Best awl and iron when stitching with 0.8 mm linen thread

[juancdab]

Dear leatherworkers,

 

As most of us do, I'm after that nice slanted finish left by diamont shaped awls when saddle stitching.

I mostly use 0.8 mm waxed linen thread (that's just what I have) and I've decided to get myself a good quality awl since a local shop carries some Vergez Blanchard models (all of them).

To achieve a similar look as in the picture attached, what size awl would you recommend out of all of their models when stitching with 0.8 mm thread. What do you usually use?

I might also get some 7 spi or 9 spi irons depending on their availability, but I like using the awl when stitching as well.

 

Looking forward to hear your recommendations, and the different finishes larger or smaller awl might leave behind.

Share and learn!

 

 

[Tugadude]

First of all, welcome to the forum!  I'm going to recommend that you look at Nigel Armitage's website, armitageleather.com to see his detailed work on various stitching chisels and pricking irons.  

I trust he doesn't mind me putting this here, but it is a link to what I'm talking about.

https://bd4a19d1-2fe8-40b7-89f8-9a3f92d4106d.filesusr.com/ugd/725555_c557a9825e664398bbff455c2a18d0cf.pdf

 

I also am going to recommend you go to youtube and look at his videos of the same tools.  On there, you get pretty much the same info with the added advantage of seeing the finished work that the tools help to produce.

[YinTx]

8mm linen is a really large thread, 332 is 0.77 as far as I know.  Most bags are using 432 or smaller, wallets and such 532, watch straps maybe 632, some guys like to use 832.  To get holes large enough for 332 to look like the samples you have shown will be a really big awl, likely an old saddler's awl.  The pricking iron will need to be equally large, consider an Osborne pricking iron, they are pretty meaty.  Some of the Dixons (not the slimline versions) are fairly large pricking irons also.

Alternately, consider some smaller thread?  Then Blanchard awl or a Palosanto awl will work wonders!

I did this a long time ago, so the stitching isn't top notch, but you can see the differences with different types of irons and different sizes of threads.

Left column:  532 linen

second column:  332 linen

third column:  132 linen

fourth far right column:  8mm Tiger thread.

each row is a different type of pricking iron.  Top 3 rows are Dixons and Osbornes.

Hope this helps,

YinTx

[juancdab]

That 

5 hours ago, YinTx said:

8mm linen is a really large thread, 332 is 0.77 as far as I know.  Most bags are using 432 or smaller, wallets and such 532, watch straps maybe 632, some guys like to use 832.  To get holes large enough for 332 to look like the samples you have shown will be a really big awl, likely an old saddler's awl.  The pricking iron will need to be equally large, consider an Osborne pricking iron, they are pretty meaty.  Some of the Dixons (not the slimline versions) are fairly large pricking irons also.

Alternately, consider some smaller thread?  Then Blanchard awl or a Palosanto awl will work wonders!

I did this a long time ago, so the stitching isn't top notch, but you can see the differences with different types of irons and different sizes of threads.

Left column:  532 linen

second column:  332 linen

third column:  132 linen

fourth far right column:  8mm Tiger thread.

each row is a different type of pricking iron.  Top 3 rows are Dixons and Osbornes.

Hope this helps,

YinTx

That's great! Thank you for your answer. What size of awl are you using?

[jcuk]

Hi there,  here are a couple of links that may help you with your choice of thread weight to your spi, as the thread you are already using is  heavy, 7/9 spi - pricking irons will make it hard to achieve the look of the stitches you want. You may want to come down a thread size or come down with your spi for your pricking irons.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Leathercraft/comments/4vn23x/guide_to_thread_sizes_and_stitches_per_inch_spi/

https://www.reddit.com/r/Leathercraft/comments/4vzgk4/visual_representation_of_thread_sizes_and/

Also you say a shop close to you sell Blanchard awls , do they also sell Blanchard pricking irons too?  if so they would be a good choice of irons to go for,  expensive i know but will last more than a lifetime and if you decide you do not want to carry on with leatherwork - there is always a good market for good quality used tools. As you have already stated you like to stitch using an awl. Can i ask what it is you are stitching with such heavy thread.

 

Hope this helps

JCUK