Advice Wanted On Pricking Irons/stitching Awl

[Grey Drakkon]

So after some looking around, I've decided on the Joseph Dixon pricking irons ( http://www.josephdixon.co.uk/products/One_Inch_Pricking_Irons.html ) I still haven't decided on a stitching awl. Does anyone have any input on either or both of these things? Anyone have Dixons? What do you think of them? What kind of awl gives you good results with them? I'm not looking to make super fancy items (..............yet.) but something decent that will last.

[25b]

That all depends on what size pricking irons you bought.

[Grey Drakkon]

Good point. 1" no.8 with 9 teeth.

[25b]

Well, I'm not sure how wide the teeth on those are. Mine are #10 and the tooth width on mine is 1.2mm, so I got the smallest size awl Dixon makes and they work perfectly together.

Did you order the "slimline" version or just the standard one?

Edited November 14, 2014 by 25b

[Grey Drakkon]

I haven't ordered them yet just in case someone tells me that they're lemons. The ones I'm looking at are the ones I linked to. I figured 8 sounded like a good compromise between really coarse and too fiddly.

[25b]

I have a couple of Vergez-Blanchard #7 and the teeth are wider on those.

The Dixons I have are all #10 and are 1.2mm tooth width. Some have said that you have to specify that you want "slimline" teeth on the Dixons, but that is only on the lower stitch-per-inch (SPI) ones. The higher SPI ones, they make the teeth less wide so it'll be proportional.

As far as the SPI you choose, that's generally dictated by the size of the items you're making. ..*generally*. There's always exceptions, but I use the #10 on watchbands, Field Notes cases, wallets, etc. I use the VB #7 for cases and satchel type bags.

The #10 looks great for very fine items and is similar to fine English leatherwork. Works great for saddle-stitching...I use V92 bonded polyester with John James 004 needles and it turns out pretty nice.

[Grey Drakkon]

Thanks for the input! My next few projects will be arrow quivers and bracers so it sounds like I'm in the right range.

[billybopp]

I don't know about the pricking irons, but I would recommend a straight or very slightly tapered awl. The "wing awls" or "Saddler's awls" will leave a smallish hole on the back side of the hole and a large one at the front .. and the difference is more pronounced the thicker the leather. Take a look at the following picture. It shows a wing awl, three sizes Seiwa straight awls, and a Tandy (pretty sure Osborne) fine tapered awl side by side.

Other than that, What fits your hand best!?

Hope that helps

Bill

[DavidL]

Dixon's sizing and vergez sizing are one number off. A vergez 7 is a dixon 6, they could be fractions of a mm off. If you are planning to buy more irons at the same size then you may want to get the same brand so they are same sized hole and distance. If I was buying an iron now I would get a portmanteau, the corner stitches angles are uninterrupted vs the regular iron that goes upwards rather than portmanteau downward stitch. Regular irons - stitches are flat around the corner, portmanteau angled downwards around the corner.

[JonH]

Appologies for highjacking your thread but has anyone tried these https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/209814602/leather-craft-tool-3pcs-stitching-punch?ref=shop_home_active_12

Look nicely made but the points do look a little "fragile"

Any thoughts??