Backstitch, pull the threads through.....

[Red Cent]

Curious what the folks here do when they end a line of stitches with their sewing machines. Backstitching does not look good in my opinion. Pull threads through to the backside makes for knots to hide. Some shove the knot back in the middle. You?

[KidTerico]

I sew by hand and absolutely back stitch. KT

[GunClick Rick]

I sew by hand and absolutely back stitch. KT

By golly he does too!!!And very well!

[Cliff Fendley]

Backstitch just looks right to me, it's been done that way forever. If done well you have to look close to see the backstitch anyway.

[outrider]

I agree with KT and Cliff...always backstitch

[Red Cent]

Maybe I am not doing it correctly. My backstitch looks..well, doubled. Does the consumer expect to see the doubled stitch? On another forum, a bunch use the pull the thread through to the bottom, tie off, snip, and push and tug and hide the knot in the hole. Or they use the flame.
I have this thing that worries me that the stitch will eventually work loose with a backstitch. Especially at the top of the welt with a holster.

[Camano Ridge]

I have used back stitch for over 40 yers ( I do hand sew) I have never had the thread work loose from where I back stitched. Show us your back stitch. I don't think I have ever had a custoer look closely enough at the stitching to notice or if they did they never said anything so it either did not matter or they guessed that must be where the stitch ends. I am not syaing it is not omportant to worry about what the customer thinks, however I think that many times we are far more critical of are work then the customer is.

[KidTerico]

Red Cent run your marking wheel over your stitch when your done and see the difference. KT

[Cliff Fendley]

I suppose you could pull the threads to one side and get them in a knot and pull the knot tight in the hole if all your worried about is it coming loose.

Personally I think the backstitch is stronger because you are double stitching the end that takes the most strain, especially at the top of the holster body or where the billets are attached to a belt.

Even when I hand saddle stitch where I am starting with a solid thread I still back stitch. It doubles the threads strength as well as spreads the load on more leather and harder for the thread to cut the leather between holes.

Think of it as a set of duals on the back of a truck or tractor compared to singles. It's not always for traction, in load applications like on most trucks it's more for strength and support.

[KidTerico]

Cliff are you telling me now your sewing TRACTOR tires? KT

[Red Cent]

CR, you are correct (quality of product). I think it comes with the territory. I look at some of my early works and it is awful. And I hope I keep progressing. That 277 thread looks awful big doubled up.
Thanks folks.

[Graveyard Jack]

I back stitch and think you really have to look for it to see it. Not really noticeable at a glance. Placed strategically on the "flame" stitching.

[Trailrider]

Even if you can see the backstitch, it tells you that the stitching is secure and strong.  In a few instances where I have had to open a seam for some reason, for a customer, I have had to cut the stitching to open the seam. NO WAY to undo it by forcing the leather apart. The leather would give first!

[Red Cent]

I use a Cobra 4 Craig and while the backstitching is very easy and straight I have incurred a hangup on the doubled up thread. Maybe I should handstitch

[GunClick Rick]

Thanks Cliff  I'll never look at a big rig the same   But now i know to backstitch if i ever do it

[Red Cent]

Couldn't decide to tie or knot  ha!

[Biscuit Joe]

I always back stitch two. Pull through, tie, and hide on thick leather.( I use a cobra 4 also.)
On thin leather I do the same,  smaller thread smaller knot to hide, and if I hand sew, I use the same method.

Just feels more secure to me than just stopping sewing and cutting the thread.

[Massive]

I think part of your problem RC is that you may be looking too soon.  Backstitching looks insecure to me, and obvious, when it is just done, but as one follows through the process it blends in, the leather holes tighten etc...

Another thing is that if you don't trust it, you may run too much of it.  Backstitiching isn't really any good if it drops even a stitch, right?  If the first few stitches came out, one would be in trouble with the look already.  So you don't need 15 back stitches.

Technique comes into play also.  Are you using the right needle, the right thread, the right hole spacing.  Did you make sure that you evened out the last stitch, so you didn't sew 3 end up with 2 kind of deal.  Then there is all the finishing stuff including the finish essentially glueing everything in place.

I'm kinda an expert on knots.  You can tie knots inside the leather, outside, there aren't any knots I know of that are easy to get tight, and will hold in silicon lubricated nylon.  And if they aren't tight, they won't hold.  They may stay in place, but if so it is probably because they aren't doing anything.  If the knots do abrade, or come out, you are now going to have to explain how it doesn't mater because the sewing is fine as it is...  And then, if this end user has even used a piece of pro leather, he is going to wonder why you did it that way, when it is obvious no knots works fine.

If you look at, say a Bianchi double holster, the part where he joins the first step stitiching to the welt, is invisible, pretty much.  The finish is kinda beefy.  Could sorta be show business.  Why does one end of the seam need to be doubled, when the load side in singled, while the other end of the welt just has a few stitches overlap, not even from the same end of thread.  But whatever the reason, it looks great, and works, why reinvent the wheel.

[Massive]

Craig, do you have more pics of that leather?  Nice.  Also, where did you get the thread?  Weaver?  I have been looking for a source, for machine stuff, but I can't find anything that will do a one cone order at a decent rate.  Cansew up here is supposed to have it.  The one time I phoned though, they said they didn't have it.

[Red Cent]

Polyester 277 top and poly 207 bottom with a #24 needle.