Diamond Punches

[natenaaron]

I've been looking at stitching spaces trying to decide what I like. I've decided I like the closer together stitches and from what I can tell it would be like 8-10 stitches per inch. When I look for diamond punches I see 2-4-6 punch kits but they seem to be further spaced than I want. On the springfield leather site they all kinds. SOme are called lacing chisels, others diamond chisels. I want to saddle stich so I assume I want the diamond chisels. Is there a place that sells the 10/inch punches or closer spaced with lower number of prongs?

[25b]

Have you watched all of Nigel Armitage's pricking iron review videos? Anyone contemplating purchasing these tools really ought to watch all of them first. It should answer pretty much all your questions.

[zuludog]

Be careful when choosing chisels; there are two types that look similar, but are for different purposes

For sewing leather with thread you need stitching chisels, which you call diamond chisels. They have narrow prongs with a diamond cross section set at an angle to the flat body of the chisel

You knock them through the leather and sew through the resulting holes with blunt needles

For joining leather with narrow strips of leather, called lace, you use a chisel with broader prongs set flat in line with the flat body of the chisel, and called, logically enough, a lacing chisel. Only get these if you want to do some lacing

Both of these chisels will make holes all the way through the leather. You can get chisels with short prongs designed to only mark the position & spacing for the holes, which you then complete with an awl. These tools are usually called pricking irons, and are more likely to be available with closely spaced prongs or teeth

[natenaaron]

All these different names. Ok, will watch the pricking iron videos.

So there is a difference between pricking irons and stitching irons? Can pricking irons pound all the way through? If they can't I definately want stitching irons.

[zuludog]

No, pricking irons won't go all the way through. They are used to make shallow marks or indentations to show the position of the stitching holes, which are then made with an awl

A stitching chisel has longer prongs and can be knocked all the way through. Even so, you might have to do a bit of extra work with an awl. The awls used for hand sewing leather are usually called saddler's awls or harness awls

[scorpionrider]

I agree that Nigel's videos are pretty much the definitive word on stitching chisels and pricking irons. I would also recommend watching Ian Atkinson's video where he talks about tools, etc. from goodsjapan.com (go to ianatkinson.net and look through the video list for Goods Japan Leather Shop Review). I personally have some of their "pricking irons" (that's what they call them) and I like them a lot and although they are "pricking irons" they will go all the way through the leather. Nigel also speaks well of them. Well worth the money in my view.

[25b]

Calling "stitching chisels" "pricking irons" is really confusing new folks trying to understand the difference.

I will no longer call them all the same thing...from now on, I will only be calling them by their correct name to try to reduce confusion for new folks.

There is another recent thread on here where Art defines each tool. I highly recommend people use those terms in order to most accurately describe whichever tool they're talking about. Calling every single tool a "pricking iron" helps no one.

[zuludog]

Not wishing to be big-headed, but I've posted an description of chisels which I think clarifies the names & confusion

I'm afraid I'm not so clever with computers and don't know how to post a link, but here's the reference

Forum Critique My Work

Thread First Ever Piece of Leatherwork

Started 10 september by Stefandz

[25b]

I'm afraid I'm not so clever with computers and don't know how to post a link, but here's the reference

Maybe it was your post I was thinking of. I have had traumatic brain injury in the past, so sometimes my short-term memory isn't very good.

Best way to search is go to google and type in:

site:leatherworker.net whatever you want to search for here

...and it'll find your post...then you can copy the link to it and post it. It's not too complicated since I am able to do it.

Edited September 19, 2015 by 25b