Sewing Lacing Chisels
Diamond leather stitching chisels, lacing chisels, and modern French style pricking irons all are available with a different number of prongs for your sewing and lacing needs. The purpose of these leatherworking tools is to mark stitching or lacing evenly apart as well as to puncture the leather so a needle can pass through. Also some of these leathercraft chisels have different size prongs and different spacing between the prongs for shorter and wider stitch lengths and for wider widths of lacing. When going around a curve or near the end of the leather, you will want a chisel with fewer prongs. For long lengths, you will save time with a chisel that has more prongs as opposed to punching each slot individually.
The modern french style pricking iron which has prongs that are thin with little taper will make fine angled slits in leather. This sharp leather pricking tool is made of heat-treated stainless steel. Old style pricking irons would have prongs that had a lot of taper and became quite thick as you progressed up the prong which resulted in bigger holes being made if used on thick leather. With those older style pricking irons, leatherworkers would first prick the leather part way through and then take a sewing awl to puncture the slot all the way through the leather. With the modern french style pricking iron, an awl is not required since the slots do not widen much as you punch into thicker leather.
The diamond hole chisel makes a larger diamond shape hole through the leather. It does not make the fine slits that a pricking iron does. The diamond stitching chisel is a much more affordable leather tool than a pricking iron. The diamond leather stitching chisel and leather pricking iron angle the slots and diamond holes from the leather edge and from each other for maximum strength when sewing.
The lacing chisel makes slits parallel to the edge of your leather for using with flat leather lace and a lacing needle. The leather lacing chisel makes slits parallel to the edge for strength since lacing is wrapped around the leather edge unlike sewing with thread.
Mark a line where you want to sew or lace. This can be achieved with an adjustable creaser tool, adjustable groover, or wing divider. After you have a line marked along the edge of leather as to where your sewing or lacing is to go, put your leather on a poundo board or poly cutting board. By having one of these cutting boards under your leather, your chisel blade will be protected once it pierces through the leather and not be damaged. Then place your chisel on the marked line and tap with a mallet. Your leather piece is now ready to sew with a harness needle and waxed thread or lace depending on which chisel you chose. Many leatherworkers find it helpful to hold their leather in a stitching horse or stitching lacing pony so both hands can be free for sewing or lacing.
More About Our Sewing Lacing Chisels
Diamond leather stitching chisels, lacing chisels, and modern French style pricking irons all are available with a different number of prongs for your sewing and lacing needs. The purpose of these leatherworking tools is to mark stitching or lacing evenly apart as well as to puncture the leather so a needle can pass through. Also some of these leathercraft chisels have different size prongs and different spacing between the prongs for shorter and wider stitch lengths and for wider widths of lacing. When going around a curve or near the end of the leather, you will want a chisel with fewer prongs. For long lengths, you will save time with a chisel that has more prongs as opposed to punching each slot individually.
The modern french style pricking iron which has prongs that are thin with little taper will make fine angled slits in leather. This sharp leather pricking tool is made of heat-treated stainless steel. Old style pricking irons would have prongs that had a lot of taper and became quite thick as you progressed up the prong which resulted in bigger holes being made if used on thick leather. With those older style pricking irons, leatherworkers would first prick the leather part way through and then take a sewing awl to puncture the slot all the way through the leather. With the modern french style pricking iron, an awl is not required since the slots do not widen much as you punch into thicker leather.
The diamond hole chisel makes a larger diamond shape hole through the leather. It does not make the fine slits that a pricking iron does. The diamond stitching chisel is a much more affordable leather tool than a pricking iron. The diamond leather stitching chisel and leather pricking iron angle the slots and diamond holes from the leather edge and from each other for maximum strength when sewing.
The lacing chisel makes slits parallel to the edge of your leather for using with flat leather lace and a lacing needle. The leather lacing chisel makes slits parallel to the edge for strength since lacing is wrapped around the leather edge unlike sewing with thread.
Mark a line where you want to sew or lace. This can be achieved with an adjustable creaser tool, adjustable groover, or wing divider. After you have a line marked along the edge of leather as to where your sewing or lacing is to go, put your leather on a poundo board or poly cutting board. By having one of these cutting boards under your leather, your chisel blade will be protected once it pierces through the leather and not be damaged. Then place your chisel on the marked line and tap with a mallet. Your leather piece is now ready to sew with a harness needle and waxed thread or lace depending on which chisel you chose. Many leatherworkers find it helpful to hold their leather in a stitching horse or stitching lacing pony so both hands can be free for sewing or lacing.