New Pricking Irons Dull?

[TKGeorge]

I'm new to leather working and just recieved some of my tools in the mail. I got an 8 tooth 3mm Amy Roke pricking iron, along with a 2 tooth. The 2 tooth works perfect, but the 8 doesn't seem to go in to the leather to mark it, it looks as if the teeth are just pushing the leather down, if that makes sense. Is this normal? I guess since there is more surface area it may be harder for that many teeth to pierce, but I dont feel like this should be an issue.

Should I go ahead and just gently polish each tooth, making sure to not change the angle obviously, to try and get it to pierce rather than just push? Am I crazy and just doing things wrong? Any help is appreciated.

[fredk]

You're lucky the 2-tooth makes holes. Very often these tools need sharpening and the edges 'polished'. An afternoon, or evening, doing the sharpening and polishing will transform them

[zuludog]

Most pricking irons and stitching chisels can be improved by polishing & sharpening the prongs

Use a needle file followed by home made 'wands' or buffers, made by gluing 600 grit and 1000 grit wet & dry paper to a sliver of wood,  such as a lollipop stick

After you've done that, it helps if you lubricate the prongs with beeswax 

Edited February 4, 2019 by zuludog

[Grumpymann]

Also make sure you are on a hard enough surface.  At the bottom and a pound board on top of that,if your using the irons to go all the way through the leather. 

I use a quartz slab with an old cutting board on top of that. It works well for me.

[zuludog]

15 minutes ago, Grumpymann said:

Also make sure you are on a hard enough surface.  At the bottom and a pound board on top of that,if your using the irons to go all the way through the leather. 

I use a quartz slab with an old cutting board on top of that. It works well for me.

Yes, I'd forgotten about that. I use a polypropylene kitchen chopping board about 15mm thick

[TKGeorge]

Thanks all for the help! I assumed a light polishing would be fine, but wanted to make sure before I went ahead with anything. And I did have a hard surface underneath, but good to,know that this could mess it up. I'm sure Ill be back with some other questions later, and hopefully some finished projects as well.

[YinTx]

I am surprised at this.  I've never heard of Amy Roke's needing additional sharpening out of the box!

YinTx

[JerryLevine]

Very interesting to hear about polishing pricking irons teeth: thanks for sharing the info. It sounds like you're using your pricking irons to pierce holes all the way through the leather.  Purely for interest, my English (Dixon's) and French (Vergez-Blanchard) pricking irons are designated in teeth per inch, according to the number of stitches you wanted per inch, rather than millimetres. They were also not used to make holes  in the leather, rather just to make consistent, evenly spaced marks to show where to use your awl.

[TKGeorge]

17 hours ago, YinTx said:

I am surprised at this.  I've never heard of Amy Roke's needing additional sharpening out of the box!

YinTx

It could have been bad technique, or rough scraps of leather causing issues, but after sharpening them for 10 minutes they did work much better. The actual quality of them is superb, I'm not upset with my purchase, and will be ordering them in different sizes soon! So dont take this as a bad review if thats how it came out. Just trying to make them function at their peak.

[TKGeorge]

14 hours ago, JerryLevine said:

Very interesting to hear about polishing pricking irons teeth: thanks for sharing the info. It sounds like you're using your pricking irons to pierce holes all the way through the leather.  Purely for interest, my English (Dixon's) and French (Vergez-Blanchard) pricking irons are designated in teeth per inch, according to the number of stitches you wanted per inch, rather than millimetres. They were also not used to make holes  in the leather, rather just to make consistent, evenly spaced marks to show where to use your awl.

I was just using them to mark, but when they dont pierce into the leather they leave a raised bump on the back of the leather since the teeth were just pushing the surface down, if that makes since. I think I may just get into the habit of a light polish/sharpening for each new pricing iron I get.