Best sewing tailors awl according to redditors

So I was thinking about sewing on a modification to my GR1 earlier this year and, like /u/TonyTonyChopper said, the biggest concern is how thick the canvas is.

The conclusion that I came to is that the best way to sew something on would be to use a Sewing Awl handtool with heavy duty thread. They're used to stitch leather so GR1 should be doable. There's also videos on YouTube to follow if you've never used an awl before. It's not that hard to learn since it's a simple tool.

So that would be my recommendation. Get the velcro you want to attach, grab a sewing awl, measure everything out so it looks clean, and just sew it on there.

Or if you don't mind using the MOLLE itself, you could always literally just buy MOLLE Velcro Strips

If you had fun and you're looking to dive further into it I'd suggest investing in the following:

• diamond awl like this
  
• diamond chisel(only really need the 2 prong and 5-6 prong) I use these
  
• good braided poly thread like this
  
• good needles John James
  
• Good skiving knife this ones a good starter
  
• Wing dividers I bought these
  
• Edge beveler Like this
  
• You'll also want a leather condition(neatsfoot oil is what I use) and a finisher(resolene, beeswax, snoseal, etc)
  
• Contact cement(Dap weldwood) helps keep things together before you sew them
  
• Dye if you want certain colors
  
  For ~$100 bucks investment and you've got most of the stuff you'll need to make good looking stuff, then you just need to buy leather. I highly recommend picking a project, watching some videos on it and then if you need a new tool for it thats when you buy it. My biggest mistake thus far is thinking I could bypass buying a hole punch, the quality using a punch is so much higher than trying to do it by hand.
  
  As for skills. Look up Saddle stitching, easy to learn and hard to master. With those chisels it makes it really easy to get a good looking product with saddle stitching. Wetforming leather, helps make those sheaths, holsters, etc pop out at you. I like watching Nigel Armitage and Ian Atkinson on youtube, informative and you pick up little tips here and there.
  
  You'll also need to learn to keep your knife sharp! So project 1 if you invest is make a strop and get some jewlers rouge to polish that edge to a razor!

If you're handy, you may be able to stitch it back up with a sewing awl.

First, get a leather edge beveler, like this. it will make your leather appear much more polished and clean.

Next, get a stitching awl and some waxed nylon thread. i cant quite see your stitches because it looks like you filled the stitch line with leather conditioner, but they seem like they are too far apart. when punching the holes, it is useful to use a stitching pony to help hold everything together while you stitch.


Your edges are unfinished, but it isnt too late.... you can still burnish them. get them slightly damp by wiping with a wet sponge (you only need one or two passes!) and then rub the edge vigorously with a very smooth object. even a sharpie or a very smooth countertop will work. I know some folks that use denim or canvas as well... like they say, there are many ways to skin a cat! just keep rubbing until the edge appears shiny and smooth. it shouldnt take more than a few minutes.


also, the watch distracts from the presentation of your craftsmanship. remove it from all future photos

You can probably stitch it back up yourself. Go on Amazon and order a stitching Awl. They are invaluable to any goalie or player. I keep one in each of my bags. There are many youtube videos out there on how to use them. Here's the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/Speedy-Stitcher-Sewing-Awl/dp/B07BMN71QF

https://www.amazon.com/JC-Performance-Leather-Sewing-Stitch/dp/B075NRLD28/ref=sr_1_11?crid=2DYOQWQRLLA6F&keywords=speedy+stitcher+sewing+awl&qid=1569653638&s=arts-crafts&sprefix=speedy%2Carts-crafts%2C165&sr=1-11

I bought this leather sewing awl http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049W6XRE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hey, remember that Home Ec stuff you learned? You get to use it now.

When my stuff gets cut or stitching starts to fail, this fixes it right up.

Only real difference between regular sewing and leather/fur sewing us you'll want to use glover needles and a sailors palm, speedy stitcher, or leather thumb cover with a coin in it. These mittens are some of the easiest patterns to trace two identical halves and sew inside out. Best used with glove liners.

Another alternative: maybe you could simply secure a neoprene camera case inside the backpack. You could use a sewing awl to stitch it in (check out this video).

Man, my instructor has a strict "no beating off in the booth" policy XD

But yeah, you shouldn't need to beat on it too much. I'm having a hard time finding a good video showing slag removal, but THIS might give you a general idea. See how he's running the chipping hammer over the toes (Where the weld metal meets the base metal, running up along the sides of the weld)? That's what you wanna go for. Might need a little tap or two to start loosening it up, but most of it should come off when you drag along the toes.

But like I said, once you get more time under the hood, it'll start coming up easier. You'll know you have your shit dialed in when you put your hood up and see the slag lifting up off the weld on it's own. Once you move up from flat and start doing horizontal, you might lift your hood and half of the slag has fallen off on it's own just from gravity.

Edit: HERE's another video. This one is from Jody, who is incidentally one of, if not THE, best welding youtuber. If you're not already watching his videos, you need to start. He explains things really well. Anyway, in that video you'll see how little force you need to give it to remove the bulk of the slag. He's not even using a chipping hammer, just the end of a rod. Once you get the slag off, hit it with a wire brush, and then double check for any slag left over. It's a good habit to bring a flashlight so you can really be thorough. Leaving slag isn't going to kill you in practice, but it's really good practice to always do the best you can whether you're padding beads on a plate or taking a weld test.

Also, this is the scratch awl I use. Works really well for getting stuff out of tight areas. Or hell, just for general removal when all you need is a drag along the toes.

M-W Pack of 5 Gourd Shape Leather Craft Cloth Wood Handle Scratch Awl Tool Pin Punching

One for five different kinds of wrappers..

I'm also a big fan of this thing: https://www.amazon.com/Speedy-Stitcher-SEW110-BRK-Sewing-Awl/dp/B0049W6XRE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1518210202&sr=8-2&keywords=speed+stitcher

You can get a curved needle for it, and it's been a huge help in punching through thicker materials when I'm making gear (leather, ballistic nylon, etc).

This and this off your list go really well with this material off mine! I want to make it into a nice romper!

Thank you for the contest!

Success!

Thank you so so so so much. Wow. I wanted to wait to try it out to see how well it might work. It went through two layers of leather without any difficulty and it made sewing incredibly fast and easy. I was able to finish tailoring in less than 30 minutes. Thank you so much.

If anyone is wondering: I bought Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl 120. I bought one of the slight more expensive "new" ones, and therefore didn't need to break $25.