leather punch

[roger zavoda]

use a leather punch it looks like a 3 or4 pronged pitch fork works great...

yella bar.

 

[CrackStock]

Leather punches work well enough for straight lines, but I find that a stitching wheel and awl work better for curved areas.

CS

 

[DrTimboone]

A wheel to mark the holes and then a little bitsy dremel drill work wonders..fast too! :v

 

[bob1961]

i bought a leather hole punch at a craft store from there leather section fer 7.00 bucks and it works great instead of poking through with a needle each hole and ya can space the holes any distance apart from each other and from a 2 mm dia hole up 7 mm.............bob

 

[CrackStock]

Tim,

I do the same on very thick leather, but I do not bother for thinner work.

CS

 

[Marko]

Marko Warren here....thought I would mention that when you use an awl the hole tightens up a bit around the thread but when you use a hole punch the hole will never tighten as you have taken material away instead of stabbing thru it.
Didn't want to be rude or anything. I work at a living history museum as a guide/interp and I do 18th century leather repro work with antique tools and methods from the period. Any questions email me. I would be happy to share and talk some.

Marko

 

[CrackStock]

Marko,

I have used a very small drill bit on some heavy work so that it would be a very small hole rather than a split in the leather. The bit is also helpful in lining up tiems that are hard to line up such as cartridge boxes or cases. Other times, I do want it to close and use a diamond or curved and double edged point to get a slit that will close.

CS

 

[JAFO]

I made my own leather hole punches and awls from forks. Use the old style 2, 3 and 4 tined forks with wooden handles. Just cut down the tines, sharpen with a file and presto, a leather hole spacer/punch. I find that the spacing of the tines is also suitable to my stitching. I took a 3 tined fork, cut off the 2 outer tines, sharpened the center one and I now have my sewing/leather awl. These can usually be picked up in flea maekets for 3-5 bucks apiece.

 

[jasontn]

my favorite awl is made from an old advertisment style ice pick set in a deer antler liked it so much i scrounged up 2 more for later

 

[JAFO]

I know what you mean. I have about six 'pet' awls. I make them intending to trade but just cant seem to part with some of them. I have the very first awl I made from antler and a finishing nail.