Stitching chisels/irons and pricking irons reviews and information

[Northmount]

@Tugadude has suggested we setup an area for stitching irons, etc.  It fits under Sewing Leather, so rather than a whole new forum area, here it is. 

For this thread, its main purpose is to collect and provide information.  Posts that go off topic will be removed.  So a couple rules for this thread.

Reviews and information should list manufacturer's names, locations and model or item description so they can be found by other members.  A link to the company website would be fine.  Don't link to a specific page, keep it at the top domain level so the link is less likely to be broken when someone decides to reorganize their website or offerings.  Photos should be posted here, not on 3rd party sites (includes vendors sites).

Tugadude has sent a PDF from Nigel at Armitage Leather to start this topic off. 

Armitage Stitching Iron Reviews.pdf

Hope you enjoy checking out reviews, both this one, and future reviews and hope you will contribute your knowledge and experience to this thread.

Tom

[Dangerous Beans]

Good morning folks,

I have been asked to share my thoughts on stitching and pricking irons and give a bit of input on types and styles out there
Much of what I will say is from experience and some is opinion, I will try to highlight when I add my opinion but it is fair to say, my way is not the only way.
Get as much information as you can from as many sources as you can.
Do not be frightened about asking folks offering advice to qualify that advice and then check it. There is a lot of misinformation out there.

The Pricking iron.
The traditional version of this tool if you will.
This is the tool I trained with, Joseph Dixon Irons and an awl and Haft from Hoopers in Walsall (long gone) and a wooden Mallet, how times change.
This is a tool designed to prick the surface of the leather marking a row of holes at set distances or SPI (Stitches Per Inch) for the worker to follow.
For many years these along with Pricking Wheels were the only tools used to mark the stitching on leather.
The idea was to only make a shallow hole (hence the work pricking) in the leather which acted as a locator for the awl, it was the awl that made the hole.
These irons tend to have flat ends to the teeth and the tooth then broadens out up towards the body, if driven into the leather to deeply, the hole becomes enlarged and distorted. If just used to prick, a fine slit is left. This is now where the awl comes into play.

Now, we have to know why this technique was used to fully appreciate the saddle stitch.
Just touching on the cobblers stitch for a moment, the cobblers stitch involved a similar way of marking the holes but traditionally, the wheel was the main way of doing so. A large awl was then employed to make a large hole, a hole big enough to allow both needles to pass through at the same time crossing in the hole.
This left a larger hole for the thread to sit in, I will come back to that shortly.

 

A Saddler, Bridle or Harness Maker looked to make a hole barely big enough to get one needle through.
The idea was to ensure that the thread did not ‘ride’ in the hole. 
If the hole was too big, the thread would ‘ride’ when the item was in use and if it did, one of two things would happen, the thread if weak, like linen, would fur and snap causing the seam to fail. If the thread was strong like polyester, it would saw at the leather cutting it and the seam would fail.
It was, therefore, important to lock each stitch into place to try and prevent this riding from occurring.
I am sure you can appreciate the dangers of a seam failing on a saddle or bridle when a horse is at full gallop and every seam is being stressed to the max.

 

So, the secret in this technique was not the iron, it was the awl.
The awl blade had a broad body and was tapered to a point, the point was sharp but the body was not.
This ensured that the area of leather actually cut could be kept to a minimum. The awl was pushed into the hole only as far as it needed to be to get the correct size hole.
Just the tip and you have a pinpoint hole, all the way to the haft and you had a much larger hole.
Because the body of the awl blade was blunt, or ‘soft’ the hole was stretched by the awl body, not cut, allowing the stitch to be placed, whereupon, almost immediately, the hole began to close up.
This is why only one hole at a time is made and the awl is employed on every stitch as you go. It is also important to match the correct thread and needles to the iron you are using.
This is how some saddlers managed stitching as fine as 18 spi on some pieces. 14 is not uncommon, 12 is a good benchmark.
So… keeping the hole as small as possible made for a stronger stitch locked into place and made it ideal for ‘working leather’. 
Looking back to the Cobblers Stitch with its larger hole, the stitch did not need to be locked into place as failure was less likely because less ride takes place in a pair of shoes.

 

Therefor ‘Traditional Saddle Stitch’ is not just a case of using pricking irons and an awl, it is so much more.
You need to know how to match the iron to the item, the thread to the SPI and the needles to the thread.
Then you need to be able to command the awl whilst wielding two needles, keeping the horizontal and transverse lines accurate, ensure the right angle of the blade is maintained and the depth to push the awl in is the same for each stitch.
All this without actually seeing the back of what you are stitching.
This technique takes months to lean and longer to master. Without doubt, the difficulty here lies in commanding the awl, not the iron.
Makes of the pricking ideal for this technique are Dixon, Blanchard, Amy Roke, Doldokki, Wuta and Abbey England.
Pricking Irons cannot be used as Stitching Irons unless they have very fine teeth or the leather is very thin.

The Stitching Iron.

This looks very similar to the pricking iron but the teeth are much slimmer and today, stronger.
They are designed to fully penetrate the leather sometimes up to 6mm.
The idea here is to remove the need for an awl and once the holes are made, the worker can go straight to the stitch.
Now, however slim the holes appear, they are still bigger than they need to be, in the wrong place, the ‘ride’ can still occur.
DO NOT USE the modern stitching irons on any form of Saddle, Harness, Bridle or Tack.

If you are inexperienced at making or repairing tack, you run the risk of putting someone in real danger. This equipment is designed to keep a grown adult on the back of a 1-tonne animal that is capable of travelling at 40mph. Don’t mess if you don’t know what you are doing.
However… the vast majority of people today are saddle stitching accessories and small goods. In this situation, the Stitching Iron comes into its own and a seam on a Wallet, Bag, Belt, Case or Box will never be tested as that on a saddle. 

I have been a professional leatherworker for 30 years and teaching these skills for the past 7.
I remember when these new irons appeared, my opinion was that they were tat and a gimmick. I was wrong. 
A great many people struggle with getting the saddle stitch right, especially using an awl.
I have seen many try and just give up.
However, with the irons available today, a fantastic stitch can be achieved even by a complete novice in a day.
Again, the secret was not in the iron, it was the awl, remove the awl and remove the frustration. 
Certainly, now we have a technique totally acceptable for small leather goods.

 

There are two types of stitching iron, the flat tooth and the diamond tooth. Some companies are calling the flat tooth version the ‘French Style’ and the Diamond the ‘Japanese Style’.
Do not be tempted to use the word ‘dent’ unless speaking French properly, it is just a French word for tooth and commonly referred to when talking about round tooth irons. 
The French have never made round tooth irons to my knowledge.

 

The Flat Tooth version irons leave a slit in the leather the width of the tooth and very narrow, for small leather goods, these give a very pleasing stitch and I use then for teaching here in the workshop with great success, I believe they have made good leather work more attainable for more people.
A few good makes of flat tooth Stitching iron are KS Blade Punch, Crimson Hides, Kevin Lee, Amy Roke and Sinabroks.

 

The Diamond tooth version of the Stitching irons also have their place, these leave an even bigger hole so are definitely to be avoided if working Tack.
The larger hole suits a larger thread, are much easier to stitch with and suit a thick or difficult leather.
Either way, they are still designed to fully penetrate the leather fully so fall under the title Stitching Iron.
These types of irons are available from Crimson Hides, Kevin Lee, Doldokki and KS Blade Punch.
Stitching irons can be used as pricking irons.
 

Stitching Chisels.
Whilst I have many of what are termed Stitching Chisels, I cannot be sure where the term was coined. They are in essence, a more basic version of Stitching Irons.
We know a chisel is a tool for woodwork so I think it may have been a crossover in translation. 

Still, they work the same way, they are designed to fully punch through the leather making a hole without the need of an awl so you are ready to stitch straight away.
The teeth tend to be long, straight and very thick and leave a large diamond hole.
The biggest issue with these tools is that the edges of the teeth tend to be quite sharp, so the hole you make is the hole to are left with, it will not close up well so not suited to more adept leather workers.
I have found them ideal for absolute beginners as the large hole they give makes it very easy to get the needles through and therefore stitch. 
People often get the balance wrong when stitching and have to resort to pliers, these definitely will avoid that.
Some common makes of Stitching Chisels are Tandy, Seiwa, Craft-Sha and Craft-Tool.

 

Leaving off the chisels for the time being, I would put the irons into two brackets, Traditional and Modern.
The Traditional is the stitch attained using a pricking iron and awl and the modern is that using the Stitching Iron and no awl.
There will always be a place for an awl so practice is encouraged, even with the modern style.

 

Thank you to Northmounts for placing a link to my iron review in his post, here it is again: Armitage Leather Iron Review
This is designed to complement the iron reviews on my YouTube Channel, Armitage Leather. So far there are about 20 and more will be added in time.

 

I shan’t add the reviews here, you have access to the info sheet and the videos. But opinions are valuable, add yours.
Unless of course you include stitch grooving or drilling holes. Then you will be sat in a corner.

 

I will leave you to discuss, dissect and question. Always question.
If you struggle with your stitching, I cover both styles, left and right-handed on my Vimeo Channel and run courses here in the workshop.
All the details are on my website.

 

I hope it helps.

 

Warm regards to you all

 

Nigel

Edited February 15, 2020 by Dangerous Beans

[billybopp]

55 minutes ago, Dangerous Beans said:

I shan’t add the reviews here, you have access to the info sheet and the videos. But opinions are valuable, add yours.
Unless of course you include stitch grooving or drilling holes. Then you will be sat in a corner.

LOL!  @Dangerous Beans Thanks for chiming in, for your humo(u)r and all that you do.  It's appreciated.

- Bill

[Tugadude]

I am beyond excited that Mr. Armitage agreed to help with this project.  His post fills in a lot of gaps in the story.  I came away with a clear understanding of the two styles of iron in question, their strengths, their limitations.

That was my hope, to create a place we could refer beginners or the uninitiated to get solid information.

Nigel has used all of the irons he reviews and has videos on youtube of same.  The written reviews contain more detailed information in some cases, while the videos are invaluable because you can see the iron, the needles, the thread and the resulting work.  Priceless, in my opinion, if you are looking to purchase somewhat expensive tools.  It is a wonderful service to our craft.

And yes, Mr. Armitage displays a bit of humor, decidedly dry and appropriately British.  

[Northmount]

here is a video about thread, stitching irons, and needles with examples put together by Weaver Leathercraft (of which I have no association).  Thought it might be useful to some of us. 

Tom

 

[Bert51]

I wish I watch this before I started hand stitching, good information.

Thanks.

Bert.

[philg9]

I can thoroughly concur wth your write up Nigel,   regarding stitching irons, awls , hole size and the rdde of thread in saddlery and harness work.  I'm a long term harness maker in UK and that write up covers it as it should be. The only thng I can add about pricking irons is the width of the teeth on the modern made irons I've seen. They are far too wide for my liking as you can still see the ends of the slants in the leather after stitching through the work, I wont have them on my bench. It's only the old originals that work for me as the teeth are that much narrower and do not leave such long slants and as I awl the smallest holes I can get away with for the heavy horse harness I make I dont want to be seeing pricking iron teeth marks left in the leather,. On  some of the student days I've had,  they bring their tool box and the youngsters mostly have wide teeth irons for saddlery stitching as that is what is available and affordable in their early years learning.    I've always been a fan of the old T Aams and Buck pricking irons and crew punches.

Edited March 26, 2020 by philg9

[jcuk]

He is a link that maybe of interest to some.

https://www.leathercraftmasterclass.com/post/pricking-irons-vintage-vs-modern-what-s-the-difference

 

Hope this helps

JCUK

[philg9]

I've just had a look through the link regarding pricking irons, there is a big distinct difference between these irons for leather goods and harness and saddlery. Those wide teeth pricking irons are no good for harness/saddlery work, so yes, it is important to source the right ones for the work being done.  There is one hang up for me in the modern world of irons, I really do not like the sizing in MM they are now sold with rather than the traditional TPI.

 

Another personal thing,  the cleaning up of old  tools. the majority of tools in my workshop are old originals, they have a working life which has ranged up to and over 100 years in some cases, I leave them as they are with the patina etc they have gained over the years apart from the blade, cutting area. I like this aged patina on them as it is part of their history and character. I could spend time cleaning up and polishing the bodies on all my vintage pricking irons to make them look new but to me that would be like scrubbing away and erasing their character and the patina they have come to have from being around in the various workshops and hands they have been through over many decades and the unpolished character they have reflects the age they are, its like older folk who have face lifts,  why remove the accrued patina and character. I get why people do polish old tools within an inch of theior life but they just do not look and feel the same. I always have this inner glow about my workshop, it is a working workshop not a show room.

[Doug68]

On 2/15/2020 at 5:39 AM, Dangerous Beans said:

Good morning folks,

I have been asked to share my thoughts on stitching and pricking irons and give a bit of input on types and styles out there
Much of what I will say is from experience and some is opinion, I will try to highlight when I add my opinion but it is fair to say, my way is not the only way.
Get as much information as you can from as many sources as you can.
Do not be frightened about asking folks offering advice to qualify that advice and then check it. There is a lot of misinformation out there.

 

Thank you for this post. I was so confused. 

I'm just getting started. My great, grandfather was a harness maker and I recently have wanted to learn what it was like when he made harnesses etc. 

Edited June 29 by Northmount
Reduced excessive quote

[Rahere]

On 2/13/2020 at 9:02 PM, Northmount said:

@Tugadude has suggested we setup an area for stitching irons, etc.  It fits under Sewing Leather, so rather than a whole new forum area, here it is. 

For this thread, its main purpose is to collect and provide information.  Posts that go off topic will be removed.  So a couple rules for this thread.

Reviews and information should list manufacturer's names, locations and model or item description so they can be found by other members.  A link to the company website would be fine.  Don't link to a specific page, keep it at the top domain level so the link is less likely to be broken when someone decides to reorganize their website or offerings.  Photos should be posted here, not on 3rd party sites (includes vendors sites).

Tugadude has sent a PDF from Nigel at Armitage Leather to start this topic off. 

Armitage Stitching Iron Reviews.pdf 433.21 kB · 89 downloads

Hope you enjoy checking out reviews, both this one, and future reviews and hope you will contribute your knowledge and experience to this thread.

Tom

I agree, because the unnecessary dominance of true saddlery has thoroughly muddied the waters, not helped by copycat manufacturers whose ignorance may be matched by the poor design of their work. About the only thing they haven't done so far is apply the generic term "sexy". It's a wonder they reproduce at all.

My interest is temporary, as I like edge-channelling my work but my diamond cutters, offsetting the thread more than necessary, produce a line incompatible with the idea of slightly indenting the stitching.

What might be useful as a precursor is to review the terminology, to apply some plain English. "Pricking Irons" mean nothing: in horse-riding, stirrups. I'd prefer to xall them "markers" because that's what they do, they mark where the hole should be.

Next up, "Stitching Irons". Fine, the idea came from pricking irons, refining the points to give a constant awl angle - and here, you didn't mention that there are three different types, round, flat and triangular, with increasing amounts of damage done to the leather - but I think we need to add a third category to flat and diamond, namely hole, derived from the circular hole punch which has thankfully disappeared from these forums, only to be replaced by circular straight punches and now multi-head punches. These are fine in lacing and possibly for beginners (SteamPunkRo's patterns on Etsy, for example), but not for more advanced work: we recently saw a newby's thread-through holster on the "How Do I Do That" thread which was asking for the stitches to tear through the edge, dumping the bearer's line of last defence somewhere out on the lone prairie. He's learning and improving.

Then, "Stitching Chisels". Osborne use them generically as the encompassing class name for everything, with subgroups, thonging chisels, stitch chisels and pricking chisels. That makes a valid differentiation for thonging tools, I feel, but overstates prick markers/prickers, and omits punches.

We should equally consider the use of the right tool for the right job. The case for minimal disruption in a point awl in saddlery is well made, and also exists in shemaking welting, as it minimalises water infiltration. But as you say, we equally can use wider holes for tidier stitching on work which will suffer less tension. A lesson from sewing is relevant: contiguity of the fabric matrix on the stitching allowance edge isn't absolutely necessary, as long as it doesn't amount to completely unravelling it. On a reversed convex curve, ie one which, buried on the inside of the work, is actually concave, causing the fabric to bunch in an uncomfortable and potentially unsightly way, they will happily notch the excess away: shoemaking does exactly the same when wrapping the core of the shoe, the insole, with it's own cover and the lining and outer of the shoe itself. Generically, it's the art of lasting: although nails are the starting point, glue is the most common major binder, with some stitching.

So, as an offering very open to development and critique:

Markers:
     Temporary pen markers and chalk
     Permanent pen markers
     Pricking wheels
     Pricking markers
     Should the different types of creasers and channellers have a place here?

Stitching:
     Notchers
     Awls
     Straight punches
     Diamond punches

Thonging:
     Slit chisels
     Hole punches

Hardware:
     Hole punches
     Rivet setters

You'll of course observe that I'm treating leather as the oldest natural fabric of all, but still a fabric. It may be we can learn more from pattern-making, for example in transfering complex 3D surfaces to flat, but that goes beyond the question at hand.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Rahere

[Ingenero]

Bit of a gravedig - but I thought my $0.02 might help someone.  I'm a new leather crafter and thought my input might help someone.

I started my work with a decent set of diamond irond from Wuta - they definitely weren't the highest end, but worked well enough for me to determine that I loved leather crafting, and that I wanted to get something more refined.  They stuck in leather, even when I used a smidge of wax on them.  If you're starting the craft, I'd recommend them if you want to see if you like leather crafting, but also recommend sharpening them if you can do so.

So my first tool upgrade was to buy KS Blade irons in my favored stitch spacing.  They are night and day with my Wuta irons - incredibly tiny but clean holes, incredibly easy use without sticking.  If you do enjoy leathercrafting and want a first tool upgrade, I would highly recommend nice irons.  I'd also note that you probably won't need reverse irons with these - use them straight on and you get incredibly precise stitch marks on the other side to.  They're a thing of beauty.  Maybe not aesthetically, but definitely to use and in their result.

A word on stitch spacing - don't do what I did and try to figure out pattern size using standard French iron sizes so the stitches are all even.  Iron "SPI" numbers don't indicate stitches per Imperial Inch (the American one), but per Paris inch, which is equal to 27 mm rather than 25.4 mm like Imperial inches.  Hope that saves someone time they would have wasted trying to figure out why 10 SPI irons made less than 10 stitches in an Imperial inch or why your stitch lines were never precise regardless of how many times you run the numbers.  If you are fine making an uneven stitch now and then and aren't a math geek like me who wants things to line up nicely, ignore this and do what you want.  I can't imagine anyone noticing unless you're at the top of your craft (in which case, why are you reading stuff from me!).  But if you're a perfectionist, just get metric irons in 3 mm or 4 mm (or 5 mm if you dislike stitching) - they'll make the math SO MUCH EASIER.  I suspect anyone who isn't a master of leatherwork could tell any change from the standard French 2.7/3.38/3.85 mm (or 10, 8 and 7 SPI) irons.  

Good luck!