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 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 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 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 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.

[Aventurine]

Yes that flattened nail through a maple burl has been ground down nearly to tack size over the years    Even on buckskin they do wear a point off  and I have sharpened it many times, though crudely. I have a lot to learn about precision sharpening for sure.

Yep,  I have already bought some 5 and 6 oz undyed veg tan scrap (a local holster maker sells his scraps by the pound) to make some small items with it as soon as my minimal tools are all assembled. I don’t have the financial luxury of buying a lot of tools and then experimenting with this and that to find what works, which is why I am trying to make very well informed purchases specifically suited to basic shoes  at the outset.  I am grateful for everyone’s help.

Tom thanks for the link.

Edited July 14 by Aventurine

[MarshalWill]

I made my first stitching awl by grinding down a screwdriver shaft. I keep it around because it reminds me of how I started out. I now get Vergez-Blanchard awls when I need a new one.

22 hours ago, TomE said:

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.

This is some of the best advice you can get.

[PopocheXII]

I would not recommend Wuta' awls. I bought the set of 4 (3 diamond awls S M and L size and a 2mm round awl) and they are not sharp so you will have to spend the time to learn how to sharpen it which is ok if you dont mind ruining at least one of the three and the small one broke immediately when i tried to use it for box stitching 2mm leather. I then contact them for a replacement which is where i am very disapointed with their customer service and attitude toward this issue. They first told me that they will replace it for free with my next order. I made my order with some tools and small pieces of their leather. but when I received it there was no awl and the leather color was completely off compared to the pictures so I gave a 2 stars review and asked them about my replacement tool. They tried to make me order again saying that they will send it this time... I refused as didn't anything else for the moment and I just spent 80$ for my last purchase. They decided to block me from the chat so I don't have any way to contaxt them anymore. So I went thru the website and mail address to ask for help. First they said that they would replace the awl but that I had to talk with the operators on the platform on which i bought it. Being blocked from the chat I asked how I could manage to do that... No more answer. New mail asking about what happened. Answer was "Can you help us with the bad review"!!! What kind of customer service is that? And if they can't accept a 2 stars review because I was not happy with the quality and color of the leather they should stop dong business online. So now they are trying to make me change my review in order to have my 7$ awl replaced. I won't change anything and I will certainly never order from them again. Their tools are of decent quality for the price (afordable well finished and wide range) but this not how you treat a customer that spent about 600$ on your products in the last 3 months or any customer at all. Baver, Kemovan, Since, Owden, Bowen, Oka Factory, Seiwa, Three Three, Philuda, Beagle, Kevin Lee, Kyoshin Elle are some examples of other brands (there is a ton on aliexpress etsy or amazon) that have the same quality, design and prices (probably same factory) as Wuta and their service and responsability is what you would expect from any brand selling online. I know I am biased on the matter but I do not advise to shop from Wuta unless you are ready to give up on any warrantee and customer care.

Edited September 19 by PopocheXII