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Chief31794

Stitching Holsters Or Sheaths

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I have just purchased a Boss and I have converted a Singer (for lighter leathers), my question is that when stitching gun holsters or sheaths where both sides of the product are basically finished leather (grain side) should you groove both surfaces or just the outside surface and let the lower stitches remain on the surface? I would think that to do both you would have to ensure that the edge was cleaned up and even before running the stitching groove to ensure that the lower sticth would lay in the groove. Is there a trick to this or should I just let the lower stitch lay on the back surface? Thanks.

Ken

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Don't groove the back. You don't even really need to groove the front unless you just really want to. The problem with grooving the back - sometimes it's very hard to keep the holster perfectly flat against the needle plate (for example, Avenger style holsters where the holster is folded). You can't see the back side while you're sewing, so you can ruin your holster in a heartbeat if the needle exits the leather outside the stitch groove.

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Like the answer to most questions: It depends.

I'll look at any project I sew, . . . I really do like the look of stitches being down level in the groove, . . . not up on top of the leather.

If it is a "doable" piece, . . . I'll stitch groove both sides, . . . as I use a Boss also, . . . and no matter what you do, . . . the back side never will look as "pretty" as the front, but having the groove there, . . . AND, . . . working the stitches after sewing, . . . makes to me a better looking product.

Particle is very much correct though, there are sometimes when it just is not worth the gamble of ruining a project.

Grooving on the backside can only work, . . . AFTER, . . . the edges have been very meticulously done. And it would do you well to save scraps of leather and practice edging and grooving and stitching. Whole lot easier to throw away two scraps than an otherwise nice product you messed up sewing.

EDITED: Another thing that will definitely help though, . . . buy or make yourself a little table for the Boss. Mine is nothing more than a 12 in square of high density poly plastic, screwed to some 3/4 in plywood slab legs, with a hole drilled in the end to accept the bobbin area of the machine. It gives me a perfectly flat area to manipulat the piece being sewn, . . . and makes a world of difference in the ease of sewing. It'll also help out if you grooved the back side.

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited by Dwight

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Thanks to both of you.

Ken

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Ken,

I had the same question/issue. I drill and hand stich my holsters and even after perfectly squaring up the mating edges I could rarely hit the groove on the back side. An old pro told me to groove the back after drilling the stitch holes. This only works and looks good if your stitch groover is nice and sharp. It also only works if you're drilling and hand stitching...not so much when using a machine. Considering how much time it takes to make a holster and not wanting to ruin all that work, I finally decided to bite the bullet (pun) and skipped the groove on the back side. I think it looks TOTALLY acceptable and none of my customers even know the difference. I think only a holster maker would even notice the difference. I say just skip the back side groove and save yourself the time and headache.

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