Buying a leather product or starting leatherworks entails a lot of effort, from choosing the materials and right tools to produce beautiful apparent seams. The seams in the leather make it even more visually appealing hence getting the best evenly spaced stitches is ideal. If you want to achieve this, using a pricking iron should be on your list. A pricking iron is a fundamental tool in leatherworking, not just used to guide where you stitch but also for additional design.
Getting an incredible leather product is always our aim in leathercraft. When I first started leathercraft, straight and even stitches were a challenge, but I ultimately found comfort in getting this by using a pricking iron. You can get one in any store but in this time of COVID-19, you may be limited to shop online for pricking irons. This article will talk about the different types of pricking irons and serve as a quick guide on choosing the best pricking iron for your project and where to get them.
The Wonders of A Simple Pricking Tool
A primary tool like a pricking iron is essential to produce a unique product. If you are hesitant about using pricking irons, here are some facts that will enlighten you to include this in your list.
Pricking Iron: The Star Tool
As the names indicate, the pricking iron is used primarily to prick leather for stitching. It is used for the development of guide markings for piercings and stitching. It’s a handy instrument, as you will have to do a lot of hand stitching, particularly when starting in leatherwork. It is also used to mark the stitches on work enabling it to create even, equally spaced, and symmetrically slanted stitches with a diamond point during stitching.
Pricking iron comes in different designs, sizes, and metals, mainly brass or stainless steel. They also come with other prongs ranging from a single prong to six prongs or more, depending on the brands. It is an excellent tool for punching multiple symmetrical stitch markings as they’re already evenly spaced.
The Relevance of Pricking in Leatherworks
Since leather is a strong material in general, pricking irons are used to mark areas in the leather for your stitches. It is made with a set teeth distance between points for the needle and threads or laces to go through. The pricking iron is only meant to prick the leather as a guide before stitching is done. This allows the leather crafter to stitch smoothly eventually.
It is also used to mark your stitches on your work, enabling you to create even, equally spaced, and symmetrically slanted stitches with the aid of a diamond point awl during stitching. These premarked holes are vital in creating the classic and beautiful slanted saddle-stitch. The pricking irons come with teeth count variations (one to 12), which gives you a wide choice for what you want to use.
Budget Wise: c
If your budget is limited yet you want to get the best option, check out the Yang Yao Leatherricking tool. This is one of the best picks at a low price.
The Best Features To Suit Your Need
The Yang Yao Latest Model Prong is one for quality pricking irons. It’s the budget pick for a craftsman. It comes with four pricking irons ( single prong, two prongs, four prongs, and six prongs, respectively). The new prong model has a sufficient polish treatment that makes it very sharp and can quickly and easily produce stitch markings.
It is manufactured from tough, high-quality steel, making it stable and convenient to use. The availability of a range of high-quality pricking irons intended for beginners is a plus factor. It is a tool that is relatively cost-effective.
The Value For Your Money
It can be bought through online shops and in many physical stores where the prices may vary including the delivery fee to your locations. It’s usually under $15 for a set containing four pricking irons.
Japanese Pricking Irons With A Stylish Look
If you are looking for a pricking tool with a stylish look, you should try out Japanese Pricking Irons, which are aesthetically appealing.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
The manufacturer of pricking iron in different countries upholds its function, but some regions develop aesthetic styles. The Japanese pricking irons create a diamond shape mark when used in leather. Other pricking irons are made up of carbon steel, while this one is made up of stainless steel, which is why it doesn’t get rust and will last long. The rust-free pricking iron will improve the effectiveness of hand stitching and will produce extremely clean stitches.
Unlike many irons, the teeth’ width is relatively thin and creates a very clean, non-bulky opening for threading. The heavier weight makes the tool easy to manipulate in the right position.
The Value For Your Money
It can be bought from Japan and the United States. You can also buy from online shops and stores which sell leather tools. The price ranges from $40 to $180 depending on the store and its variations. The sizes range from three to five millimeter distance between each tooth.
Beautiful Vertical Slits: European Pricking Irons
For projects and designs that require vertical slits, European style pricking irons are the best option.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
There is a European style, just as there is a Japanese style for pricking irons. These pricking irons generally leave marks that are somewhat vertical slits. In the finished product, the look is often a little tighter. It gives the leathercraft stitching a unique look. It is superb for thin leathers and threads up to one mm thick. The tool is made with carbon steel in Japan, making it a high-quality tool.
The Value For Your Money
The price ranges from $97 to $140, which can vary depending on the store. This price is for a pricking iron with size (6x5mm), making a hole with five mm diameter (or six holes per inch). It can be bought from Denmark and online shops globally.
Crimson Pricking Irons For The Average-sized Hands
If you are a leatherworker with average hand size, the Crimson Pricking Irons are perfect for you. It is easy to maneuver and produces clean holes with its nicely polished prongs.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
Crimson is a brand of leather instruments manufactured in Singapore. They come in a few different sizes ranging from two to five mm in dimensions. Crimson makes excellent pricking irons that leave sharp, clean holes with very smooth and nicely polished teeth. It is best suited for leather workers with an average size of hands because it’s easy to maneuver due to its size.
The Value For Your Money
You can buy Crimson pricking iron online on their website, where the price starts at $150. It can be ordered as an individual tool or as a set. It is a great starter tool for novice leatherworkers.
Customized For You: Sinabroks Pricking Irons
If you want to get a pricking iron customized for your preference, like the tool size and distance of prongs, you can check out Sinabroks Pricking Irons.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
Korean leather tool manufacturer makes a lovely pricking iron-made up of solid brass – Sinabrocks Pricking Irons. These have replaceable teeth with 2.2mm width and can cut very cleanly. Various widths are available and can be customized for specialized tool sizes and configurations.
The tool is made of solid brass with a nice weight to use. It is rust-free because of the solid brass material. All teeth are polished to pierce the thick leather easily and removed without any issues. The teeth are thin, so you don’t need to work with an awl anymore when using this.
The Value For Your Money
The price of this pricking iron starts at $6 to $170. It is worth the buy because you will need not use an awl to create holes, making it multi-purpose in making marks on the leather. It is also available in many physical stores and online shops.
Affordability Winner: KS Blade Pricking Iron
A pricking iron that is affordable but above entry-level is the KS blade pricking iron. It is a reliable and handy tool because it’s heat-treated for the best rigidity.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
KS Blade is a South Korean leather tool manufacturer that makes excellent leatherworking tools at budget-friendly prices. They are most all a set above entry-level tools. What’s good is that it doesn’t cost the fees of the highest-end tools. Their leather pricking irons are heat-treated for rigidity.
It is a very reliable leatherworking tool at low prices. It comes in different blade diameters that have various tooth counts and lengths.
The Value For Your Money
Its price ranges from $40 to $160 depending on the location. It can be bought both online and physical stores with leather tools. It is definitely worth checking out because it’s a new design to traditional pricking irons.
Best Professional Irons: Wuta Pricking Iron
If you are a person that is not particular with design and seeks only for a firm pricking job, the Wuta Pricking iron may be for you. It is a choice for both beginners and seasoned leatherworkers due to its unparalleled durability.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
Wuta makes a standard type of steel pricking iron. It’s nicely branded with an original design. It is well-structured and sharpened to the tip, polishing every inch of it able to prick through up to 11 ounces of leather. The firm texture makes it uneasy to distort and break the tool. It’s made with an ergonomic design that allows you to rest your finger while using it.
Its whole body is manufactured with a type of steel (DC35) that makes it wear-resistant, rust-resistant, and shock absorbent.
The Value For Money
They are available online and from physical stores in multiple teeth counts for purchase. It can be bought in the United States for $8.38 to $23.99. It is a good value for money because it lasts longer than other pricking irons. It works best for projects that require more extended use because of its steel type with sharp teeth that can punch quickly and effortlessly.
Passionately Hand-made: Blanchard Pricking Iron
There are also pricking irons in the market that are not machine manufactured like the Blanchard Pricking Iron. It’s entirely handmade with high-quality steel.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
It is produced along with other leatherworking tools originally in France. This pricking tool has set the industry standard for pricking irons. It has a wide variety of tooth sizes and configurations where every pricking iron tooth is individually sharpened. These pricking irons are produced in various sizes and have an additional quantity of pricking teeth in the market.
This tool is entirely hand-made from high-quality hardened steel that will surely last long. The marks or holes it produces in the leather appears slanted.
The Value For Money
It can be bought from online shops where the price starts at $34.99 to $160.00. You can buy it as an individual tool or in a set. It’s the second best next to Lekoza pricking irons producing shorter and stable stitches.
Higher End Tool: 4z Pricking Irons
If you want to purchase pricking irons with replaceable prongs, 4z pricking irons are for you. Its body is fully stainless steel, which makes it even impressive.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
4z is a Chinese producer of higher-end irons for pricking. Their pricking tool is entirely made up of stainless steel, and it is rust-free. The teeth are removable and replaceable, and models are available in various teeth and teeth shapes. It is made of quality steel, fully stainless from the handle to the prongs.
A tooth can be removed and replaced individually, and a tooth can be twisted 90 degrees that can make a reverse pricking iron making it ideal for box stitching and punching around a bag.
The Value For Money
You can buy one from online stores and deliver it right to you. The price starts from $70.00 to $132.00, but some shops have different prices which vary in their locations. It is a good buy because it is one of the most advanced pricking iron available in the market.
Modern Design: Lekoza Pricking Irons
If you want to maximize your pricking tool’s functions, Lekoza Pricking Irons is the best option. Aside from the evenly spaced stitch guide, it has a part in the device that guides alignment during insertion.
The Best Features To Suit Your Choice
It makes an excellent European-style pricking iron. The tool body is made of more rigid machine steel and coated with a resin to withstand corrosion over time of use (hardened tool steel). There are different tooth counts available for the irons usually one inch in width. It is a modern twist on the European pricking iron.
It can be used to punch entirely through both layers of leather without enlarging the holes. It operates the way an awl does in a needle and awl machine. The teeth/pins have a flat bottom spot to aid alignment during insertion and you can replace one tooth if it breaks or gets blunted. Its finished product appears rectangular.
The Value For Money
It is available on online shops and hardware stores at a price that starts at $124.95. Its price may vary depending on your location. It is a good option for you money because it’s efficient in marking double layers of leather and produces longer stitches that other pricking irons.
Keeping The Best State of The Pricking Iron
Here are some tips for preserving your pricking tool for more prolonged use and at the best state. This will maintain your pricking tool, and you can indeed produce excellent output.
Maintaining The Sharpness
Like other leather bladed-tools, it is sharpened by gently stropping over a leather stropping paddle. You can use a grit of sandpaper to point the tips of the pricking iron. White conical felt can also be used to buff the surface of the teeth. For polishing the interior ends of the tool, you can use a felt buffing wheel.
How To Store Pricking Irons
Since pricking tools have sharp tips, you can purchase or make a leather sheath to cover the pointed end and keep them in a wooden tool rack or a drawer lined with foam. You can hang or store in a bag the pricking iron with other leather tools. Also, make sure to organize your leather tools so that you can easily see and take what you need. You can put these in a tool board for easy access.
Conclusion
The options of pricking irons are vast, with variations in size, shapes, and aesthetic appearance. This is a simple tool but is beneficial to get a more fantastic leather product. It’s just a matter of preference on the use of which one a leather crafter likes more and the most convenient to get especially in these times of pandemic to continue the leatherwork you started.
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