DavidL Report post Posted June 7, 2014 http://www.abbeyengland.com/Store/tabid/77/ProductID/69101/language/en-GB/Default.aspx?poselid=p69101%3ao711%3aOne+Size Does anyone own this iron? Are the impressions the same as the dixon irons? I know some people will recommend the japanese pricking iron. I have a japanese pricking iron and I prefer the dixon to the japanese. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Macca Report post Posted June 7, 2014 thats a strap pricker, very different tool to a pricking iron (strap pricker IS designed to punch through leather) You don't get different sizes though & its not the same impression. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidL Report post Posted June 7, 2014 The holes are rounder than the standard pricking iron? I don't want to create a second post so I will add on to this one - Can anyone source this iron? The prongs are longer than dixon and vergez and the two edge prongs are the same thickness as the middle prongs. Looks to be made in korea or a lesser known european maker. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Macca Report post Posted June 7, 2014 the teeth are sharpened to a point, so not a slit. No idea on the other irons you posted, they aren't European. Asian I'd guess Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtreat32 Report post Posted June 8, 2014 I cant tell what those are in the video but ebay has some irons that I have never heard of made in china. Some look like blanchard knock offs but I have never tried any of them so not sure on the quality. One or two of them if you search around look somewhat simialr to what is in the video. http://www.ebay.com/itm/leather-craft-high-quality-stitching-punch-diagonal-chisel-N7-3-85-10prong/221459250036?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D22946%26meid%3D7476484158237478049%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D9894%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D221459248472 Benedic tools? curious if anyone has ever tried them Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidL Report post Posted June 8, 2014 Looks similar to japanese quality below dixon, overpriced though. Cheap metal and looks to be made by CNC. Barnsley, an old leather tool brand sells some pricking irons on addoway.com. There is only one person at the company that can still make a pricking iron and they could probably make a new iron similar to vergez quality for less, like a custom order made to your specs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cletus2014 Report post Posted June 15, 2014 It's funny (well, not really funny) but since I've really discovered leather working and saddle stitching in general, I've been on something of a quest for a better, cheaper pricking iron. I originally had a couple old Tandy junk irons and didn't know the difference. I finally sprung for a set of #8 V. Blanchard irons in a set from a guy on Ebay and have since spent pretty close to what those cost trying to find a less expensive alternative - so far, without success. To date, I've purchased two different sets of Chinese "White Metal" diamond irons, which are barely passable but work, total with shipping, about $75. I've bought a CS Osborne 609-7 direct from their site, which after several hours of file work, is just BARELY passable, ~$65. I've seriously contemplated spending the money (and time) it would take to get a set of Dixon's shipped from the UK, which would end up around $225 all told. If I would just bite the bullet on a set of #6 Blanchard irons ($219 free shipping), instead of spending dollar after dollar trying to find something "cheaper", I could finally get on with life and quit worrying about it. I never learn, it seems, when it comes to stuff like this: If you want quality tools, sometimes the only way to do it is to spend the big money once and be done. Clearly, this is just my opinion and my own experience, I'm not telling anyone they should run out and spend a couple hundred bucks on anything, whatever you're doing probably works fine for you, this is just me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrtreat32 Report post Posted June 15, 2014 It's funny (well, not really funny) but since I've really discovered leather working and saddle stitching in general, I've been on something of a quest for a better, cheaper pricking iron. I originally had a couple old Tandy junk irons and didn't know the difference. I finally sprung for a set of #8 V. Blanchard irons in a set from a guy on Ebay and have since spent pretty close to what those cost trying to find a less expensive alternative - so far, without success. To date, I've purchased two different sets of Chinese "White Metal" diamond irons, which are barely passable but work, total with shipping, about $75. I've bought a CS Osborne 609-7 direct from their site, which after several hours of file work, is just BARELY passable, ~$65. I've seriously contemplated spending the money (and time) it would take to get a set of Dixon's shipped from the UK, which would end up around $225 all told. If I would just bite the bullet on a set of #6 Blanchard irons ($219 free shipping), instead of spending dollar after dollar trying to find something "cheaper", I could finally get on with life and quit worrying about it. I never learn, it seems, when it comes to stuff like this: If you want quality tools, sometimes the only way to do it is to spend the big money once and be done. Clearly, this is just my opinion and my own experience, I'm not telling anyone they should run out and spend a couple hundred bucks on anything, whatever you're doing probably works fine for you, this is just me. I bought the Vergez Blanchard and have never tried anything else. I actually had the #9 iron in a 4 prong but sold it to upgrade to a larger set this week. They work great but I am kind of curious since Im spending so much money on them what the difference is between them and the cheaper irons. I would love to have multiple sizes but cant purchase them all at once so I have considered trying out cheaper ones in a smaller spi. While its nice to have good tools I think I would appreciate them more if knew how much better the quality is aster trying other brands. Tempted to try the seiwa ones from goodsjapan What exactly do the the other irons do or dont do that the VB does. I know they are quality tools but they are literally pretty much just slanted metal prongs. I dont see why they couldnt be replicated by another tool manufacturer. For example with some tools I think you are clearly paying a premium for the name and maybe the quality of steel where it really doesnt matter. I bought the VB scratch compass 2 months ago when I started out because I needed that or a groover to mark the stitching line. While it is a very nice looking and sturdy tool Im pretty sure I could get the exact same result with a much cheaper compass. If I had to do it over I would have put that money into another tool where the quality really varies (maybe another pricking iron) I also cant imagine a overstitch wheel varying widely in results..some may be made of better material but the result should pretty much be the same. On the other hand certain tools I think it can make a world of difference. Knives and I guess pricking irons for example. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tannin Report post Posted August 13, 2014 (edited) ... If I would just bite the bullet on a set of #6 Blanchard irons ($219 free shipping), instead of spending dollar after dollar trying to find something "cheaper", I could finally get on with life and quit worrying about it. I never learn, it seems, when it comes to stuff like this: If you want quality tools, sometimes the only way to do it is to spend the big money once and be done.... I have a similar tendency and you are not the first person to come to that conclusion. My wife says something along the lines "buy what you need but buy it only once" - i.e. buy decent quality so that it is long lasting enough and you are happy enough not to want to buy it/one/them again. Somebody else once wrote something along the lines that they were "too poor to buy a tool more than once" - which is a pretty clever way to justify buying quality tools! :D That all said, I first invested in a single 1.5" Joseph Dixon pricking iron - which I found painfully expensive but I gather they are but a fraction of the price of those pretty, shiny Blanchard ones (although $219 for a set sounds far cheaper than the prices I have seen). I find the holes it cuts rather longer than I expected or require. I have since bought a set of 3 smaller, much cheaper ones through Amazon (which I assume are Chinese) and I have so far been very impressed with them - I am not a full-time/professional leatherworker though - so your mileage may vary. Also, as far as I can tell, they only come in 8 spi (and that camera case looks like it using a significantly fewer stitches-per-inch). See my earlier post for details of the cheaper pricking irons: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=55751&p=370347 Re. Barnsley, I have several Barnsley tools and I like them - they are not fancy but they seem very solid & functional, they are intended for professional use (I think Barnsley made tools more for shoemakers/cobblers/cordwainers/tyre fitters & Dixons more for saddlers). If they are still making pricking irons, I expect they are good and reasonably priced. Although I get the impression that pricking irons are harder to make well than most tools. BTW The pricking iron in the video looks quite similar in size to my Dixon iron (i.e. larger than the oriental ones) - the jaggedness near the top of each tine is different though. Edited August 13, 2014 by Tannin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
