have seen of the items of interest they use the Diamond Chisels but something I am not quite sure about with the angled holes with shoes. 

I too am from the UK and there is not many places about.

I will look for the thread on stitching chisels again. I did look before posting but failed to find anything….. Pron because im new to this forum stuff.

[Key]

15 hours ago, TomE said:

Very happy with the European style pricking irons from Rocky Mountain Leather.  Using a sewing awl provides versatility in tidy sewing of odd shapes, very heavy leather (20+ oz), and complicated assemblies like sewing a fixed loop on a buckle turn.   Stitching chisels generally create larger holes that don't match the thread size, which IMO defeats the purpose of hand sewing.  I use awls of different sizes for fine (9-10 stitches per inch) and coarser (5-6 stitches per inch to match machine sewing) stitching.  Highly recommend Stohlman's book on Hand Sewing Leather.

Thanks. 
You raise a good point about differing awls as I need to have fine holes generally.

 The more I research the more I sway towards the traditional method with the awl might take longer to learn but seems you have more control and flexibility.