best tool to make the slits to do lacing ?

[LuisPaulo]

Another silly question, I'm sorry....

What's the best tool to make the slits to do lacing ?

I'm using an awl, but it's not wide enough and I didn't find another to buy. Here we don't have a wide range of tools, so most of them are home made.

I plan to use a lace that is 1/8" wide.

Thanks !!

[Beaverslayer]

Luis,

You can either purchase these online, or have someone there make you something similar.

Tandy Leather

I mostly use a round hole punch to do my lacing with.

Ken

[LuisPaulo]

Thank you Ken.

I'm thinking to do something like this tool using a large nail, flatening and sharpening the tip.

[Johanna]

Some people don't care for the gap a round hole makes, and they use a chisel (gang punch) instead. The slits are flatter, so no light shines through after the lacing is done. It helps to have one single prong chisel to get into tight spots. You can keep the spacing even by always putting the last tine in the last set of holes punched.

Johanna

[Brandon]

My very first tool for punching slits for lacing was a fork!

Flatten it with a hammer, cut the 'legs' down to about 1/4"

Sharpen with a file.

Edited October 11, 2007 by Brandon