Awl Is Tearing The Leather On One Side

[Southernleather]

Hi everyone,

Wondering if I could get some expert advice! I am currently working on some leather coin purses. For marking the stitching holes I use an edge crease and then a pricking iron. The pricking iron does go through the veg tan but makes a very small hole, meaning when I am stitching on the pony, I widen the hole using my awl to enable the needle to pass through.

When I push the awl through, one side looks fine but on the back, the pressure of the awl is tearing the leather and it looks a bit cracked. On the finished product one side looks perfect but the back does not look the same, it looks a little messier. Whilst I am still very pleased with the outcome, I was wondering if there is any way I can prevent this? Or, is it a simple case of this is the way it is?

Any help welcomed

Thanks!

[camano ridge]

Can you show us a pictureof your concern?

[Tex Shooter]

If it is a diamond awl I have a idea that it is not sharp enough. -- Tex

[oltoot]

I'll bet that's it: SHARP, and some poorly designed awl blades have too steep of a taper

[Hi Im Joe]

I was going to say the same thing. Polish the awl and that might help.

Also what are you using underneath the leather while you are pricking holes into it? If you put some scrap leather underneath it's easier to drive the iron all the way through and you will get uniform holes on both sides.

[St8LineGunsmith]

i agree that it needs stropping. if stropping the awl don.t solve the problem get a John James awl blade and polish it real good before using, problem should be solved

http://www.fineleatherworking.com/saddlemaker-tools/leather-sewing-awl-blades

I suggest getting the 38MM and 43MM those are the two sizes i use most.

you want the awl blade to have a sharp point and keen edges so they will cut through the leather and not tear through the leather

if the edges of the awl blade is polished but rounded off then you are probably experiencing difficulty pushing the blade through the leather and the leather tearing as you pass the awl blade through the leather instead of cutting through it

Edited June 22, 2014 by St8LineGunsmith

[Southernleather]

Thank you very much for your responses. I have made sure that the awl is very sharp and also given it a polish but it hasn't helped. I do also put scraps underneath when pricking but the hole is not ever big enough for the needle so I have to use the awl.

I think that maybe I am using the wrong type of awl, here is a picture:

http://pinterest.com/pin/483785184944754627/

Is it that I should be using an diamond shaped awl?

Here are pictures...picture one shows the good side and picture two the messy side:

http://pinterest.com/pin/483785184944754617/

http://pinterest.com/pin/483785184944754599/

[Hi Im Joe]

Yeah. You have the wrong type of awl. You should buy a diamond shaped one. It will help a lot.

[camano ridge]

Joe, beat me to it, I was saving a picture as he was posting. You are using what is called a scratch awl or round awl it pushes the leather apart and to close to the edge in thinner leather can lead to tearing. A diamond awl will slice through the the leather with little effort if properly sharpened. The leather will some what self heal around the thread giving a neater looking stitch hoe. Below is a picture of a diamond awl jus one of the many variations.

[LTC]

Uhh...yeah...you should be using a diamond awl with the pricking iron.

What you did is "technically" a "saddle stitch", but there are multiple reasons why it looks like that.

Look up Nigel Armitage on youtube and find his "saddle stitch in detail" video. It should correct all the things that are going on with your stitching.

First, I'd say you need a diamond awl...sharp and of appropriate size.

Second, it looks like you may not be doing every stitch exactly, precisely the same way every single time. This is required in order for your stitching to look good on both sides. It takes a lot of practice and discipline to do it that way, but there's no shortcut to it...

Before anyone has a hissy fit, I am recommending Nigel's video because he explains it a lot more plainly than I can so that it the concepts are easy to grasp for folks having trouble. And I happen to think he knows what he's talking about, especially pertaining to correct saddle stitching.

[St8LineGunsmith]

I would also suggest watching Nigel Armitage video on making a saddle stitch . he shows the proper use of the stitching awl.

[mlapaglia]

Another tip. Get a wine cork and put the flat side against the back side of the leather when you push the awl through. IT helps keep things looking good and saves your fingers.

[UnionCraft]

1. Make sure to line up your iron properly. Judging from pic 1, you're not lining up the iron straight.

2. Punch the iron through all the way. Make sure you have a piece of leather or poundo board underneath to protect the iron.

3. You do not require a sharpened awl. If your needles/thread are having difficulty passing through the leather, use your awl to open up the hole before threading the needles through.

4. Always stitch consistently. Your needles go in randomly in and out of the holes. They need to enter and exit uniformly and consistently all the time. Back side stitching commonly looks exactly like your pic #2 stitching due to inconsistencies.

Also, you are not using a "Pricking Iron." Before everyone on the planet decided to purchase Blanchard or Dixon pricking irons, what you're using was sold as a "Diamond-Shaped Stitching Chisel." For short, they were called "Stitching Chisels" or "Diamond Chisels."

Both the stitching chisel and pricking iron produce a different type of hole. Therefore, the different names.

After pricking irons grew in popularity, sellers such as GoodsJapan, started labeling the chisels as pricking irons along with the original name (Diamond Stitching Chisel or Diamond Leather Stitching Chisel).

Tandy still refer to theirs as "Diamond Hole Chisels."