Question for leatherworkers

[Zingmo]

I bumped into the Identity Store people yesterday and came away with a slab of veg tan for a few mask/sheath projects I need to get on with. It is about 3.5 or 4mm thick. I have cut out the pieces for a mask and need to stitch it up.

Now my question is this: I have a stitch marking wheel which will mark where to make a neat line of stitch holes, but the other side of the stitch will be over a centimetre away: Is there a trick to getting a neat line of stitches on each side and getting them to line up? Or am I just doomed to have one neat side and one side that will never appear in any photos?

Z

 

[Dreadhead]

You need an edge groover, which will keep your stitches aligned, and then start by lining up your first stitch hole on each side of the leather using your awl. Then you can run your stitch wheel from that first hole down both sides. When you push the awl through, push it just enough so that you can see where it will come through on the other side, if it's in the right place great, if not, then ADJUST in the right place. I hope that makes some sense!

 

[Zingmo]

Thanks Hamish, that helps (although I am not sure if "uqh" is Scottish or a typo!).

I thought that might be the answer I would get. I guess all that neat stitch work I see in other peoples work represents some skill and careful work!


Z

 

[Dreadhead]

Thanks Hamish, that helps (although I am not sure if "uqh" is Scottish or a typo!).

I thought that might be the answer I would get. I guess all that neat stitch work I see in other peoples work represents some skill and careful work!


Z

haha it shows I was in a rush when typing! I meant to write 'adjust' sorry! Aye getting your stitches to line up on each side takes a while, but when you get it you will be proud I'm currently stitching through 5cm of leather with a diamond awl, frustrating as hell but it will be worth it!

 

[Robbi]

5cm ! hell man that's 2 inches !! what on earth are you doing ?

 

[Dreadhead]

5cm ! hell man that's 2 inches !! what on earth are you doing ?

all shall be revealed in good time my friend.....

 

[Black Sheep]

As Hamish said but I tend to mark the stitches in the groove and awl the first hole just enough to see it in the groove on the other side. Mark the stitches on the back with your over stitch wheel and half awl the holes in the back. Then awl the holes from the front as I find it makes it easier to line it all up and if you muck it up it will be on the back not the front.

Rich

 

[Dreadhead]

As Hamish said but I tend to mark the stitches in the groove and awl the first hole just enough to see it on the other side. Mark the stitches on the back with your over stitch wheel and half awl the hole in the back and then awl the holes in the front as I makes it easier to line it all up and if you muck it up it will be on the back.

Rich

Well put Rich, that's what I do aswell but was too much in a rush earlier to think straight, let alone type it out properly!

As a side note, it may be worth getting a copy of the Al stohlman book 'the art of hand sewing leather' it has everything you need in there

 

[Black Sheep]

As a side note, it may be worth getting a copy of the Al stohlman book 'the art of hand sewing leather' it has everything you need in there

As Hamish says this is the bible of hand stitching and definitely worth a read.

I still refer back to it from time to time.

Cheers Rich

 

[Fraxinus]

What a great question.
Great informative replies too.
When I read this earlier my mind took me on a much more arduous solution involving nailing the leather to a board.............. man! I depress myself some days
You can see why I work with wood, eh?
So glad I came back to read the replies

Rob.

 

[mountainm]

I use stitching pincers for most jobs. Given they meet in the middle it's easy.

 

[Zingmo]

More good advice. Thank you.

I was even wondering if I should get some sort of pillar drill attachment for the Dremel. The last thing I stitched did get nailed to a board!

Very curious what it is you are making Hamish.

Z

 

[Black Sheep]

More good advice. Thank you.

I was even wondering if I should get some sort of pillar drill attachment for the Dremel.

You can drill the holes BUT drilling removes material were as using an Awl parts the fiber's of the Leather. The Leather can then shrink back a little giving a stronger joint and in the case of things like tankards more watertight.

If your not wanting to use a Diamond awl you can use just a round awl. I often use a round awl as I prefer the way the stitches lay in the groove. I make my own out of 1.6mm / 1/16" darning needles and just change it when it's blunt. I can happily go through 20mm / 3/4" welt on an Axe mask with one of those.

This is the book we mentioned.....



Cheers Rich

 

[mountainm]

Just as a side note. The diagonal slant on a diamond awl stitch adds strength to thinner leathers so they don't behave like the perforations in toilet paper.

 

[Zingmo]

Edge groover,diamond awl, Al Stohlman's book, stitch pincers...
I can see I've got to start saving my pocket money!

Z

 

[Zingmo]

Ok here's what I managed. I'm happy as this axe lives in the shed, so the mask just needed to be functional. But it was great practice.




Photos of both sides you will notice!

There were a few mishaps with the awl:


And I am left with another question: what's the neatest way to finish the stitches on an item which doesn't have a front and a back?




Z

 

[mountainm]

to finish back stitch 3 stitches and cut off as close as you can. Seal with a smidgen of beeswax. No knot needed.

 

[Zingmo]

Ah thanks. I'm a bit paranoid about my stitching coming apart!

Z

 

[Dreadhead]

Nice work on that axe mask, your getting better I use knots, but it's difficult to explain how I do them. I stitch back 2 or 3 stitches, and feed my threads through each other on each side, so that when I tighten the knots up, they tighten against each other. End result is incredibly tight knots. It's a bit fiddly to do though unless you have plenty of thread left each side.

Regarding my secret project I mentioned earlier, I've just finished it today (in part anyway). Though I did scale it down a bit, so I only ended up stitching through 3cm of welts which made life easier

 

[Black Sheep]

Looking good

I usually start 3 stitches in and work back to the start. At the end I stitch back at least 3 stitches and cut off as close as possible.

The beauty of saddle stitch is each stitch will hold tight even if the next stitch is cut (try unpicking some stitches).
Rich