What style and size stitching chisels/pricking irons for starting?

[Moyerbros]

Howdy all.

I’m starting to collect some tools as I begin my journey into this craft and I’m currently trying to figure out what style and size pricking iron/stitching chisel to get. I was leaning towards getting both a 4mm and a 3mm set to start to cover my bases, but what are your recommendations?
 

Any reason to get a French style over a diamond? I’ve been looking at particularly Kevin Lee tools as the reviews are great and the price is very nice https://kevinleathertools.com/products/kl-basic-upgrade-pricking-iron?VariantsId=10715

https://kevinleathertools.com/products/upgrade-basic-diamond-iron?VariantsId=11398

 

For context, my goal is to try to make some belts, knife sheaths, and holsters eventually. For now, I’m planning on trying some smaller projects as well such as valet trays, wallets, and dog collars. 
 

Thanks! 

[tsunkasapa]

I have never felt the need for 'irons' in the decades I've been doing this. I have several marker wheels, 5-10 stitches per inch, and several sizes of awls. It is far faster and a lot easier.

Edited yesterday at 05:31 AM by tsunkasapa

[GatoGordo]

I like the hole that a French iron leaves, but I find them difficult to use. The bottom of the teeth are flat and lining up on the stitch line is not accurate.

The tips of the diamond chisels are pointed so placing them on the stitch line is easy and accurate, however, I am not a big fan of the hole they leave although I don't think it really matters since it will close up again after stitching.

I like Kevin Lee's black stitching chisels (Japanese Diamond Style) that provide the best of both. The tines are pointed and easy to line up and the hole is somewhere between the French and diamond styles (go to 6:30 in the accompanying LeatherToolz video and you can see the hole it leaves.

I have stitching chisels in 3.0, 3.38, and 3.85 mm  and use them all depending on the project. For belts and holsters, I use the 3.85 mm.

[wizard of tragacanth]

I totally agree with GatoGordo on all points. Japanese tines are the best of both worlds.

I only make holsters and would recommend 4mm for them. I use the Crimson Hides brand, which are fantastic but one reason that I especially went with them is that they make a single tine tool, which is very important for the way  that I work. Unfortunately, the single tine tool does not come in the 4mm version, only the 5mm, and it makes a slightly larger hole. Wish it came in 4mm but I have no choice. Then I have the 2+5 tine set. Crimson irons are highly polished and super easy to remove from the leather. The price you see is in Singapore dollars. Right now $100 (S) dollars would be $80 in US dollars.

https://crimsonhides.com/products/crimson-irons 

Nick

[TonyV]

tsunkasapa uses the traditional awl style of sewing. JUst mark it with a wheel, pierce with an awl as you sew.  Arthritis doesn't allow me to hold the awl and needle at the same time, so I use chisels.

A lot of people use the terms 'chisel' and 'pricking iron' interchangeably.  I see a difference, with the chisels used to cut through all layers of leather to be sewn, and pricking irons used to simply mark and start the hole (similar to wheels), to be followed with an awl.  See my dilemma above.  At present, I am using Weaver Leather's chisels in 4mm and 5mm.  I started out with the cheap Amazon chisels, but they didn't last long and are definitely inferior to Weaver's.  Bent, broke and dulled easily.

I have recently seen Kevin Lee's chisels in action.  The tapered tines make it a lot easier to pull the chisel out from the holes.  A definite improvement over standard diamond chisels.  They're sorta spendy, so I'm saving my pennies to get a set.

[YinTx]

I do a lot of hand stitching, and have dozens of pricking irons from many brands in many styles and sizes, as well as a stitching wheel.  Of all of them, I generally reach for my 3.38mm KS Blade Punch irons, followed by 3.85mm KS Blade Punch, with my Vergez Blanchard coming in a distant third.  If I had known now what I knew when I was buying irons, I would have only bought these and saved a lot of $$.