Speedy Stitcher Sewing Awl

While it may be the best out there, it certainly has much to be desired.Attached pictures: 1) a diagram of the parts; 2) a neat description of the product; 3) an example of how to use the product in order to get around some of its flaws (failure of the thread to feed properly through the awl); 4) a competitors product that has a design which would appear to solve many of the flaws in this product.The good:1) comfortably fits in the palm of the hand2) firm chuck lock to secure the needle3) thread post is well designed (allowing the needle to slide freely up to the needle)3) good overall ideaThe bad:1) if the "bobin" (string spooler) is filled up too much then the thread will not feed properly, and will bite /sink into the spool of string contained in the bobin. Recommendation: not much can be done about this. This is just a point worth noting as my stitcher was SHIPPED with an overly full bobin.2) the "tension post" (the silver tack around which the string is supposed to wind when coming out of the spool handle) is weak and bends easily. -- for a premium product this should not be the case. Recommendation: upgrade the tension post.3) the "end cap" is way too difficult to remove. I had to use pliars, and in the process damaged it (bent the weak metal). Again for a premium product, this should not be the case. Recommendation: a) smooth the metal edge on the end cap so that it is not abrasive b) attach a braided string or threaded metallic wire to the end cap so that it is easier to remove.4) the hole from which the thread feeds when coming off the bobin gets gouged by the thread. Eventually a cut develops in the wooden handle so that the thread gets caught in it. This is a bad design. The angle of the hole is poorly designed. When the thread feeds from the bottom of the bobin, it creates a very harsh angle from the spool (bobin) to the hole where the thread must exit. Recommendation: This problem can be solved by widening the hole on the inside of the sewing awl handle, and lining it with an epoxy. Personally, after I whittled the hole out (on the inside of the sewing awl) with a knife, that was enough to allow the thread to feed freely.

In an age where everything is disposable, this is a priceless tool to have around for uncountable fixing jobs. And its impeccable quality only seals the deal...Update:I just added the instructions guide sheet to the customer images for a more detailed idea on how this item is actually used... Hope this helps :-)

This is a necessity on a sailboat as far as I'm concerned. If you need to repair Sunbrella or a sailbag before it gets ripped to shreds by the wind on your way to the sail repair facility, you'll be glad you have this in your repair kit. It does what it's supposed to do. What's not to like?++++++++++++++++++ABOUT ME:I finally got fed up with the traffic and lack of competing products to choose from when shopping at the local big-box stores so now I do almost all my shopping on Amazon. I recently read  Cyber Fraud: The Web of Lies  by Brian Seely, about Google Map frauds and have taken to heart that the best way to counter fake reviews is for legitimate customers to post more real reviews. Currently, 100% of my reviews are for products that I paid full price for. In the future, if I some how manage to convince a company to send me something for free, you can rest assured that I won't be changing my opinion of a product based on what I paid for it. I want the best products available and we should all be able to know what they are. If you find this review helpful, witty, charming, absurd, let me know by clicking on one of those buttons right there...no, a little lower, now right...there!

I had some canvas on my pop up trailer that had some stitching come loose and create a hole. I didn't want to pay a lot of money to have someone fix it so I started searching on youtube. I came across this product and thought I would give my hand a try at stitching. I watched 2 videos before attempting it but they looked easy enough. The awl came mostly set up out of the box. All I did was attach the needle I needed and run the string through it. I had made my repair in about 15 minutes from start to finish and you cannot even tell I patched it! I am thrilled with this handy little tool and feel very confident in doing another repair if I have to! Heck I'm always looking at things around the house to see if there is something else I can fix just so I can use it again! For now it will stay in my trailer tool kit as an emergency repair tool. Thanks for a great little tool!

I needed to fix a couple lawn chairs and knew there must be some sort of tool available, since the chairs would not fit in my sewing machine. After a lengthy Google search, I found this speedy stitcher sewing awl. Thinking it would be a breeze to use, I ordered it and waited until the last possible minute to fix the chairs. Well.....after I failed three times, I watched a youtube video (3 times) and FINALLY caught on. Usually I'm a faster learner, but there was a learning curve here that took time.It was worth the time it took, because I was able to fix the lawn chairs and they are possibly more sturdy now than they were when new. The thread that comes with the sewing awl is heavy duty, waxed thread, and it appears like it will last for the life of the chairs.This awl comes with 2 needles: a straight one, which I used, and one with a curve. Only one spool of thread is included, but I would suggest ordering a back up spool to have on hand in case you run out in the middle of a project.The one drawback are the directions that come in the package. They state the steps to using the sewing awl, but there isn't quite enough development of the steps to make the directions completely clear. Youtube was a great help to me.

This is part of my mending box (an assortment of glues, tapes, cable ties, strings/cords, wires and specialist adhesives) which I carry with me as part of my property maintenance business. It has so far been used to repair/join card, leather, plastic and elastic in a variety of situations.It is strongly made and simple to use with my biggest challenge being keeping the tension right in thinner materials. Practice makes perfect and I did find that it is worth marking out your stitch positions first to produce better looking results - well worth the extra few seconds this takes.This joins a small but select array of tools I would immediately replace if lost which, as I've mentioned elsewhere, seems to be the best way of finding something you've mislaid anyway

I've read about the speedy stitcher over the years and wondered what the fuss was about. Having struggled to sew full-grain (4mm) hide in the past and having to resort to a micro-drill and drill-press to make the holes then found it almost impossible to sew using traditional two-needle techniques I can confirm - at least with heavy cotton canvas strapping - the speedy-sticher isn't just a lot faster, it's much neater and infinitely safer, even when using a sail-maker's needle and palm.The specified prewaxed thread is costly and doesn't match most of the items it will probably be used with so I experimented with alternatives from the sort of linen needle-and-thread available from most outlets to dental floss (yes, you read it right - dental floss is unbelievably strong, cheap and available almost everywhere). Given some way of holding the work so far the speedy sticher has dealt with everything I've thrown at it from belts and straps to messenger bags and old boots.In the absence of a friendly traditional cobbler with a can-do attitude (the last one I found was down a side-street in Italy) this is the kind of item that earns it's keep in the tool box, boot or rucksack.

I can’t speak highly enough of this product. I’ve used it to repair all sorts of things, especially backpacks and the speedy stitcher was excellent. I would recommend buying the finer straight needle to go along with this though.

This is just an amazing tool. Strong and beautifully made ( and came in a beautiful box as well), it's the sort of traditional tool which is a joy to use. I bought it to repair a laptop briefcase whose handle stitching was never strong enough for the laptop weight. Using this tool, I repaired the stitching through 3 layers of leather with no problem.It's the sort of tool I wish I had had many years ago, and will undoubtedly find many more uses for in future.

Took 5 minutes to figure out how it worked- and then I was away! You still need to have a fairly strong grip and the strength to pierce tough materials but with a little practice I was able to sew a reasonable looking straight stitch-line. I should have bought this years ago!