What sizes are the bits in this awl?

[Aventurine]

Does anyone use this set of awls?  The ad doesn't say what exactly the measurements are.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L3ZY9M2/

[zuludog]

OH NO! -- this looks like the 4-in-1 awl that is infamous throughout the leather craft world for being expensive and not very good (that's the polite version!) ..... besides which, in general, tools with interchangeable parts are fiddly, and you'll be constantly swapping & playing about with the blades

It is better and cheaper to buy a scratch/round awl and a fixed blade saddlers/diamond awl

Traditionally you bought a separate blade and haft then fitted them together yourself, but this is fiddly, try to find something already made up -- I'm sure people in the USA will suggest suppliers and models/types of awls

Generally go for a thin blade, <2mm but as I think you might be using thicker leather you could go up to 2,5mm but others will advise, or ask the supplier

A diamond awl needs to be super sharp but it does not have a fine needle point, it is more like a small rounded chisel tip, you'll see the idea from videos

Whatever you get  you'll need to sharpen a new blade, there are YT Videos.

FWIW I use mostly 0,6mm thread and Osborne # 42 or 43 awl blade (can't remember which) that I mounted myself in a typically pear shaped haft 

Edited July 12, 2024 by zuludog

[fredk]

Wot he says

but I have two of this type

They have their uses. Kept one with me for 'emergency' repairs when I did historical presentations

[fredk]

1 hour ago, Aventurine said:

Does anyone use this set of awls?  The ad doesn't say what exactly the measurements are.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L3ZY9M2/

The pokey hole bits are large. They are more suitable for sail making/repairing

[zuludog]

@Aventurine  --- it is a paradox (is that the right word?) of leatherwork, and presumably most crafts, that you need experience to make the best choice of tools when you're a beginner

I notice that you seem to want to buy most of your tools from Amazon - why? Yes, there will be good makes on there, but there are also be some that aren't very good

So why not go to a proper leather craft supplier? Experienced leatherworkers might argue the pros & cons of various items, but in general most of the stuff they sell will be OK

I know of Tandy, Weaver Leather Supply, and Rocky Mountain Leather Supply in the USA, and I'm sure people in the USA can suggest others - why not shop at them? If nothing else you could phone or email them for advice.

[Ferg]

1 hour ago, Aventurine said:

Does anyone use this set of awls?  The ad doesn't say what exactly the measurements are.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L3ZY9M2/

I have this set of curved awls for shoe stitching on sale for $75. I assure you I paid almost that much for each separate awl. They are made in USA. 

[Aventurine]

Yes, I have a couple messages in to Rocky Mountain Leather and they might become my go-to vendor if they are willing to answer a lot of questions about their gear.  I won’t necessarily buy from Amazon, but they are convenient for surveying several brands.  I’ve pretty much settled on Owden and Wuta for several things because apparently the consensus is that they are decent enough quality at moderate price. Locally my options are Hobby Lobby (I don’t like giving them my business) or a local holster maker and boot repairer, a surly fellow who isn’t really in the tool business and doesn’t like to be bothered with it so he charges a shocking mark up.  Tandy has an unsteady reputation so I want to only order Tandy items that have been vetted by experienced folks such as yourselves.

Edited July 13, 2024 by Aventurine

[Aventurine]

@Zulu I might go that route, buy good Osborne awl blades and put them in hafts myself.  (My current old awl is a ground-down nail stuck through a maple burl, not quite so refined as I will need going forward.  I have enjoyed that funny lump of maple though.). It annoys me that the Osborne website tells you how long their awl blades are, but not how wide a cut they will make.  Really!  how in the world does anyone starting out alone in this craft figure out how to buy anything??  The necessary information is all folkloric.

Edited July 13, 2024 by Aventurine

[zuludog]

10 hours ago, Aventurine said:

  Really!  how in the world does anyone starting out alone in this craft figure out how to buy anything??  The necessary information is all folkloric.

You have summed up leatherwork very well --  and you will find life easier and less frustrating if you realise and understand that leatherwork is not precision engineering, it is a craft that uses natural materials

You've seen from the replies to your various questions , and from YT Videos on beginners tools, and others, that leatherwork and the choice of tools varies a lot  with personal preference, finance, and experience

Really, the only way you're going to find out what works for you is to actually do something - get a bag of offcuts or a half veg tan shoulder or belly ... the Wuta edgers, an Osborne #43 awl, some 4mm diamond stitching chisels, needles & thread as described, and make a few simple items like key fobs, card holders, slip covers & cases for your knives &  chisels, ..... and make some mistakes as well, that's how we've all learned

Once you've got some experience with basic stuff then you can build up to more complicated and advanced items like shoes

Edited July 13, 2024 by zuludog

[TomE]

Learning to sharpen a sewing awl is foundational knowledge as you learn to hand sew.  I use inexpensive Osborne awls and hafts.  They start out roughly the same width/size and become smaller with repeated sharpening, so I now have several sizes for different thread sizes.  The Stohlman book on hand sewing is a good resource, and the Nigel Armitage videos cover similar concepts.  You can buy a sharp awl from @bruce johnson to learn what the desired endpoint is.