Hand Stitching Leather

[ChuckBurrows]

Much of the color you see in PI is primarily due to aging. When I want a tan colored thread I dunk the whole roll in thinned down brown dye.
Another option the high quality waxed French linen thread which is offered in various colors.
http://www.fineleatherworking.com/linen-thread   not cheap but really nice pre-waxed thread.

[Cliff Fendley]

Skeeter, When waxing the thread just do it with dirty hands or gloves. Naturally aged linen thread

No joke, I've actually done that when stitching pre dyed leather and don't want the thread real white looking.

[Skeeter Lewis]

Thanks, pards.

[1961MJS]

Hi

I"m starting on a 3 knife case, I've done a few sheathes, but none this thick.  It is suggested in this thread, that I use a drill press to make the holes for sewing.  I THINK someone mentioned, not turning on the drill, but just pressing through because you want the leather pushed out of the way, not taken away.  I didn't see it though.  Is that right or not?  I'm really trying hard to get the holes straight for once...

Thanks

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Can you chuck up your awl in a drill press and punch the holes with the drive turned off? Every hole would be exactly the same angle that way.

When I worked in the saddle shop, we would sometimes punch holes with a sewing machine that had no thread in it when we wanted a nice even hand stitch through numerous layers.

[Cliff Fendley]

Sometimes a drill press wants to pick up the entire work piece if you use just and awl or don't turn it on where a stitching machine has a presser foot holding the work down. I use a finish nail and turn it on and let it just punch a starter hole. Then I can push an awl through by hand while sewing.

I actually have done the stitching machine trick but it's easy to tell if the hole was made with a regular harness awl or machine awl or needle so I figure I just as well let the machine do the rest of it.

The nail in a drill press doesnt alter the look of a hand stitch if you chase the holes with an awl while stitching. It just makes it much easier on old tired hands.

[1961MJS]

Hi

Thanks, both of you.  I'll try both the awl and I'll get a few finish nails to try also. 

Later

[Blair]

I have not read through all of these 6 pages, so I don't know if I am covering old material.

When I build a holster, I use 8-9 oz. leather. This runs about 1/8 inch thick, so when sticking two pieces of 8-9 oz. leather together, they are about 1/4 inch thick.
I like to use a 5 or 6 threads per inch indicator to mark out my stich seam to run my awl through the leather for this weight leather.

The hand awl does very nice to create the holes all by itself.
Hole punches and/or drills remove leather from the area of the stich. An awl just  spreads the leather leaving maximum amount of leather and strength around each stich.
My best,
Blair

[Cliff Fendley]

Blair, that's why I just poke a hole with a tiny finish nail and then the awl follows that hole very nicely and you are not removing any leather. It comes out the exact same as using just the awl except it saves my hands.

[Grenadier]

When faced with a particularly hard piece of leather, I stick an old broken needle or ask blade in my drill press and use it to punch my holes. I don't turn it on, I just use the downward force of the press. It will make mincemeat out of the toughest leather.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

When it comes to leather that's too thick to get my needle through, I use a stiching chisel, and mallet, I wax my  tine blades with bees wax before driving the tines through the leather, if the leather is too thick for my chisel I will use my dremel and drill my holes using a 1/16 "drill bit, I do this after marking my holes with a stich marker, you can also do as others have mentioned by using a drill press and using an old needle to make your holes, hope this helps...

tEN wOLVES

[Skeeter Lewis]

This is the best explanation I've found of how to do a basic saddle stitch. His other videos deal with various aspects of leather work.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, Skeeter. That was a very good video. He did two things automatically that he didn't mention. I feel they should be pointed out.

First, always push the awl through exactly the same for each hole. That means angle, depth and slant of the tip. That will allow each stitch to lay exactly the same. If the holes are different, it's impossible to make the stitches look the same.

Second, always put the first needle through from the same side of the project. That makes all your stitches the same. I always work from the front of the project but even if you did it from the back, as long as everything is done the same, your stitch line will be nice and even looking.

[Capt Quirk]

My stitching usually looks ok in the front, but like drunken sailors in the back. All out of line, dirty, and sometimes covered in blood. This is particularly true with white thread. I gave up trying to use an awl, except as a last resort for hard to reach holes. The rest of the time, I use stitching chisels.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

There are a couple things you can experiment with that might help you when punching holes with an awl.

Try backing your awl with a cork, small rubber ball or something similar when you punch the holes. That saves your fingers and allows you to make holes all the same because the leather won't flex from the force of the awl.

Also, every couple holes, poke your beeswax with the awl so it goes through the leather without dragging. Just don't get a lot of wax on the tip. A slight amount will do fine.

[Skeeter Lewis]

I'd like to try using poloyester thread - after years of using linen - but I have a question about the thickness of the thread.
The Tiger thread on sale in the UK comes in .6mm, .8mm and Imm. How do they equate to 3, 4, and 5 cord linen thread?

[Coffinmaker]

  Hey Skeeter 

CAVIAT; I'm not a leather worker.  Best I could ever do with needle and thread was to replace buttons on my BDU/Fatigues.  However, were it I, I'd be sending the folks in the UK an eMail and ask 'em.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I never tried it myself. It will be interesting to hear what you find out.

[Sedalia Dave]

Take a look at this old thread I found. If nothing else you can use your calipers to measure your thread to get a comparison.

https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/55977-linen-thread-sizes-in-mm/