New Here, First Awl Work

[MorningStarL]

I made this last week, for a knife I made for my childhood sweetheart. It's the first I made since I joined here and learned about using an awl, instead of a drill press, for sewing holes. I hated how big the holes were when I was drilling them and this looks so much better to me. I chucked the awl into the drill press, not running, to make holes because I'm getting arthritis in my fingers. Got new awls since then from Sheridan in Wyoming, and I need to figure out how to round the ends so I can use them in the press too.

I'm pleased with the clarity and depth of the tooling on this. I added the photo of the knife hanging by its lanyard in a rotten tree out here -- the sheath didn't fall off. I fuss a lot about fit.

[LLWork]

It looks nice! The tooling looks great.

If you were to add a groover to your process, your sewing would all be the same distance from the edge. It gives you a nice guide line to follow while you use your spacer.

(https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/8069-00.aspx)

[MorningStarL]

Thank you! I did use a groover, but I did it before I got the edge trimmed, and then came in too close. I wish I hadn't -- it meant leaving the edge rougher than I'd have liked.

[LLWork]

Ah I see. I used to pin up notes to my wall to remember the order of things. I did stuff like that too many times!

[MorningStarL]

That's an idea. I was away for a few months, did no leatherwork at all, and there were a couple of sheaths I smacked my forehead because I remembered I should have done that first.