Polish stitch punch

[DrJSquared]

I have a stitch punch set that has one with maybe 5 tines, 4 tines, 2 tines, and 1 tine.  I was punching through two layers and the punches get stuck in the leather.  They have this coating on them to protect them from rust I suspect but I'm guessing that is the cause of the grip with the leather.  I've noticed a couple of videos where other's punch set appears polished.  Does that prevent getting stuck in the leather and if so, what did you use to polish them?

[zuludog]

I have polished my Tandy Craftool and Seiwa stitching chisels, and it does improve them

Glue some fine abrasive paper intended for use on metal, like wet & dry, to a strip of thin wood, aluminium or stiff plastic, and then just polish the corners & sides of the prongs. Depending on how rough they are start with 400 grit and work through a couple of steps to 1,000 grit. Clean off any grease or dust with alcohol

It does improve them, making them easier to pull out. It also helps if you lubricate the prongs by rubbing then with beeswax occasionally  as you use them, and holding down the leather with a small piece of wood; this prevents the leather from being stretched or distorted as you pull them out

Try the single prong first, and see how you go. Search YouTube for 'polishing a stitching chisel', there are several videos

[toxo]

It also helps if you run some sort of wax or even soap along the stitch line.

[zuludog]

22 minutes ago, toxo said:

It also helps if you run some sort of wax or even soap along the stitch line.

Ah! I never thought of that, I'll try it on my next sheath. Thanks

[toxo]

4 minutes ago, zuludog said:

Ah! I never thought of that, I'll try it on my next sheath. Thanks

It helps a helluva lot when punching stitch holes through a pattern also. Helps stop the punch from getting clogged up.

[MsEdna]

I sometimes just quickly "stab" a block of beeswax with my irons before punching. Repeat whenever necessary.

[SaintJoy18]

One option: