hand sewing needle questions please.

[Tallbald]

I've been working on a few holsters for modern revolvers, hand sewing all. The needles I ordered from Tandy back when I first started have small eyes that make it almost impossible for me to thread with the thicker waxed cord I use. Are most eyes the same size? I find that using my wife's quilting and craft needles is best, because of the bigger eyes, but they seem to break more than they should. Input would be appreciated. thanks, Don.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Tallbald ... what needle did you get from Tandy, the stitching needle or the harness needle?  What size cord are you using?  I got the stitching needles from Tandy and they have a pretty large eye and I have no problem threading the artificial sinew.

[Trailrider]

The Speedy Stitcher has several needles that are suitable for use with Stewart waxed polyester threads.  I use #150 Fine and #170 Coarse.  An alternative to using needles with closed eyes is to use a Landis machine hook in a hand haft.  You push the needle through the leather (I pre-drill/punch the holes in the leather), then catch the thread and pull it part way through so you form a loop. The other end of the thread is then passed through the loop, and both ends pulled tight and even on both sides of the leather. The advantage is that you can use this in places where the closed-eye needle doesn't have enough room to pass the end of the thread through the loop formed by the Speedy Stitcher needle.  Note that both needle types produce a "machine" stitch, rather than double needle technique for stitching.  Some prefer one and some the other.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

                    Don, just get the large eyed stitching needle, or the large eyed Harness needle, the latter is what I use most.


                                                     You can get both at a Tandy dealer

                                                                 tEN wOLVES 

[rickk]

I use these:



http://zackwhite.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16613&cat=0&page=1

They have a big eye and a blunt point.

If you are using an awl first to punch the hole you don't need a pointy needle. In fact, a pointy needle is just one more thing to stick in your finger and make you bleed, so the round point is way safer.

Rick

[Springfield Slim]

Are you flattening the thread with your fingernail before threading? Works for me with the Tandy needles.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Are you flattening the thread with your fingernail before threading? Works for me with the Tandy needles.

I also wax the ends extra heavy and then flatten, seems to really help with the threading and believe me, with my old tired eyes and poor shop lighting, I need an edge.

[TN Mongo]

Am I the only one that has problems with the needles with large eyes from Tandy breaking?  The harness needles with the small holes hold up better, but are hard to thread.

I've started buying needles from local craft stores like Hobby Lobby and they seem to hold up better.  I like they style rickk posted.  I'll gladly order some from Zac White if they're not the Tandy needles that I've been having problems with.

[rickk]

TN Mongo, I can't say I have never broken one, because I have broken one or two. I think I bent one somehow as well.

They do come in 10 packs though, and a pack is $3 bucks. I have 7 left in the pack that I bought a few years ago.

The one or two times they broke I was pulling the thing really hard while the thread was binding. I forget exactly what the circumstances were. I think maybe I was pulling through maybe 4 pieces of leather at once (where the filler goes on a holster seam maybe). The punched holes might not have all been lining up perfectly for some reason.

I can't remember what stupid thing I was doing that cause one to bend, but I know I did bend one once.

Normally though, if you punch the hole with a diamond point awl first the thread slides through pretty easy and there should not be any issues with needle breakage.

[ChuckBurrows]

how us old timers prep our thread so it goes through the eye of the standard oval eye harness needles - also get the right size needle for the size thread you are using i.e. single ought is good for up to 5 cord - I use only John James needles (made in England) or the Osbornes available from Campbell-Bosworth for one......





Pictures are from Al Stohlman's book - The Art of Handsewing Leather - a great resource for any crafter whether they be newbies or old timers.......

[Slowhand Bob]

TN, no you are not the only one that has had problems with the Tandy big eye needles.  These are what Tandy uses to stuff kit project packs with and the leather is pre-punched with very large sewing holes to let the cheap needle pass.  The side walls surrounding the eye are extremely thin/fragile and the whole needle probably suffers from poor heat treatment.  The needles I would normally use for any hand stitching I might need to do would usually be from Weaver and are made by CSO.  I probably have a thousand of the cheap Tandy big eye needles on hand and will grab one occasionally for some jobs that are suited to them but I would never purchase them again.

[Tallbald]

Thank you everyone. I received 2 packs of hand stitching Tandy needles the other day. Used them on a full flap holster yesterday and they worked so much better than what I had been trying to use--sure nice to be able to thread the eye without having to try to hold my tongue just the right way! Don