Given it my Awl....

[sugs04]

Hi all (awl? ),
Part way through my first sheath and I though things were going pretty well until I've gone and snapped my saddlers awl. It was one from le prevo but it felt a bit flimsy being worked through the welt on a 3.5mm hide.

My questions is, do I buy another one, get just a blade to fit into the handle ( looks tricky) or just drill out the rest of the holes on the sheath?

I only have done about 10 of 45 so far.........

Sugs

 

[Eric_Methven]

Is it an automatic awl (does the stitching as you go), or a manual awl? If the former, it may be best to get a new one. If the latter, a new blade should be simple to fit. You can certainly drill out the holes if the bit is small enough (same diameter as the needle) and dremmel bits are fine for this. Remember though that drilling removes leather whereas with an awl, you are just separating the fibres. Not a problem for sheaths, but drilling doesn't bode well for leather flasks or tankards as wax tends to leak badly from drilled holes and takes more work to seal up than the time saved from using an awl.

Either method is fine for a sheath though as it's not intended to hold liquids.

Eric

 

[argent]

Hi all (awl? ),
Part way through my first sheath and I though things were going pretty well until I've gone and snapped my saddlers awl. It was one from le prevo but it felt a bit flimsy being worked through the welt on a 3.5mm hide.

My questions is, do I buy another one, get just a blade to fit into the handle ( looks tricky) or just drill out the rest of the holes on the sheath?

I only have done about 10 of 45 so far.........

Sugs

I'd recommend getting another blade and fitting it to the handle. The method I use is from Valerie Michael's 'The Leatherworking Handbook' - useful book BTW. Sandwich the business end of a new blade point down between two pennies, hold this assembly vertically in a vice, place the old handle on the other end of the blade and give a few gentle taps with a mallet.

When you buy another blade, buy a few - save yourself some postage.

Simon

 

[John Fenna]

Personally I use a cheap awl with a plastic handle that I got from the local pound shop. Round section, sharpened up a bit it works well on up to 4mm and aint broke yet - tho I got 2 to be on the safe side! Not too comfy I guess but I tend not to do BIG projects - it is OK for knife sheaths - and it was great on my leather water bottle made from 1mm goat skin.

 

[jojo]

Is it an automatic awl (does the stitching as you go), or a manual awl? If the former, it may be best to get a new one. If the latter, a new blade should be simple to fit. You can certainly drill out the holes if the bit is small enough (same diameter as the needle) and dremmel bits are fine for this. Remember though that drilling removes leather whereas with an awl, you are just separating the fibres. Not a problem for sheaths, but drilling doesn't bode well for leather flasks or tankards as wax tends to leak badly from drilled holes and takes more work to seal up than the time saved from using an awl.

Either method is fine for a sheath though as it's not intended to hold liquids.

Eric

I don't think this is going to be a new trick, but I used one of the saddler's needle I had on the drill stand, it does not cut the leather, but makes neat holes, same size as the needle I use I think the leather should close up because I have'nt removed any leather. Well I hope.... Does heat friction damage the leather though

 

[bent-stick]

I find if I use round awl the holes heal up before I can sew them.

To help prevent it breaking make sure you keep it sharp. If you are pushing so hard that it breaks it's not cutting properly.

I've also managed to hook the ends of them so I harden them up by heating and quenching the first 1/4"

 

[sugs04]

Thanks all for your comments.

I decided to drill the rest of the holes using my smallest drill bit. It seemed to work very well - much easier and quicker than the awl but if my awl hadn't broke I would have carried on with that method.

All done now, stitched and drying after being wetformed.

Thanks for your help.

Sugs

 

[Eric_Methven]

Glad it worked out. Just as an aside, if you want to harden the tip of an awl, heat the tip to cherry over a candle and plunge it into a potato. Job done.

Eric