If you like crafts and working with leather or find your self needing to repair leather items you own such as purses, belts, shoes, or other items around your home there is a Hand Tool that works well. You could go about the job armed with a stout needle and some strong thread . . . but that's the hard way to do leather and canvas work. A much easier way would be to use a handy little Hand Tool device known as a Sewing Awl.
An argument made against hand tools is that it's hard to make them work. A hundred years ago and more, people made hand tools work. They had no choice: You need the right tool and to develop the skills to maintain and use it properly. If you can duplicate that skill, you can be productive in making nice item out of leather.
A picture of the Awl hand tool can be seen at DMSeeleystools. It has storage in the handle for thread (Everything pictured included) and storage for your needles under the silver cap and Instructions make this a very useful hand tool for your home tool box and sewing or repairing leather goods.
The Awl can be handsomely designed with a comfortable wooden handle. This Awl had 4 different sizes of needles and a bobbin to hold the nylon thread, making the whole Hand Tool quite compact. Other types feature exposed bobbins and storage space for extra needles inside the handle. Both types of awls perform well.
Besides sewing or joining pieces of leather together there is Incising or taking a hand tool knife or in modern tooling, a swivel tool knife, and inscribing a design into the surface of the leather. Note that a dull hand tool knife can leave a much larger "line" than a sharp one, and will not weaken the surface strength as much. This is *possibly* the most common method of ornamentation for leather during the Middle Ages.
Numerous examples can be found in Knives and Scabbards, Shoes and Patterns, etc. Carving technically is the technique of undercutting the leather surface and making it physically stand out from the general surface of the leather. Cutout-- is Creating a design by punching holes in the leather. An excellent tool for small holes is a very heavy duty leather hand tool punch at DMSeeleysTools.
I like the large size hand tool punch making it easier to punch holes in challenging materials with it's comfortable anti slip grips. Nice addition to your shop or home hand tool craft needs. Punch sizes are 7/64'', 1/8'' , 5/32'', 11/63'', 3/16'', 13/64'' ; The Overall length is 9-1/2'' and it is Light weight with high carbon steel punches that are strong enough for most of your project needs.
What ever your leather project may be from starting something new or repairing something old the Sewing Awl or Leather Punch are reliable hand tools to assist you in your home workshop project or repairs. These hand tools will help you duplicate your skill so you can be productive in repairing or making nice items out of leather.
Denny
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