Hello everyone,
I am looking to upgrade my WUTA pricking irons to something better (high end) ones.
After all that was said on here and other places I still can't figure out which is the best option to go for, I looking for ones which are extremely high quality and go through thicker leathers( Lancette Rolled Handles etc) easily but also ok for thin leathers too.
Which ones would be recommended after all the months / year you have been using pricking irons?
Sina Broks?
KS ?
4Z?
Others?
Thanks and i look forward to hearing your thoughts.
KS Blade, but also learn how to use a stitching awl. It's a skill that'll pay you back in no time.
i have 4z, ks blade and blanchard irons. the 4z are and ks blade are very similar for sharpness, but with the 4z ones they can be altered so they can be used reversed. i also got some awl points with the ones i have, so can be used to make round holes as well. negatives are they only come in set of 2prong and 9 prong i think, although you can remove some of the teeth to make it a 5 or 4 prong which can be useful. the ks blade ones are available in any width up to about 20 teeth, although these will be very expensive.
if you are going to store them where things can rust, be careful with the standard black ks blades, as they will rust, i found this when i left them in a shed for a month.
out of these 2, i usually reach for the 4z irons, not sure why, but just do.
the blanchards are pricking irons, so you have to use an awl, but come in a much wider range of sizes. they also seem to give the stitches a better angle, i think the teeth may be slightly longer than the other 2.
if you want to punch through 5mm of bridle leather, would it not be better to punch half to 2 thirds of the way through and use an awl?
An awl works.
An important consideration here is if you have plans to incorporate using an awl into your work. The awl does give your pricking irons some more flexibility since you can still punch all the way through on thinner work and then use the awl for thicker stuff.