Pricking Irons - Which are the right ones? 

Thanks for a well made video Rabom! I would however wanna offer my own (as a professional leatherworker for several years) perspective on this topic. So newcomers to this craft can consider the different options when it comes to pricking irons VS stitching chisels. Let me say this, I prefer pricking irons over chisels. When I first started out as a hobbyist I found an interest in the historical aspect of leatherwork and therefore I found the pricking iron and awl to suit me better since that is the traditional way of doing things. When you first begin your journey it's very tempting to go for the quick and easy stitching chisels. You will get way better results in a more timely manner. For small objects like keychains, wallets those are fine. They work very well for that task. If you however want to stitch more intricate items like bags with gussets you will need to use an awl at some point. Since it's more versatile. If you find yourself in a couple of years down the line.. using chisels selling wallets.. earning money and someone asks you to make a bag you will be very limited in which designs you could chose to produce. It's very unlikely that you would do the switch to real pricking irons years down the line and start stitching like a beginner again. It does take a couple of months up to a year to get proficient using the awl and irons. Therefore it would be better to spend the start of your leatherworking journey with irons and awls. You should at the very least own a pair of both so you can devote time to practice using the awl alongside using the chisels. Anyone can use chisels.. learn to use an awl and pricking irons. Those two tools will set you apart from the crowd and you will thank me in a couple of years for letting you in on this. They will also last you a lifetime, since you don't put as much stress on pricking irons in comparison with chisels. Do not take shortcuts (like chisels) or your work will look like a shortcut when you try to make more intricate items. It takes time to learn an instrument like piano.. it takes time to learn stitching the right way as well. It's easier to look like a beginner in the start of your journey rather than later on.

These are sold by pro atelier, not made by them. They are made in China. That being said, it doesn’t where they are made as they are made by machines. EDM machining is super expensive but it is the most precise machining in the world. It is super clean right off the bat like the ones you have. On even more expensive pricking irons, they will do some extra polishing but even without it, they are smooth enough to slide out of the perfectly. As for 440c, it is not the ideal steel for a pricking iron as it lack impact resistance and toughness, it is much better than some other sets made of DC53. DC53 is amazing for knives or bevelers as it is very wear resistant and has good edge retention (stays sharp longer). However, it is really hard but brittle and chips or breaks really easily, is has very low toughness and low impact resistance. 440c is better as it is tougher but ideally, they would use something more impact resistant, with even higher toughness. Heat treating to the right hardness is crucial as well. 440c is considered stainless but is definitely not the most corrosion resistant/rust resistant. Due to the high carbon content it it, the free elemental chromium bonds to the carbon to create chromium carbides. The carbides make the steel more wear resistant but takes away from the corrosion resistance of the steel as it is free chromium that provides stainless steel’s corrosion resistance. This is why you can have two steels that have the same percentage of chromium in them but different corrosion resistance. Carbon content. Anyway… I’m rambling.

Danke für die Arbeit, für die hervorragenden Erklärungen, die auf den Punkt genau treffen, was man beim jeweiligen Thema wissen muss! Mir hat es geholfen, eigene Recherchen haben mich nicht soweit gebracht.

I have these in 3mm and definitely will pick up a set of 3.85 for larger items. Thank you for the wonderful review. It helped in my decision making.

this is a fantastic video explaining everything i needed to know as someone looking to start this new hobby - your english is better than most english speaking people on the internet! in fact - better than some of my friends! I will be looking at the website for my first set of tools...thank you very much .

Great video thank you!!

After holiday these are going to find a nice home.

You are 100% correct. I have a set of cheap irons. Very rough , not polished , bend easy and get stuck all the time kind of irons. They give me too many problems. Those "sinabroks" pricking irons and chisels look very well made. But they are extremely expensive. And hopefully worth every penny i will spend on purchasing them. Cheers from Montreal.

Thanks Eckhart Tolle

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While I probably don't need new pricking irons, that will not stop me from getting them. I was thinking about getting the KS Blade but noticed something. Usually, I just pay attention to SPI, but lately I've been thinking about tooth width. What do you think is better: irons with a 1.6mm standard tooth width for both 2.7 and 3.0 irons and a 1.8mm standard tooth width for 3.8 to 5.0 irons (KS Blade), or irons that have differentiated tooth widths for each SPI iron: 2.7 -- 1.45mm; 3.0 -- 1.6mm; 3.38 -- 1.75mm; 3.85 -- 1.85mm (Pro Atelier Plus/Isvara)?

How would you describe the feeling of striking these hollowed handles? What benefit do they provide? Does the lower center of gravity require less striking force or more?

Do you have an opinion on using reverse pricking irons or regular pricking irons? Would you say one is better than the other or just up to personal preference? Thanks

What is the exact material of the black pounding board? I'd like to source it from a manufacturer.

There is one called Olive shape. 4Z made and I have both French, Japanese, and Olive ones. The olive shape is easy to stitch and ends up like European(French style) stitching.