The best size thread size for Craftool Pro Fine Diamond Chisel 3.5mm

[ContactCement]

I'm a beginner and could use some advice as to which diameter thread or lace to use with my diamond chisel. 

I recently purchased the Craftool Pro Fine Diamond Chisel 3.5mm. 88057-08  Its sharp and easily punches through 2 layers of leather fine. Removing the tool and is a little difficult despite the tools price. The Craftool Pro Fine Diamond Awl 3.5mm made 7 diamond shaped slots or stitches per inch in the White leather scrap and don't look all that good. The slots it punched are much wider than my Chinese import. I used the same 150 speedy stitcher waxed thread for both leather scraps shown in the photo. My imported diamond punch from China made 8 stitches per inch nice or ok looking stitches with the same thread in the Brown leather. The only difference was the leather scraps used.

Take note that the prongs on the Craftool are larger in width than the Chinese import.  Both punches were held and used vertical. No stitching groove was cut. I used my stitching pony, I threaded 2 needles stitched as shown on a tandy video.

[Sceaden]

It's a chunky chisel so I tend to use .8 mm tiger thread with mine or if I want the stitching to be the primary focus, a 1.0 like in this photo.

[ContactCement]

Thanks for the post. Those are great results. Did you use a stitching groove or just scribe a faint line? I just got my chisel in the mail today and had a few questions. What size and type of needle with that thread ? Did you hone or smooth the inside edges of the chisel prongs or use wax on them? So far I found that going through 2 layers of 1/8" leather the chisel would get stuck in there pretty bad. So far I have had to punch one layer at a time leaving a mark for the next.

Edited May 11, 2017 by ContactCement

[bikermutt07]

Most folks just scribe a line. A groove tends to over power the zig zag of the saddle stitch.

Paraffin wax tends to be a little more slick than beeswax. 

You shouldn't have to do any honing on the chisels. Just put something over the leather to hold it down as you pull the chisel out.

Leodis Leather can be found using his bone folder for this in his videos.

[Sceaden]

I typically just use a wing dividers and scribe a nice line in damp leather or else use an adjustable heated creaser like with these wallets. 

I didn't polish mine but they could use it. Nigel Armitage used a buffing wheel on his and that seemed to help.

I typically don't wax them because I'm stitching before the final finish is applied but it definitely helps.

The wallets in the picture were done with 1.0 mm Tiger Thread and think Tandy's medium size needle but I have three or four types of needles mixed together and I just grab the one that fits the best. I can double check when I get home.

I could sell you a few of the Tandy ones if you don't want a whole pack. 

I also use a bone folder laid flat on the top of the leather to help me pull out the chisel easier and with less distortion. 

[Sceaden]

It looks like a John James Harness Needle #002 is about the size that I'm using with the .8 or 1.0 thread. 

This guy has a great selection of small quantities of Ritza Tiger Thread if you want to give it a go. Very fast shipping and good prices: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EgyptianLeather?ref=shop_sugg

[Sceaden]

Correction, I use the 002 but its a little large for .8 thread. I was actually using the Tandy's size small.

[strathmoredesigns]

On 5/11/2017 at 6:50 PM, Sceaden said:

This guy has a great selection of small quantities of Ritza Tiger Thread if you want to give it a go. Very fast shipping and good prices: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EgyptianLeather?ref=shop_sugg

I bought a Tiger thread sampler and a full roll of .8 mm thread from him - very satisfied. He also pops up on this forum once in a while, if you wanted to try and ask him any questions. I think he goes by Egyptian Leather.

Per Nigel and Ian's recommendation, I bought the #2 John James needles. Note that there are two versions of the #2's. There's 002 and 2 (I think). You'd want the 002 Saddler's Harness Needles (product L3912-2). I found that it was most cost effective just to buy them directly from John James and ship them to the US, which only took about a week at the cheapest shipping speed. I got 6 packs of needles and paid for shipping and it cost $18 something, whereas at the time I saw 2 packs of needles and free shipping on Amazon for about $16. After watching Nigel and Ian a bit, I included in that order a pack each of 003 and 004 in case I want to mix things up at some point.

Thus far, I've been using my .8 mm roll of Tiger thread with the 002 John James needles and I've used it with the 3.5 mm Craftool chisels (as well as with the 3 mm and 4 mm Seiwas). Like the others, I also use a wing divider to mark my stitching line. 

In case it helps, Nigel also gives thread and needle recommendations in his chisel reviews, including for the 3.5 mm Craftools. I know I didn't go with the .6 mm Tiger thread because Egyptian Leather wasn't offering full rolls of that at the time (maybe it's changed?) and he had the best prices I could find.