Stitching Awl? Or Torture Stick?

[Sceaden]

I bought an Osborne awl from the cheapest guy on ebay when I first started leather work and it worked quite well out of the box and after watching Nigel's video and putting some elbow grease into it is great!

[alpha2]

I watched that video yesterday, sharpened my awl per his advice, and did some stitching today. Wow, good advice. HUGE improvement, glided through the leather. I don't think I could have put a 9mm bullet through the leather before. Hmmm, should've tried, could have been a good video!

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[zuludog]

I, too, started with the Tandy 4-in-1 awl. Even after I sharpened it, it still wasn't very good, so I went the traditional way, and bought a John James blade which I mounted in a haft and sharpened myself

That  turned out quite good, but what a performance! It took hours & hours of tedious work with oilstones and a strop to get anything like a reasonable standard.

Surely with modern high tech and computer aided manufacturing techniques it should be possible to make a decent awl for a reasonable price that can be used straight away? Then subsequently just a bit of stropping as with any knife

For example Mora of Sweden make excellent sharp & strong knives in their 'Clipper' range, to retail for about £12. I'm not bothered about turned hardwood handles; I'd be quite happy with plastic as long as it did the job

Search Google for 'mora clipper' to see what I mean

Edited February 18, 2017 by zuludog

[Matt S]

@zuludog I like the CS Osborne awls. The blades and hafts are sold separately except that you can get the size 43 mounted on a comfortable haft for about £8. They don't come perfect but in a much better state than a John James.

[Wulfing]

[alpha2]

That tool is not an option if your stitching isn't all on an edge. Like the pancake holster I did today for my 1911. 

[LeatherBeast]

Fineleatherworking.com has a lot of the Blanchard products. I use their diamond point awls and pricking irons. The Blanchard awl cuts through like butter.

 

Check out my tool guide here.

[ContactCement]

Torture stick. I nearly stuck my finger with an awl haft the other day not to mention the holes left were undesirable and inconsistent (my fault) I now use a very simple modern tool which is the single tooth Craftool Pro Fine Diamond Awl 88057-01  and it works great when used with the Craftool Spacer Set 8091-0  If your really dedicated to using an awl haft and handy with a hammer and propane torch go get some inexpensive drill rod or tool steel. Heat it, pound it then quench it in light weight motor oil then sharpen.

Edited May 12, 2017 by ContactCement

[480volt]

Buy a Bob Douglas slim awl blade. Buy a Douglas or Barry King awl handle. Bob's awl blades  come sharp and are polished to a mirror finish, you should own one if only to give you a reference on what a well finished one should look like. Eventually, he will retire and you will kick yourself for never  acquiring one. On the downside, his blade and handle combo will likely be longer than what you are used to. Other members here have suggested snapping off the blade to shorten it, I just reserve it for heavy work. I use a well sharpened and polished Tandy awl for lighter stuff, the small handle is easy to palm, and the recess at the top left from the lathe center is good for getting the needles started on that tough stuff.