WUTA Leather Craft Diamond Stitching Awl with Ebony Blackwood Handle Review (2026)

What a diamond awl does

A diamond-shaped stitching awl is a hand tool used in traditional saddle stitching to open, clean up, or slightly widen the angled holes left by a pricking iron or stitching chisel, making it easier to pass a needle through smoothly on both sides of the leather. The diamond cross-section of the blade matches the shape of holes made by most pricking irons, so pushing the awl through in the same orientation as the original hole keeps the stitch line neat and consistent rather than distorting the hole into a round shape. This makes the tool most useful as a companion to a pricking iron and needles rather than a standalone hole-making tool for starting stitches from scratch.

Blade and handle materials

The blade is made from high carbon steel, a material commonly used for hand tool blades because it can be sharpened to a fine edge and holds that edge through repeated use, provided it is kept dry and occasionally oiled to prevent rust. The handle is ebony blackwood, a dense hardwood with a natural gloss that gives the awl a comfortable, solid grip and enough weight to control precisely during slow, repeated stitching work. A brass ferrule connects the blade to the handle; brass resists oxidation better than plain steel, which helps the connection stay tight and free of rust over years of handling, an upgrade some awls skip in favor of cheaper unplated metal.

Sizing to match chisel width

The awl is available in sizes matched to common pricking iron and chisel widths, with a small size suited to a 3mm chisel, a medium size for a 4mm chisel, and a large size for a 5mm chisel, so buyers should choose the size that matches the spacing of the stitching tool they already use rather than picking based on preference alone. Using a mismatched size, an awl noticeably narrower or wider than the chisel that made the holes, can leave holes uneven or fail to clean them up properly, so checking chisel width before ordering matters more with this kind of tool than with general purpose leather tools.

What it is not

It is worth being clear about what this tool is not, it is a diamond hole-opening awl, not a lockstitch sewing awl of the kind that carries thread through the leather in a single motion and locks each stitch mechanically. Anyone looking for a tool that threads and stitches leather without a separate needle, the kind used for quick repairs or machine-style hand stitching, will need a different tool designed specifically for that purpose. This awl instead supports the traditional two-needle saddle stitch method, where the awl opens or refines a hole and the stitcher then passes two needles through by hand, which is slower but produces the classic hand-sewn look many leatherworkers are aiming for.

Value and first-use prep

At a low price for a hand tool with a hardwood handle and carbon steel blade, this awl is an accessible entry point for anyone starting traditional hand stitching, though like many raw carbon steel blades it may benefit from polishing or light honing before first use to help it glide through leather smoothly rather than dragging. A few passes on a strop or fine polishing compound before starting a project reduces the friction that can otherwise fatigue the hand during a long stitching session. Paired with a matching pricking iron, needles, and waxed thread, this awl fills a specific, useful role in a traditional hand-stitching kit rather than serving as an all-in-one solution.

Frequently asked questions