art23 Report post Posted March 28, 2017 (edited) Hello everyone I want to buy a stitching awl, or the handle and blade separate. Like most people out there I started with tandy years ago and I am now wanting quality tools. I sew very little by hand but want to have the best tools when necessary. So what do you guys recommend. I'm thinking of Barry king, Douglass or cs Osborne. I've also seen picture's of the vergez blanchard but the wood handle color throws me off :/ lol. Also as far as harness needles are John James better than cs Osborne? What do you guys recommend? Oh my next hand sewing project is covering a 2"ring with about 2-3 or 4 Oz leather. I'm assuming for this I would need a smaller blade right? And then I'm moving on to 2-3 pieces of 4-5 Oz veg tan what do you guys recommend for that. Ps this website rocks!! Edited March 28, 2017 by art23 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
William Bloke Report post Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) My favourite handles are the small Blanchard ones, they are cheap, have a narrow ferrule to get into fiddly spots, and I like the way the flats sit consistently in my hand. Personally, I don't understand why handles with chucks are so popular. I'd rather have my tools set up and ready to go than spend more on something I have to keep fiddling with. Also beautiful as some of the handles I've seen are, when I did my apprenticeship we were taught to push a sticky needle through with the wood rather than pick up pliers. Over the course of a day it saves so much time if you're not constantly switching tools over. Here's a photo of a Blanchard handle with a Saddler's handle from Abbey. (You can see where I use the wood to push needle in a way I wouldn't want to if it was made of something precious and cost 20X more!) Edited March 30, 2017 by William Bloke Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
