Sharpening Awls

[JAM]

Does anyone have any tips or advice for sharpening an awl? Specifically a Douglas awl? They're wonderful when they're new, but they do get dull and I cannot get them sharp again!

[Tree Reaper]

I use a wheel and green compound to sharpen my awls and knives.

I started with a felt dremel wheel and compound and it worked so well I bought a large machine with 8 inch wheels.

[JAM]

That's exactly what I use - a hard-felt wheel with green compound on a 1700 rpm buffer - works great for everything but the Douglas awls, which are extremely slender and precise, and the wheel just seems to make things worse. There have got to be more techniques that I don't know about.

[Tree Reaper]

Did you try the white compound?

These work good also ...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Gray-Rubber-Polishing-Point-Cylinder-Dremel-427-Rotary-Dental-Jewelry-240-grit-/320854472747?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ab46ab82b

Edited May 10, 2013 by Tree Reaper

[JAM]

Yes, and the problem is I'm losing the edges. When everything gets dull on that tiny blade, I can't get a handle on sharpening the edges. They all get rounded over. How do people sharpen these particular awl blades? I can do the Tandy and Osborne blades just fine - they are wider and I can see the angles and edges - but the Douglas blades are so fine and the angles are different. A saddlemaker friend of mine breaks them all the time and so doesn't need to resharpen ;-) but I don't break mine and wondered if anyone else actually resharpens theirs and how they do it.

Thanks for the advice about the ebay "6 Gray Rubber Polishing Point Cylinder Dremel 427 Rotary Dental Jewelry 240 grit" - I can give something like that a try.

[CWR]

I have to sharpen mine from time to time. If its not to bad I put compound on a piece of thin card board and strop it on each of the four sides(just pulling it back and forth). They are thinner and are polished so well that you have to be extra careful. I do it as much by feel as by sight. Sometimes I have to use a piece of 1000 grit wet dry if it hits a cantle edge or tack etc. Then follow with the compound.

Hope this helps,

CW

[JAM]

Thanks, CW - I'll try that.

[tnawrot2]

That's exactly what I use - a hard-felt wheel with green compound on a 1700 rpm buffer - works great for everything but the Douglas awls, which are extremely slender and precise, and the wheel just seems to make things worse. There have got to be more techniques that I don't know about.

What make is your 1700 RPM bench buffer? I looked at mine and it is 3450 RPM.

[JAM]

My mistake - it's a 3450.

[penguineer]

Not sure what difference wth a Douglass specifically, but I just use a very fine stone to reset the edge every now and then and keep it sharp with a strop and polishing compound(actually optical polishing abrasive, but everyone uses what suits them) between times.......

Just strop each of the four sides and maybe once or twice across the top. Occasionally use a knife steel.....

FWIW - do people take the points off their awls to give a rounded "bayonet" tip? It means less of the awl has to go through the leather for the same size hole on the other side(less effort) and it doesn't go as deep into your finger (less blood when you make a whoopsie)

Cheers!

[JAM]

Okay, I'll try that. Maybe put it in a vise and put my high-powered glasses on so I can see the edges, and try a fine stone (never thought about using a knife steel on them...). And I do take the points off - just the barest flattening of the tip to help it pierce the leather - it works better that way. I would make separate paragraphs here, but for some reason my Enter key is not working... anyway, the Douglas awls are very narrow and fine, and harder than the Osborne awls. And more expensive. And worth it (when they're sharp) ;-)

[VanHornSaddlery]

Hello,

I don't have a douglas awl blade yet, am going to try one as soon as I break this gosh blessed tandy blade! I bought a round knife and a trim knife from terry knipshcield and he gave me his insight into sharpening blades with a soft felt wheel and black 555 compound from Brownells. I have always hated cantle binds and horn covers until I got set up with the soft felt wheel and the black compound on my grinder, which is running at 3450 RPM, (just gotta watch the heatwhen stroppin). It worked so good on his knives, the old osborne round knife I use for skiveing and the dozier knives I have I thought what the heck, run the awl over it. The last cantle binding and horn went really well. The awl was sharp now. Going to have to put the douglas awl blade off a little longer.Took some of the black compound and made a strop board out of horsehide glued to a 1x4 and have been tickled with that as well for stropping swivel knife blades. According to Terry the black is a tad more aggresive but still leaves a nice finish to the blade. I have tried red compound, white, green and now the black,. Hope this helps and isn't to far off topic.

Jake

VanHorn Saddlery

[JAM]

Hey, Jake, no it's not too far off topic at all. I know black is more aggressive and I have some but haven't tried it for sharpening on my buffer. Soft felt and black compound, huh? I will try that, too. Thanks!

[steveh]

The geometry of the awl forming the diamond is comprised of four 30 degree sides, as the radius tapers to the point it compounds from 0 to 10 degrees.Try to maintain these angles when sharpening, I touch up the awl with ceramic stone or high grit sand paper(600-1200) like CW mentioned. polishing on a felt wheel at 3600 rpm with no reguard for the edges could dull them. steve

[JAM]

Thanks, Steve - that's very helpful information. It's hard to see those edges and angles on the wheel - I think going the slower route might work better.Julia

[penguineer]

The awl blade on the left has not been sharpened, the one on the right has had the point taken down to a more rounded tip and sharpened. Side-by-side you can see how less of the blade on the right needs to pass through the leather to make the same size stitch hole.

I use a series of sharpening stones to set up the edges and strop every now and then while using it - it's really just a specialised knife.

It isn't much work to do this by hand - the edges aren't complex curves or anything so you can feel when the edge is lying on the stone at the correct angle......

Cheers!