Cheap awl posing problems with the holes I make for stitching. Help.

T

txjigen8

Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Messages
119
Hey guys, I've been doing leatherwork for a couple months now, and I'm getting really pissed off at this cheap awl I got from Tandy. Last weekend, I went down to Tandy and bought one of those steel "fork" hole maker, I know there's a name for it, but I can't seem to remember.

The sheaths I'm referring to are about 4 layers thick. Here's my predicament. Using this cheap wooden handled awl, I'll get the awl point in the hole groove, give it a whack with the hammer, do the rest of the holes that need to be done, and when I flip the sheath over, I notice that these holes I just made aren't straight up and down at all. What's my problem? Is 4 layers of leather too much to keep a consistent, straight up and down hole? Or am I just an imbecile who needs to be more careful and not rush?

Lately though, I've been using this "fork" and it seems to be working pretty well, but I'm worried about its performance when I make some thicker sheaths, the "fork" won't be able to penetrate all the layers due to its limitation in length (In no way was that meant to seem sexual). In this case of the sheath being too thick for the "fork" I will have to revert to that cheap awl.

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
4 layers can be a struggle even with a good awl.....but you have to give yourself a chance by using a good one.
Goggle Bob Douglas, he makes a good one. $100 really isn't that much when you consider it's one of the most used tools in leather work.
You will also hear from guys who use a drill press. I've used a 3/64" drill bit as a pilot hole, and still have to use an awl to get the two strands of thread through....and the holes are pretty square (meaning up and down.)
 
Greetings,


Those "fork" things from Tandy aren't very helpful for making knife sheaths. Rayban is right on the money, if you are going to use an awl a Bob Douglas awl is the one you want.

I am one of those guys who uses a drill press to make the holes for stitching. :)

Here is a link to a tutorial I did a while back that explains how I build a sheath. I explain my method for using a drill press to help me build a sheath.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...king-tutorial(Pic-intensive)?highlight=sheath

Hopefully the tutorial will help a little.

Regards,

Nick
 
If you have a drill press - that is what I use. Chuck up a larger needle than you stitch with - and use that needle as an awl.

Nick,

I like your tutorial - I made one myself - and you have inspired me to post it here.

TF
 
I use a dremel workstation with a 1/16 drill bit, straight holes every time. If you don't keep your all perpendicular to the leather it will be off on the back side,with a drill press it eliminates that problem
 
txjigen8, All the posts in answer to your problem have great advice. The "fork" you refer to was intended for punching holes in the thinner leathers for the most part and for use with leather lace in wallets and other lighter weight projects. The drill press idea mentioned in several posts is, in my opinion the very best and easiest way to get even, straight holes. Not mentioned is that I believe the drill press should be used power off and with a large needle or ice pick like awl, and you should lubricate the needle or pick every few insertions with either paraffin wax or bee's wax. This will really make the through and through penetration much easier.

Paul
 
Paul - THanks for the recommendation on waxing the needle. I will be using that. Mine works - but it tends to collect a little leather and get a bit nasty.

TF
 
I sharpened and polished a finishing nail in my drill press - that's what I use to punch holes through multiple layers of leather.
Another thing I've found that helps when working multiple layers -- punch the holes in the top piece before glue up - it's now your guide.
Also, wet leather punches easier than dry.
 
Thanks for all the help guys. From what I've read so far, it seems that a drill press is certainly the way to go due to the seeming efficiency and ease.
 
Like most people I use a drill press and use beeswax on the bit. I actually never considered using a needle and just punching holes while it was off vs. drilling them, I imagine that would solve a problem I have from time to time with certain styles. Thanks for the tip sheathmaker.
 
I have done a sheath for a 12" blade, and the sheath is has a welt up to 9 layers of 8-9 ounce leather!

I punched that B!@#% by hand! (which really sucked!)

I don't have a drill press so I use an awl. The awl I use is from tandy, but is not the flexible one. A rigid awl helps a bit with keeping the holes straight.

Bigfattyt said:
So I finally finished the open spine sheath for my KZII.

Took some work, swearing, and serious sweating while punching the 8 layers of leather on the thickest part of the welt!!!

Made some mistakes, but it turned out pretty decent. As long as you don't look at the stitches on the rear.

It looked like those were punched by a heroin addict who was nodding off!

The leather was just so thick, punching the holes is very hard by hand while just "eyeballing it).

Front looks clean stitch wise though.

I used snaps which was a first for me as well. This is about my 6th sheath, and only my 2nd large sheath. The amount of gluing and cutting, sanding, etc was a lot of work.
Here is one I made for my Busse KZII.

I Know, it is not a traditional Khukri, but it is a "modern" Khukri design. The sheath is an open spine. The belt loop is closed with 4 heavy snaps, and can be tied closed with Para cord as well.

Hangs nicely on the belt, and is quick to draw once the snaps are undone. Very secure, you can shake it all you want and no budge in the sheath.

The thickest part is 9 layers of 9-10 ounce leather. So it was a beast to punch the holes by hand.

IMG_3608.jpg


the blade is a 12 inch blade, with about a 6 inch handle?

IMG_3607.jpg


IMG_3610.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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Bigfattyt said:
I have done a sheath for a 12" blade, and the sheath is has a welt up to 9 layers of 8-9 ounce leather!

I punched that B!@#% by hand! (which really sucked!)

I don't have a drill press so I use an awl. The awl I use is from tandy, but is not the flexible one. A rigid awl helps a bit with keeping the holes straight.
Click to expand...
Nice work! I'll bet you ended up with some nice blisters before you finished that sheath.
 
sykes3170 said:
Nice work! I'll bet you ended up with some nice blisters before you finished that sheath.
Click to expand...

Cuts through the skin on my finger joints from pulling the threads through for sure!

Also, no leather slicker on when I made that one. I just used a piece of denim for the edge. You can see some small voids where I did not sand enough before polishing the edge. I learned to give the edge a good blow/vacuum to make sure there aren't any holes that are filled by leather dust.
 
Okay, guys, not wanting to start a big argument here, but that same 9 layer sheath (by the way that was a really good job) could have been accomplished at one half or less of that thickness. The same thing that makes wet forming possible is the major part of the answer. Leather stretches beautifully. That sheath was probably made so that there was little or no resistance for the handle inside the sheath. If it had been made with just enough thickness so that the handle had to be forced into the sheath and seemed like it was suck there for life.....that is the starting point. It will stretch to acommodate the handle thickness....not wet forming exactly, but the same general process. Apply a little heat (1875 watt hair dryer) and by the time the sheath is finished the knife will go In and out with just the right friction retention. On Blade sheaths, I use only a single thickness welt for blade up to 5/16" thick.

I use 1/2" wide welts as a standard, so another trick to reduce thickness AT THE EDGE is to skive about 1/2 the thickness (of the welt pieces or wedges when there is more than one) about 1/4" from the outer edge leaving the inner edge at original thickness. The makes the very edge of the sheath thinner without compromising interior dimensions, and will reduce to some degree the thickness for the awl.

The main thing I see though is most of the makers (newer makers) are using way too much thickness with multiple layers of welt and wedges.


Edited to add: For "Stitcher's pinky finger syndrom" Take a pair of good, medium to light weight gloves and cut about 1" off the first two fingers and the thumb. Wear these when you stitch and sore pinky fingers are a thing of the past. You still have the dexterity in the fingers but the fully covered last two fingers are protected.

Paul
 
Paul,
Great tip...
One of these days I'm going to drive to Kerville and come visit you and your shop...From reading your posts, PMs with you briefly, and now your DVD's you've made my leather work improve 10 fold. I'm just getting back into it after a year off due to illness.
Thanks for passing on your volumes of knowledge.
Tal~
 
Skystorm said:
Like most people I use a drill press
Click to expand...

I don't believe "most people" (leather workers of course) use a drill press...yes it makes stitching easier with more layers......but there's no doubt a good ole diamond shaped awl makes for nicer looking stitching.
In it's truest form, hand stitching and the use of the awl go hand n hand....pun intended.
 
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