pricking iron

[Old Navy]

Hi,I have been looking at pricking tools.Do I need one tool or does it take two tools to do a job?And do you think they are worth a 100.00?Thanks,navy

[celticleather]

In my opinion, if you want to produce quality hand-sewing, in a truly traditional fashion, you definitely do need a pricking iron. You don't necessarily need a vast range of stitch sizes - I do most of my work at 8 stitches per inch.

Joseph Dixon have a good range of English-made pricking irons in a variety of sizes, from ½" to 1½" widths. You would probably find that 1" wide would be good for most applications, and these are only $58.00 (plus shipping, which would be minimal).

http://www.josephdix...ing.html?page=4

[D.A. Kabatoff]

I hated paying the price for my irons but I'm sure glad I did it. I agree with Celtic, just buy the sizes that you need the most. There is a fellow on Ebay selling pricking irons that are very pricey but he sells them in both left and right which I haven't seen from the Blanchard ones that I use, and I'm not sure if Joseph Dixon produces them either. Regardless of which manufacturer you choose, good ones are always expensive.

Darcy

[gary]

I bought a cheap pricking iron some years ago as I thought the prices were generally too high. Big mistake. The teeth were not well set, some at different angles to others, and the metal was poor quality. It went in the bin and I've reverted to quality irons since then.

By the way, standard pricking irons are made with the teeth marking the diagonal '/ / / / / / / /', a pricking iron that makes the opposite diagonal '\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \' is called a portmanteau pricking iron (or portmanteau pricker) and was originally used by luggage makers so that corner and butt joints looked nicer and were symmetrical when finished.

I'd agree that a 1 inch 8spi iron is a good all-round size. I sometimes use 10spi which is fiddly and I have a 12spi that I avoid like the plague as my eyes aren't up to it.

Gary

Edited December 8, 2009 by gary

[particle]

Are pricking irons simply used for marking the diagonal lines on the leather? Or do you actually penetrate all the way through to eliminate the need for an awl?

[Rawhide]

They are intended to just mark the leather, not punch all the way through. I have heard of some using it in that fashion though.

[BWL]

They are intended to just mark the leather, not punch all the way through. I have heard of some using it in that fashion though.

I would like more information on this I've been using them wrong then

[Rawhide]

I would like more information on this I've been using them wrong then

This is part of a page from a book I bought authored by Valarie Michael, entitled, The Leatherworking Handbook, A Practical Illustrated Sourcebook of techniques and projects

It's a very good book and explains the use of lots of tools.

[particle]

In that case, which craft tool number is this guy using in the following video at 5:39? I have one of these, but the holes are too big - I think mine is larger than his, but his stitches look perfectly fine to me...?

[Rawhide]

That's not a pricking iron, that tool is intended to punch all the way through. It is called a diamond hole punch. A pricking iron makes diagonal marks on leather so that the maker can align a regular diamond awl (which doesn't make large holes by the way).

This is a pricking iron in use...