Are you new to leatherworking? Would you like to make your journal covers or card wallets faster? Then, a stitching chisel, also called prong punch, is a great piece to add to your arsenal of hand tools. And not just for faster working but also to make consistent holes throughout your workpiece.
Of course, many people rely on an awl as it’s easier to have. However, the tool will be much slower as you’ll be making a single stitching hole at a time. Furthermore, an awl can give many different shaped holes that don’t appear the same way.
If you have the best stitching chisel at hand, one with sharp tips and comfortable to hold, you can eliminate the two drawbacks. The tool usually has multiple prongs that make up to seven or eight even holes per inch.
Is The Stitching Chisel And Pricking Iron One Thing?
At a glance, both the pricking iron and stitching chisel have a similar fork-like design. They also have multiple prongs that can vary in number and spacing displacement across different models.
However, the prongs of a pricking iron have blunt tips that can only mark your leather’s surface. So, you’ll need to have a diamond point awl at hand to pierce the stitching holes. One of the key advantages of an awl is that the tip enables you to regulate the depth that you want to stitch. But like we also mentioned, an awl can leave you with many inconsistent hole sizes if you’re not careful.
Meanwhile, the stitching chisel makes holes ready for stitching. It’s a great piece for beginners as it allows one to make equally spaced stitches and at the same depth. So, you don’t need advanced skills as with the pricking iron and awl.
Please note, a stitching chisel is also not the same as the lacing chisel. Some people tend to confuse the two as they both have prongs that mark while piercing the leather material. However, the lacing chisel has flat tips that make holes wide enough to pass through a lacing needle. The holes are also horizontal, unlike the stitching chisel that makes slanted diamond-point holes or the pricking iron that marks slanted lines.
What’s The Best Stitching Chisel To Have
When shopping around for a stitching chisel, you’ll come across different brands, sizes, and materials. Many of them have a generous budget, but you can also find professional-grade makers at a slightly higher cost.
As for the nine selections that have we’ve picked, the model No products found. has earned our first choice badge, thanks to its perfect balance of pricing, convenience, and reliability.
The following is a summary of the stitching stool, as well as that of the other alternatives we thought you might like…
Editor’s Choice: No products found.
Up to 26 different tools, sturdy white steel material, comfortable to clasp, effortless to use, free pair of clippers, and great budget
Best Value: No products found.
50 leatherworking tools, diamond-shaped points, Sharpenable stainless steel prongs, and make up to 6 holes per turn
Best Budget: No products found.
So affordable, straightforward to use, approx. 7 stitches per inch, a smooth but non-slip handle, and a bonus storage case.
Best For Beginners: No products found.
Has a Generous budget, includes 35 tools and accessories, up to seven stitches per inch, and makes neat diamond-shaped stitches
Best For Lacing: No products found.
Great pricing, perfect lacing borders and patterns, Sharpenable edges, up to five stitches per inches, and a non-slip knurled handle
Best For Grooving: No products found.
Diamond-shaped piercing points, U & V-shaped grooving tools, easy to sharpen, and up to nine stitches per inch
Alternative For Beginners: No products found.
Has 24 leatherworking tools, uses high-quality white steel material, an average 3.8mm total length, bonus sewing needles and threads
Alternative For Lacing: No products found.
Very affordable, make Flat rectangular stitches, can sharpen edges, includes 1-6 stitches, and uses a non-slip knurled handle
Alternative For Grooving: No products found.
Strong white steel material, diamond-shaped prong tips, make large 6mm spaces, complete project faster, carve U and V-shaped lines
Best Accessory: No products found.
Has a solid stainless steel + nylon head, approx. 320g total weight, an ergonomic and smooth wooden handle
The Best Stitching Chisel Prong Pitch And Average Stitches Comparison Chart
When working with a lacing or stitching chisel, the prong pitch (distance between two consecutive tines) is very important. It helps give an outline of how tight (or close to each other) the made holes will be. Also, the pitch is one of the measurements that will help determine the stitching gauge (stitches per inch) of your chisel.
The following table summarizes the two computations so that you can assess how tight and fast you’ll complete your project.
| Leather Stitching Chisel Brand | Best Feature | Prong Pitch (mm & Inches) | Average Stitches(Holes/ Per Inch) |
| No products found. | Best Of All | 4.0mm(approx. 0.157 inches) | 7 stitches |
| BAGERLA 50-Piece LeatherCraft Stitching Chisel KitNo products found. | Best of Value | 4.0mm(approx. 0.157 inches) | 7 stitches |
| No products found. | Best of Budget | 4.0mm(approx. 0.157 inches) | 7 stitches |
| BiGTEDDY BT0022 Basic Leather Stitching Chisel KitNo products found. | Best of Beginners | 4.0mm(approx. 0.157 inches) | 7 stitches |
| No products found. | Best for Lacing | 3.0mm(approx. 0.118 inches) | 5 stitches |
| No products found. | Best for Grooving | 3.0mm (approx. 0.118 inches) | 9 Stitches |
| No products found. | Alternative for Beginners | 4.0mm(approx. 0.157 inches) | 7 stitches |
| No products found. | Alternative for Lacing | 3.0mm(approx. 0.118 inches) | 5 stitches |
| No products found. | Best for Grooving | 6.0mm(approx. 0.236 inches) | 4 Stitches |
| No products found. | Best Accessory | N/A(8.3inches total length) | N/A |
Notes:
It’s worth noting the average stitching gauge (or simply stitches per inch) doesn’t rely on the prong pitch only. As you can see with the No products found. and No products found., both tools have a 3.0mm prong pitch but different stitching gauge. This is so as their prong width has varying sizes.
The best Stitching Chisel Comprehensive Reviews
In this section, we’ll now look at the detailed descriptions of the tools we selected. You’ll learn the various features, pros, as well as hidden flaws so that you can make the right buying decision.
Editor’s Choice: lmzay XIN-016+010 Leather Stitching Chisel Tool Set
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 26 pieces leather working tools
2. 4x stitching chisels
3. Sharp rhombus tooth
4. Solid white steel material
5. 2mm prong width, 4mm prong pitch
That’s right. The stitching chisel includes various leatherworking tools, not limited to harness needles, rolls of threads, a pair of scissors, and a set of stitching chisel. So, it can be a great starter kit for your new leather hobby.
As for the stitching chisel, the set consists of various pieces that you can use in varying situations. For instance, the larger model has six tines that you can use when making longer stitching lines, such as for journal covers. But if you want to make fewer stitches, there’s also a chisel with four prongs and another with only two.
All three have a prong pitch of 4mm, which gives a gauge of about seven holes in every inch. Then, if you would want to add an extra hole in between or work along the curves, there’s an extra stitching chisel with one prong.
Despite the varying stitching area though, all four chisels have a sturdy white steel construction. Thus, you can sharpen the tips in case you notice they have started running slow. Furthermore, the handle has a smooth and polished surface that you can grasp without hurting your palm.
Pros:
1. It has a high-quality and durable design
2. Includes a variety of extra accessories
3. Effortless and comfortable to clasp
4. Easy to use on thin and thick leather
5. Provided clippers can fit tight spaces
It’s affordable.
Cons:
1. It doesn’t have a storage case
2. Provided needles are pretty thick
Best Value: BAGERLA 50-Piece LeatherCraft Stitching Chisel Kit
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 50 pieces of leatherwork tools
2. 4x stitching chisels
3. Stainless steel material
4. Diamond-shaped points
5. 4mm prong pitch, 3.9-inch length
If you won’t mind parting with fifty, this set has everything you may need for advanced leatherworking. It has up to fifty tools that you can use for punching, sewing, carving, edge grinding, and tracing patterns or stitching lines.
For the punching, the toolset includes four different stitching chisels, featuring one, two, four, and six prongs. As such, you can make smooth and consistent straight stitches, as well as work around the corners with precision. They all have a rugged stainless steel body, with a prong pitch of about 4mm. So, you can also achieve a gauge of approximately seven stitches per inch.
Furthermore, the toolset has smooth but non-slip handles that you can use without ripping your skin. The tips are also sharp diamond-shaped, and you can sharpen them for faster piercing and for a long time.
Still, all the tools come in a lovely toolbox, with easy-to-use snap locks. So, you won’t need to buy another, plus you can easily store and transport your tools to the class or group sessions.
Pros:
1. It includes numerous tools
2. East to store transport
3. Feels sturdy and durable
4. Easy and comfortable to hold
5. Effortless and fast to complete project
6. It’s so easy to learn different leather sills
Cons:
1. Some chisel tips might need sharpening.
2. The storage case can be quite messy (no partitions)
Best Budget: AISKAER 6-Prong Diamond Point Stitching Chisel
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 4x stitching chisels
2. 4mm prong stitch
3. 104mm/ 100mm length
4. 100% White steel material
5. Rhombus/ diamond-shaped points
Overall, this is the best stitching chisel set that you can get if low on cash. It’s also the top bestseller on our list, as well as in various retail providers, including Amazon. Of course, it has fewer tools than the other two alternatives, but it has a high-quality style that you’ll love using.
If it’s the build, the prong punches have a solid white steel body, with sharp rhombus-shaped prong tips. However, each of the four tools has a different number of prongs, with the longest having six for faster and effortless piercing.
Furthermore, the stitching chisels have varying lengths, with the single and double-pronged measuring 100mm (approximately 3.9 inches). Then, the four and six-pronged designs are slightly longer, with about 104mm (equivalent to 4.1 inches). However, all the chisels have a prong width of about 2mm each, and a pitch of approximately 4mm.
So, the stitching chisels are more like the above alternatives when it comes to the spacing. But in case you would want to achieve tighter or wider spaces, the product has other variations with a 3mm, 5mm, and 6mm prong pitch.
Pros:
1. It’s very affordable
2. Straightforward to work with
3. Available in various spacing options
4. Features a smooth but non-slip handle
5. It comes with a compact storage case.
Cons:
1. It catches rust fast in high-humidity areas
2. The tips of one-prong and two-prong set breaks easily
3. The inside of the prongs isn’t as smooth as the outside.
Best For Beginners: BiGTEDDY BT0022 Basic Leather Stitching Chisel Kit
No products found.
Main Features:
1. 35 pieces tools and accessories
2. 4mm prong stitch
3. Skiver and blades
4. 1/2/4/6 prong stitching chisels
5. 3 rolls of threads, 40m long
If you’re looking for a stitching chisel set to begin leatherworking, this piece can make a great choice. It not only has a generous budget but also includes nearly all the basic tools that you need for hand stitching and hand sewing. That’s our stitching chisels, waxed threads, a skiving tool + blades, sewing awl, needles, and bonus wool daubers to apply the dye.
The stitching chisels have a fairly solid metallic build, with varying prong set up so that you can complete different lines and patterns. If you wanted longer stitching lines, you can use the 6-pronged head, then the double or four-pronged for small widths, and the single-tipped for additional or corner stitches.
Like most, the stitching chisel has a 4mm prong pitch that you can achieve about seven stitches per inch. Also, the teeth are diamond-shaped and sharp for immediate use.
Furthermore, the leatherwork tool has a smooth handle that’s comfortable to work with even without gloves. And for feeding the needle through the holes, there’s a thimble to aid in that as well.
Pros:
1. It includes everything you may need to get started
2. Feels well-made and durable
3. Comfortable and quick to work with
4. has a reasonable pricing
5. It delivers neat and consistent stitches
Cons:
1. It doesn’t include clear descriptions or any instructions
2. The included needles feel a bit brittle
Best For Lacing: Vktech 53443 Stainless Steel Flat Leather Lacing Chisel
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 4x lacing chisels
2. Sharpenable Flat points
3. Stainless steel material
4. Non-slip, knurled handle
5. Approx. 3.9mm total length
6. 3mm prong pitch, 2mm prong width
This is an outstanding piece if you want to add your leather item with a border or decorative lacing. It consists of multiple lacing chisels, featuring a well-made stainless steel design for a better and longer stitching experience.
The various lacing chisels have different stitching area (number of tines) that enables you to handle different situations and faster. However, they all have a 2mm prong width and a 3mm pitch. So, you can make roughly five holes per inch except when working with the single-pronged chisel.
More on that, the tools set has a total length of approximately 3.9 inches so that you can have enough space to hold while hammering. The handle has a rounded style, with lovely non-slip knurling that allows you to work with a firmer grip.
Pros:
1. It has a strong and durable build
2. Makes smooth and neat holes
3. Easy and comfortable to clasp
4. Effortless and faster to pierce
5. Tips can be sharpened when dull
6. It’s a friendly budget
Cons:
1. You might need to sharpen after receiving
2. The 6-prong chisel tend to struggle on very thick or multiple leather layers
Best For Grooving: Hatisan 6 pieces Grooving Stitching Chisel Set
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 6 pieces leatherworking tools
2. 1/2/4/6 prong stitching chisels
3. Diamond-shaped points
4. U & V-shaped grooving tool
5. 3mm prong pitch, 10mm length
If you need an affordable stitching chisel that you can also use for grooving, the Hatisan model might fit the purpose. It has a set of leather hole punches and two pieces of grooving tools. The groovers include a V and U-shaped design that you can use to achieve unique grooves lines so that your stitches can be parallel with the top grain (or simply surface).
As for the stitching chisel set, the product comes with four pieces, with each featuring a varying number of piercing tips. If it’s the longest, there are six tines, then others four, two, and one. This allows you to work faster by using each piece for its ideal situation, including adding a right angle around the corners.
Nonetheless, the hole punch has a 3mm pitch that will give you a tighter spacing than the 4mm models. Furthermore, the tips are diamond-shaped, which gives neat holes and large enough to pass the harness needle without much effort.
Pros:
1. It’s a reasonable pricing
2. Chisels are easy to with
3. Sharp and Sharpenable edges
4. Has smooth and comfortable handles
5. It feels sturdy and durable
Cons:
1. The beveling tools are a bit difficult to use
2. The 6-prong chisel’s tines bend easily on heavy pounding
Alternative For Beginners: Cridoz LPT-01 leather Sewing Stitching Chisel Set
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 24 pieces of leatherworking tools
2. White steel material
3. 3.8mm total length
4. Sharpenable piercing edges
5. Sewing needles and threads
6. 4mm, diamond-shaped holes
If you want to invest in a beginner’s stitching chisel kit under $20, this model can fit the profile well. Of course, it has fewer tools than the BigTEDDY BT0022 but includes everything you need to complete basic leather projects. That’s multiple stitching needles, sewing wax threads, and a 4-piece prong punch.
The various stitching chisels have a white steel construction, with a smooth polish for precise stitching. They also have a rhombus tooth that will give neat diamond-shaped holes that you can feed through the sewing threads without exerting much effort. And since you can sharpen the piercing edges, you can go for a while before you can purchase another tool set.
Furthermore, the stitching chisels have a 4mm prong pitch that you can make around seven holes in every inch except when using the single-pronged. However, its (one-pronged) inclusion is very handy as you can easily make ring-angle corners or in-between holes.
Pros:
1. It has a friendly budget
2. Easy to work with and care for
3. Easy and comfortable to grasp
4. Sharpenable tips for better performance
5. It includes everything you need to get started
Cons:
1. The tines bend easily on heavy hammering
2. The provided needles are pretty large
3. Also, some prongs are relatively dull
Alternative For Lacing: ZXIIXZ 4 PCS Leather Hole Lacing Chisel Set
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 4 pieces of lacing chisel
2. 1/2/4/6 prongs
3. Flat, Sharpenable points
4. Roughly 3.9 inches long
5. Approx. 3mm prong pitch
6. Round, non-slip knurled handle
At less than ten dollars, the piece is the cheapest on our list. However, it didn’t qualify for our special budget badge as it has fewer ratings than the Aiskaer make (probably because it’s new release).
The stitching tool also has flat but Sharpenable heads that produce rectangular holes primarily for lacing needles. However, you can as well use it for the normal stitching needle, albeit the 3mm spacing might seem too big for a thin thread.
More on that, the lacing chisel includes four different stitching areas, namely a single, two, four, and six stitches. Also, they all have varying lengths and girth, though you can have enough space to hold while hammering. Even better, three-quarter of the round handle has non-slip knurling so that you can work well without losing the grip.
Pros:
1. It’s very affordable
2. Perfect for lacing borders and patterns
3. Can be sharpened for better piercing
4. Comfortable working with
5. It has a moderate weight for easier carrying.
Cons:
1. Tricky to use on multiple layers of leather
2. The prongs are not sharp enough for immediate use
Alternative For Grooving: Hatisan 6mm Skiving Diamond Stitching Chisel
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 6 pieces leatherworking tools
2. V and U-shaped groover
3. Diamond-shaped holes
4. White steel material
5. Large 6mm prong pitch
6. Sharpenable chisel teeth
This is a great alternative that you can check if you would want a compact kit that you can groove while piercing stitching holes. It consists of multiple Groovers and stitching chisels that can serve your DIY interests pretty well.
The groovers comprise a U and V-shaped design, with a sharper center for easier cutting. Also, they have a smooth handle that even includes a dished-out area where you can rest your finger or thumb as you carve the lines. Furthermore, the tools have a 4.5-inch length, which is about .5 inches taller than the set of stitching chisels.
However, the chisels are meant to be used by hammering, thus you can still work well at their height. They even have a larger prong pitch than the rest of the alternatives on the list, in which case you can complete projects much faster.
Pros:
1. It has a sturdy and durable design
2. Perfect for consistent and smooth lines
3. Enables quick and effortless working
4. Makes uniform diamond-shaped holes
5. It’s available at a great pricing
Cons:
1. Not ideal for professional leatherworking
2. It can bend easily on heavy hammering
Best Accessory: AIBER Leathercraft Carving Stitching Steel Mallet
No products found.
Summary Features:
1. 1x leatherworking mallet
2. 8.3 inches total length
3. Approx. 320g total weight
4. Stainless steel + nylon head
5. Ergonomic wooden handle
6. Stitching chisel or Lacing chisel
Last on the list is a compact mallet that you can use to hammer your stitching or lacing chisel while working. It has an average weight (about 320g) so that you can pierce the leather workpiece with fewer pounds while at the same time not tiring your hand.
The head of the mallet consists of sturdy stainless steel and nylon material to work without harming the workpiece. It also has an ergonomic wooden handle, with a smooth and anti-slip treatment so that you can use it for a long time without discomfort.
Moreover, the leather mallet has a total length of about 8.3 inches, which not only leaves enough space to hold and work. But also you can easily fit it in your travel tool bag when going for outside projects.
Pros:
1. It’s a light but good weight to work with
2. Has a reasonable pricing
3. Feels sturdy and well-balanced
4. Comfortable to grasp with either hand
5. You can use it for a variety of leather projects
Cons:
1. You’ll need to tighten the bottom nut quite frequently
Buying Guide: The 5 Crucial Factors To Consider When Choosing The best Stitching Chisel
Here are some five things you have to watch keenly when buying a stitching chisel or lacing chisel for your craft. If unsure or the manufacturer hasn’t listed either of them on the product description, never hesitate to ask as they can undermine your work success.
1. How Are The Prongs?
Do you want them flat, rounded, or either will work in your case? But then, the flathead chisel is for lacing purposes and the rounded makes the regular holes for sewing the leather piece.
So, you have to first discern what you want to achieve so that you can choose perfect prong tips for your situation. In either case, however, you must make sure the points are Sharpenable to ensure optimal convenience all the time.
2. Is The Material Perfect For Daily Hammering?
It’s no secret but many manufacturers on the market today are using cheap materials as most of us are looking for affordable products. But again, high-quality and sturdy material is the best if you want to enjoy consistent punching and for a long time.
So, even if you need the stitching chisel under $20, make sure it has a commendable design. Thankfully, online shopping has made it easier to learn about your prospective product before buying as you can check the reviews from the previous buyers.
3. How Many Holes Can The Stitching Chisel Make?
In simple words, we can call this stitching area as it outlines the number of holes you can achieve with a specific stitching chisel. As you might have noticed from our discussion, the tool is available in various sizes, namely with one, two, four, or six prongs. The latter is the best choice when you need to have many holes in a short time, whereas the single prong can help achieve a sharp, right-angle corner.
4. What’s The Prong Pitch?
This is the distance between two consecutive tines of a lacing or stitching chisel. It’s usually measured in millimeters (mm) and helps highlight the approximate spacing of the stitches you want to make. Furthermore, many providers don’t list the stitching gauge of their chisels. Thus, the prong pitch can come in handy if you wanted to calculate roughly how many stitches per inch a specific stitching chisel or lacing chisel can achieve.
5. How Wide Are The Prongs?
Put simply, prong width is the size of the hole a leatherwork chisel makes. If we’re speaking of a flat head (lacing chisel), this width is similar to the broadness of the piercing point (or else the length of the rectangular hole).
Other than controlling the thickness of a harnessing or lacing needle, the prong width is the second crucial measurement in determining the stitching gauge.
Final Verdict
In general, leather material has a very hard surface that’s quite impossible to penetrate a harnessing or lacing needle directly. So, a stitching chisel is one important tool you shouldn’t lack on your leatherworking table- in particular, when hand-stitching.
In our article, we’ve discussed various chisels, as well as a mallet that you might need for hammering. While all the selections are the most talked models, the No products found. and No products found. are our two top choices. The pair is not only affordable but also comes with a variety of tools. Hence, allowing you to achieve the best hand-stitching finished without draining your pockets.
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
