Pricking iron surface (help)

[jonathanianjames]

Hello all. trying to get my head around what to use for my punching irons. more and more options are at this point confusing me.

As far as i know i need a firm enough surface but not too firm. i'm UK based if that changes things.

Thanks for any help.

[DJole]

UK or USA, or even down in Oz,  the leather and irons should  work just the same! 
1) what irons are you using (maker and size)?
2) What kind of leather is it, and how thick? Is it veg tan or chrome tan?
3) Your question is unclear -- are you asking about what surface to use your irons on (like a plastic cutting board, or a block of wood)?

[tsunkasapa]

Also, LACING/THONGING  chisels or for hand stitching?

[tsunkasapa]

And, really, after over 40 years of leatherworking, I STILL don't know what the hell a "pricking iron" is. I HEAR all manner of things wrongly called that, but I have NEVER actually MET a "Pricking Iron".

[fredk]

4 minutes ago, tsunkasapa said:

And, really, after over 40 years of leatherworking, I STILL don't know what the hell a "pricking iron" is. I HEAR all manner of things wrongly called that, but I have NEVER actually MET a "Pricking Iron".

Here: http://www.leprevo.co.uk/photos/pricking iron T134.htm

[tsunkasapa]

That is a thonging or stitching chisel. From the picture I can't tell if it is for lacing or stitching, but here in the Northwest of the U.S. I have never heard them called a "pricking iron.

[fredk]

That one and its sisters are for sewing. As the OP is in the UK then he/she is using the correct name as far as they know it.

Still waiting on the OP to come back and explain their requirement more clearly.

[Tugadude]

2 hours ago, tsunkasapa said:

That is a thonging or stitching chisel. From the picture I can't tell if it is for lacing or stitching, but here in the Northwest of the U.S. I have never heard them called a "pricking iron.

I asked that this attached thread be made 

for just this reason.  It helps sort out the differences.

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by Tugadude

[zuludog]

Yes, the terminology and nomenclature (posh words, eh!) is confusing, but I use stitching chisels, by which I mean chisels with long prongs that are designed to be knocked all the way through the leather, and to largely replace awls

For a long time I used a kitchen chopping board as a base, a plastic (polypropylene?) one about 10mm thick

Then one day I couldn't find it, so as a temporary measure I used an old magazine - thick and tough and resilient enough to support the leather and protect my bench, but soft and yielding enough not to blunt the prongs

That was a couple of years ago, and I've been using them ever since. They are simple, effectively free, and when they get worn I just replace them

[Bant]

Zuludog, using magazines as a surface for chisels, etc is a capital idea!  Thank you for your approach.

[chrisash]

Pity they stopped issuing telephone directories they used to be about 1000 pages and ideal for this

[Tugadude]

3 hours ago, zuludog said:

Yes, the terminology and nomenclature (posh words, eh!) is confusing, but I use stitching chisels, by which I mean chisels with long prongs that are designed to be knocked all the way through the leather, and to largely replace awls

For a long time I used a kitchen chopping board as a base, a plastic (polypropylene?) one about 10mm thick

Then one day I couldn't find it, so as a temporary measure I used an old magazine - thick and tough and resilient enough to support the leather and protect my bench, but soft and yielding enough not to blunt the prongs

That was a couple of years ago, and I've been using them ever since. They are simple, effectively free, and when they get worn I just replace them

Just when I thought I'd heard every idea you come up with a great one!  Gonna try it for sure.

[zuludog]

16 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

Just when I thought I'd heard every idea you come up with a great one!  Gonna try it for sure.

It's simple and does the job ----- handsome is as handsome does

I never did find my chopping board. I think I must have accidentally thrown it out in one of my infrequent tidy - ups

To make things clear; I use the board or the magazine for stitching chisels. I don't use my cutting mat

Edit - BANT - thanks for your comments as well; sorry I forgot to do a double quote

Edited April 7, 2020 by zuludog

[johnv474]

On 4/6/2020 at 9:01 PM, tsunkasapa said:

That is a thonging or stitching chisel. From the picture I can't tell if it is for lacing or stitching, but here in the Northwest of the U.S. I have never heard them called a "pricking iron.

You probably don't remember hearing that term, but it has been in use for a long time.  Stohlman mentioned it in his Leathercraft Tools book way back in the day.

That said, it's primarily a regional, dialectical difference based on different leathercrafting traditions. In the US, many people historically used "stitch markers" or "stitch marking wheels" or (what used to be a separate tool, Tandy) "overstitch wheel".  These are technically not the same tools, either.

The primary difference as it refers to pricking irons is that they are intended to only mark the leather, like stitch marking wheels.  All of the other options (stitching chisel, stitching irons, stitching forks, lacing chisels, diamond vs flat, Japanese vs French, etc.) are all intended to be driven all the way through the leather and create the hole, instead of or in addition to using an awl.

Of those, the stitch marking wheels/overstitch wheels and the pricking irons are the worst options for beginners, because it takes much longer to get good results.

[jcuk]

If you are still in doubt what a pricking iron is please read this as Tugadude has already suggested.

 

On 4/7/2020 at 4:53 AM, Tugadude said:

I asked that this attached thread be made 

for just this reason.  It helps sort out the differences.

Hope this helps

JCUK

p.s.

As for what surface to use for punching as i use pricking irons which are not designed to be punched all the way through the leather sometimes it can't be helped with some lighter leather,  i do not use any surface only my work bench,  as it is just a good tap with a mallet to mark your work. 

Edited April 14, 2020 by jcuk

[johnv474]

I use hdpe (high density polyethylene) 1/2" thick cutting board, which are those off-white, milky color.  I would also use a slab of wood or a round cut out from a tree.