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Strictly speaking this project does not involve forging... though it could. I think it might be useful for smiths who also make scabbards or other leather projects though. I made this sewing awl to punch sewing holes for my needles on leather pieces where the throats of my punch pliers is not deep enough to reach. It was about a 15 minute job repurposing an old straight blade screwdriver with my belt grinder and another 20 minutes or so to make the little scabbard for it. I used a ceramic belt and was careful not to overheat the point... so that I could preserve the original temper of the tool. The four sided grind makes a sort of self healing hole that recloses pretty nicely around the thread. You might need to adjust the taper for different leather weights. Longer taper for thicker leather, of course. This works well for most of my work. You can see where I have used it in the detail of the attachment reinforcing grommet. Manual screw driving is rarely used now, in comparison with the old days. So, many nice screwdrivers are available at bargain prices in antique malls and flea markets. I rarely pay over $1.50 for one and get quite a few at around $.50! They also make nice small chisels, which I use to make slits for my lacing. BTW I have found this tool to be superior to any that I've seen offered by the leatherwork suppliers that I am familiar with! It is already a favorite!