Straight or angled stitching iron? and question

[Whit30]

Hello,

I want to up my game in the quality of my hand stitching and I am looking at new irons.

Is there a difference  other than just looks between the straight or angled irons? For the price, I am looking at the French style Crimson Hide irons or SinaBroks.  Any suggestions on these or should I look at another?

I mainly will be doing wallets, portfolios\notebooks, knife sheaths and a few bags. Would a 4 mm set be a good all around size for these items or would another size be better suited to work for everything since I cannot afford two sets right now.

Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Thank you!

Edited November 24, 2020 by Whit30

[chrisash]

For wallets eyc I use 3.38 mm size using 0.6 tiger thread and french style irons, but there is no set rule

[mike02130]

3.0 or 3.38 if you want to go higher end.  3.0 makes it easier to make your own patterns; easier math.  4.0 mm is pretty chunky and is better suited for sheaths and the like.  When you say round irons are you meaning round dent (dente=tooth in Latin) irons?  If so, yes there is a difference.  The angled irons are the hallmark for showing an angled saddle stitch and make for a more defined and better looking stitch.  For those size irons I recommend .45-.6 mm thread.  There is a big difference between Sinabroks and Crimson Hides' irons.

The Sinabroks are excellent and have their pros and cons.  I have KS Blades and  had Sinabroks which I sold. I prefer the KS Blades.  The Sinabroks pros are that they are shiny (if you like that?) and their teeth come highly polished. The cons are that their handles are round which takes more effort to hold and keep from twisting in the hand.  The point end is flat and dull and need sharpening.  Being flat takes more concentration and skill to center it in a scribed stitch-line.  One's hand will smell of brass.  

KS,  looks more industrial and has an oblongish tapered handle that is round on two sides and flat on the other two sides making it more comfortable in the hand and easier to maneuver.  The end of the teeth have a round taper which is narrower than the SBs making easier to center in a stitch line.  They most likely could use a bit of sharpening but not necessary.  The teeth are not polished and need a bit of work.  

The polished teeth make it easier to pull the irons out of the hole.  The Sinabroks can be owner repaired with a kit while the KS need to be shipped to Korea for repair.  

There are top tier and lower and bottom tier irons.  The KS and Sinabroks are top tier. 

You're looking at $200 bucks for either set.

 

[Tugadude]

9 hours ago, Whit30 said:

Hello,

I want to up my game in the quality of my hand stitching and I am looking at new irons.

Is there a difference  other than just looks between the straight or angled irons? For the price, I am looking at the French style Crimson Hide irons or SinaBroks.  Any suggestions on these or should I look at another?

I mainly will be doing wallets, portfolios\notebooks, knife sheaths and a few bags. Would a 4 mm set be a good all around size for these items or would another size be better suited to work for everything since I cannot afford two sets right now.

Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Thank you!

I suggest you check out the new irons that Springfield Leather Company is selling.  For the money, they are among the best I've seen.  The teeth are very smooth and they come out of the leather very easily.  The holes they create are fairly small in comparison to some other irons out there.  Smaller tends to be better, in my opinion, so long as they have enough angle to make your stitches reflect the angle.  If you re doing wallets and such, the 3.0mm and 0.6mm thread would be a nice combo.

https://www.springfieldleather.com/Craftmaster-3mm-Diamond-Point-Stitching-Chisel

 

The chisels make a diamond-shaped hole.  I showed the holes in another thread.

 

[Tugadude]

I also suggest checking out the following thread for more info.  Nigel Armitage has reviewed both of the irons that you are considering, I believe, so check out his videos on them if you haven't.

 

 

[Hardrada]

KS Blade 3.38 is a good all-round chisel for all your intended purposes. They're very sharp and solid and will punch through thick leather or several layers. For wallets you'd want tighter spacing and thinner thread. I do the same as @chrisash.

[mike02130]

11 hours ago, Tugadude said:

Nigel Armitage has reviewed both of the irons that you are considering, I believe, so check out his videos on them if you haven't.

The issue I have with Nigel is his lack of criticism. Quite a bit of the tools he reviews are given to him.  I'm not dissin the guy but I do question his reviews.  I think a better and more objective source is Leathertoolz on You Tube.

[Tugadude]

Nigel demonstrates the irons so the proof is in the pudding as they say.  If they're rubbish, the work will reflect that.  

[Danne]

16 hours ago, Tugadude said:

I suggest you check out the new irons that Springfield Leather Company is selling.  For the money, they are among the best I've seen.  The teeth are very smooth and they come out of the leather very easily.  The holes they create are fairly small in comparison to some other irons out there.  Smaller tends to be better, in my opinion, so long as they have enough angle to make your stitches reflect the angle.  If you re doing wallets and such, the 3.0mm and 0.6mm thread would be a nice combo.

https://www.springfieldleather.com/Craftmaster-3mm-Diamond-Point-Stitching-Chisel

 

The chisels make a diamond-shaped hole.  I showed the holes in another thread.

 

Looks like some old irons I bought from Aliexpress (A lot cheaper) and they do the job.

Regarding Ksblade, an alternative is Kevinlee's premium irons. (I have both Ksblade and Kevinlee) I have some Japenese style irons too, but I prefer the European style. 

Kevinlee's irons make awesome holes. Ksblade is a little easier to align, and Kevin's irons is a little top heavy. But his irons is very good value for you money. https://www.kevinleathertools.com/products/kl-french-style-pricking-iron-1

[Tugadude]

It isn't often that the actual product looks better than the advertising photos, but I feel that is the case with the new irons SLC is stocking.  I have no doubt that they aren't "new" in reality, but they are new to SLC.  They are highly polished and they pull nicely from the leather.  I tested them on two layers of 4 oz. and they came back out with little friction.

I'm not suggesting that these compare in quality to Crimson Hides, Kevin Lee or KS Blade.  What I am saying is that they are very nice and cost a fraction of the price.  Time will tell if they hold up.  I am beginning a larger project soon and that will test them.  

This is some scrap with some stitching lines for comparison.  Also, notice the small (relatively) holes made by the SLC 3.0 irons.