Hi,
I dusted off my old sewing awl and repaired a leather bag this morning. It is a great tool for quick DIY stitches on thick materials and it got me thinking of you folks. This one has saved me a lot of money over the years. Fixed leather jackets, car seats, shoes, web belts, bags etc. it is slow but it is extremely effective if you only need a few stitches. Not good for big projects.
A neat thing I discovered lately is I can use standard sewing machine needles in it. The stock needles are a little thick. I was introduced to this tool as a kid by a frugal neighbor. His had smaller needles and a hollow handle to store them. I finally figured out the needles were just sewing machine needles. You can probably make your own with a sewing machine needle and a pin vise. Or even better, a needle, a block of wood and some epoxy.
http://www.harborfreight.com/quick-stit ... 91812.html
Edit-some quick googling, I'll be damned Tandy Leather sells one. I should have known. I bought mine pre-web.
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-u ... 16-00.aspx
This is the one my neighbor had! Cool!