LEATHERWORKING TOOLS
Match Stitching Holes, Awls and Needles
Hole shape, spacing and tooth count answer different questions
The Weaver 4 mm diamond set and WUTA Obverse 3.85 mm French pair do not differ only by a small number. Weaver describes diamond-point holes and supplies 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-prong tools. The selected WUTA pair has two- and eight-tooth obverse French-profile tools. Compare the form of the hole and the available working lengths before treating the nominal spacing as the entire choice.
Tooth count is not tool count. An eight-tooth iron is one working end; a 2+8 pair names the short and long tooth groups. A shorter group offers an option for a short section, while a longer iron covers more positions at once. The actual design and leather still decide how a run is laid out. There is no universal corner radius or thickness capacity implied by having a two-tooth tool.
Read the maker’s spacing convention and the actual generation
Keep the unit attached to what it measures. WUTA’s fixed French-family page distinguishes spacing from prong width: its 3.85 mm model has a stated 2.4 mm prong width. Weaver’s separate interchangeable family explicitly defines size by the space between prongs, while its fixed diamond page does not define the convention in the same way. Do not turn these labels into a universal center-to-center chart or recalculate stitches per inch from an assumption.
The selected WUTA circular system is titled 2G 3.38 mm (2+9). Here 3.38 mm is the selected size label; its gap or center-to-center convention is not explicitly defined. The seller explains the change from 2G to 3G circular-chisel heads, states 1–1.3 mm holes for the 3G circular-chisel heads and says two head types may be sent at random. That is not a promise that both types are supplied or that every head has that hole diameter. A current manufacturer page for the complete 3G system therefore cannot establish everything in this older selected package. If exact circular-hole geometry or a particular replacement tooth is essential, resolve the version and actual supplied head before choosing it.
A groove is not a row of holes
The Craftool Pro 88081-00 groover has an in-line replaceable blade, locking chuck and adjustable edge guide. Its job is cutting a recessed channel, which is different from making a series of stitch holes. The supplied small modeling spoon adds a creasing/detailing role rather than another pricking iron.
Choose a groover when the project calls for that channel, not because a stitch tool collection seems incomplete without one. The numerical guide range and a universal cut depth are not specified. A groove layout does not choose the thread, needle or hole size, so compare those elements separately rather than using the presence of a groove as a complete sewing specification.
Choose the needle family and pack before using a size chart
Tandy’s ten-pack supplies two-inch blunt needles with extra-large eyes for sewing through prepared holes. The point is deliberately different from a piercing awl. It is a simple spare-needle choice when that profile suits the sewing method, but the exact eye dimensions are not given.
The John James assortment supplies twenty-five L3912 Saddlers Harness needles, five in each of five named sizes. The seller lists diameters ranging from 0.86 mm for size 004 to 1.63 mm for size 3/0. Choose the assortment when several needle sizes across projects are more useful than identical spares; the Tandy pack is the simpler comparison for ten of its stated two-inch blunt form. These are needle diameters, not thread sizes. Match the actual needle, eye, thread and prepared hole using guidance for that exact combination rather than a universal rule that one needle number fits all leather.
Questions before choosing
Is 3.85 mm the width of the WUTA French prong?
No. The fixed French-family page separates 3.85 mm spacing from a stated 2.4 mm prong width for that model.
Does the Weaver 4 mm set contain four or thirteen tools?
Four complete tools, carrying 1, 2, 4 and 6 prongs respectively. Adding the prongs does not give a package tool count.
Can I use a current 3G WUTA page to order parts for the 2G selection?
Not without checking the actual system and supplied head. The selected listing itself notes generation changes and random head allocation; the current complete 3G package is a different scope.
Will blunt needles make the stitch holes for me?
The Tandy needles are described for pre-punched holes. Hole preparation and sewing are separate tasks; choose the appropriate piercing or punching tool for the design.
Manufacturer references
- Diamond Stitching Chisel Set — Weaver ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- Interchangeable Diamond Stitching Chisel Sets — Weaver ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- French Style Pricking Iron — WUTA ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- 3G Interchangeable French Style Pricking Iron — WUTA ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- Hand Sewing Needle Size Guide: Type and Length — John James ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- Weaver Leather Supply Diamond Leather Stitching Chisel Set, Precise 4mm Hole Punch, Color-Coded Hole Punch Set for Hand Sewing and Saddle Stitching ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- WUTA Leather Chisel All-Polished Die-Steel Puncher French Style Pricking Iron Sharp Leather Punching (Obverse, 3.85 mm 2 Teeth+8 Teeth) Obverse 3.85 mm 2 Teeth+8 Teeth ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- WUTA Sharp Head Replaceable Pricking Iron Removable Circle Leather Hole Punch Lacing Stitching Professional Working Hand Tool Kit 2nd Generation 3.38mm-(2+9) 2G 3.38mm-(2+9) ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- Tandy Leather Craftool Pro Stitching Groover Set, 88081-00 ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- Tandy Leather Stitching Needle Smooth Hand Sewing with Blunt Tip (10 Pack) ↗ · checked 2026-11-06
- John James Saddlers Harness Blunt Point Needles/Set: 5 x 5/5 Sizes x 5 Pieces Each ↗ · checked 2026-11-06