First Piece

[Nuttish]

Hey y'all. First, I want to thank you for all the great info and discussions here. I've been reading for a few weeks and have learned quite a lot.

I got my first tools and some crummy Tandy veg tan earlier this week and wanted to share my first piece and ask for critiques and input on some specific problems I'm having.

I drew the pattern for this in Adobe Illustrator and printed out a paper template that I scribed onto my working leather.

Tools used:

Osborne stitching awl, sharpened on a stone

John James 002 harness needles

Tiger nylon thread

Osborne 609-8 pricking iron.

Osborne No. 2 edge beveler

No slip steel straight edge

Homemade German steel cutting knife.

Here are some of my specific problems:

I'm having a hard time cutting straight. It always seems to have this little curve where it slightly widens at the end. My knife is very very sharp. What gives. Things seem to go better when I make lots of passes with little pressure, just letting the knife do its thing. Is that usual? Hints? Strategies?

I free handed the curves and was disappointed that there are all these little fly-away bits sticking out. I tried burnishing them with some spit but they don't want to go away. My beveler appears to be too big for 5 oz leather. It makes a groove about 2 mm into the edge but doesn't remove much material. What size is appropriate? It also doesn't go around tight curves like this.

My 8 tpi pricking iron seems pretty darn tight now, but Osborne only makes 7, 8, and 9 tpi and the only other sources I see are Dixon, the expensive French brand, and Japanese stuff which is all very expensive. I want a 6 tpi. Where do I get one?

I'm still learning how to switch hand priority and direction while saddle stitching so I completely screwed up the left hand side of the piece. The typical zig zag with one thread laying over the other is ... on the back.

Speaking of backs, the thing I'm most disappointed about here is the crummy line. I glued the construction up with some Scotch Super 77, so everything was dead straight before I started. I had no problem when I was practicing with 2 thin pieces of leather. I'm straddling my scribed line with my pricking iron and then opening holes up with my awl horizontally from the center line. Any tips appreciated.

I'm not even ready to start thinking about how to properly finish leather.

I would like to stop stabbing my fingers with my awl. It goes through leather like butter and through skin even easier.

Any critiques or thoughts appreciated.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Nuttish

[RoyalLeatherDesigns]

Nutting,

Like you said stitching needs improvement if I'm not mistaken you used two different colored threads, I tend to stay away from doing this because the finish product does not look right. It makes it more visible for blemishes on your stitching. That's all I would improve on. Try Tandy's see if they have the pricking tool you need if not i would suggest one from Joseph Dixon or someone up there with quality, remember this is a tool that is very essential and if you buy it from a quality tool maker you will only be buying it once. God Bless!

Ralph

[barney1023]

I use a thonging tool to cut my holes for sewing probably not the best way or most profesional way to do it but it works and my stitching looks good and pretty even.

[barney1023]

Heres a business card holder I made my wife. Its from the veggie tan leather from tandy but I bought it from hobby lobby. They sell bags of scrap but u can get some pretty large pieces in the bags and there only like 8.99 but on there web site they have a 40% off coupon and they can get the code right at the register from your smart phone so the price is like 5 bucks and leather is great for small projects like this or small pocket holsters like I make quite a few of. But anyway I use the smaller thonging tool and make nice straight lines and I contact cement the very edge and hand sew with the wax covered thread. Darn thing should like never come apart lol. Hope that helps.

Edited October 13, 2013 by barney1023

[Nuttish]

Responding to Royal and Barney here.

Royal:

I used the same color thread. Nothing conceals a crummy meandering line. :-)

But I'm getting better. I made a folded and box stitched sleeve for the iron out of my Record surface planer that I modified the edge on to be a paring knife similar to Dixon's "fancy leather workers paring knife." After an hour on my stones, it's a thing of beauty.

It seems Dixon has the 6 tpi pricking iron I need. Tandy only has chisels and punches. Like I said, I can't justify spending 5 times as much on the French tools, which I do see being offered in the US.

Barney:

Thanks very much for sharing your card case. I hope you don't mind if I offer a few thoughts and ask some questions.

It's a cool simple very useful design. I like it a lot. I'm drawing the pattern for something similar and experimenting with sanding the flesh side down as smooth as possible so it doesn't cheese the corners of my cotton cards.

You will get better results with your marks if you slightly wet the leather before you stamp and make your marks before you finish. This is one of the few things I remember from growing up around dressage horses. It looks like you actually distorted the surface around your K, but who knows - I'm finding that Tandy econo leather is garbage that may not make practicing veg tan work any better. It's ridiculously inconsistent thickness and hardness from inch to inch makes it frustrating for me, at least.

Did you make your marks after you finished the construction? They should be made before you assemble.

I'm going to make another post about typesetting that will address your issues with "Alicia."

You're having the same problem I am with neatsfoot oil penetrating the hide from the side and causing a dark "bleed" under the surface - anyone - what's the strategy for preventing this?

Re: Hobby Lobby. I find the the open bigotry and religious views the owner of Hobby Lobby forces on employees and customers an unacceptable imposition and repugnant to me as a human being. I would sooner never make another leather item in my life than put a nickel in his pocket.

Thanks for responding.

[barney1023]

Yea on the hobby lobby thing my wife worked there and the stuff that has been in the media was never heard of from her and we never experienced any problems with them. On the lettering man I made that cause I was bored sitting at a craft fair and I was tired of seeing my wife pull a bundle of business cards out of her pocket so it was I guess my prototype I did make a pattern from that one because as far as the cards fit its perfect. the lettering isnt perfect because I pretty much free handed it was a quicky thing and I really shouldnt have even tried to stamp anything on it the tandy veg tan stuff is kinda junk like u said I tried to make bracelets out of it but found that unless I soak it in water and let it sit the stamps want to cut instead of just leave an impresion. I do though like the thickness and and feel of it for items like this but will not be tried to tool it again. Not really sure what u are meaning by marks. And the dark border is dyed black thr rest of the leather is the color it came in I got several bags very cheep anf it was several diffrent colors from light brown dark brown redish color and white. I dont use neatsfoot oil I use leather balm with adamwax. The case looked alot better when I first made it about a month ago it has been in my wifes back pocket everyday since I made it so its got scratched and scuffed quite a bit. Hope I covered everything im no pro by any streatch of the imagination I dont really try to make show quality peices there no market for it in eastern ky. Lol. Had to sell a hand tooled leather belt or hand sewed card case for 20 bucks when someone can go to Walmart and get it for less than half the price. Dont get me wrong im getting lots of ideas and learning a lot from the stuff on here but im just applying to my product to make it better.

[barney1023]

Ok I know what u mean by marks lol im sleepy. Yea I stamped it before I sewed it like I said the veg stuff dont like tools. Sorry also I reread your originsl post and seen u want zig zag lines yea im no help there I do use the 4 prong cutter and pre punch my holes for sewing there not fancy at all but they do come out straight.

[NVLeatherWorx]

Another way to get your stitching lines on the straight path is to use a stitching groover and scribe your sew lines into the leather. On a piece that is made from veg-tan all around, you will need to gouge both sides of the leather that are exposed to view. This groove helps to keep your punching lines right as well as gives the thread a recessed channel that it will lay into which gives the stitches a nice, tight appearance.

If you would like an example of what I am talking about let me know and I can try and get you an image.

[Nuttish]

Thanks very much NV. My lines have greatly improved in the last several weeks to the point that I'm actually confident showing pieces to people. I'm using a #8 pricking iron and Sajou Lin Cable 532 thread. It was a matter of making a proper template so I didn't have to worry about hand cutting my pattern, temporarily rubber cementing my construction up, and being diligent about my awl placement.

I'm working with now - Horween Chromexcel - but I will take your advice and experiment with a groover for stiffer grain vegetable tanned pieces when I use a running stitch.

I hadn't experimented with my groover much. Thanks for the input.

[keableleather]

Hi Nuttish, that's a good first project you have done and what is more impressive is that you knew exactly "every" flaw or fault! Good on Ya!!

The image below is how i get my stitching lines to look prior to thinking about picking up the Awl & Needles...hope it helps.

[Nuttish]

"Maker" in a black letter typeface. I like. Very nice maker's mark.

What do you mean that's how you get them to look? Is that what it looks like when you use a stitching wheel? I've never used one. I can't draw a straight line on a piece of paper. I'm sure as shit not trying on a $20 piece of leather that I can't replace this month.

[keableleather]

What do you mean that's how you get them to look? Is that what it looks like when you use a stitching wheel?

Thanks for the makers comment, and yes mate that is an impression from what you called a stitching wheel, usually referred to as an over-stitch wheel and is also used after stitching to pressure down & tidy up your stitching.....if you want to stitch beautifully and quick then stick to the basics and practice and then some more practice.

But the easy way to get your lines very straight is to use as (NVLeatherworx) pointed out, use a grooving tool to scribe your line and undercut a nice groove along the edge, this tool guides as straight as the edge of your leather is and makes a perfect groove to the distance you set it from your edge. That's gives you your stitch line, then dampen (case) the leather and use the over-stitch wheel, place it in the groove taking note of where you want to start your first stitch and then just slowly rock back and forth with firm downward pressure, continue to track along your groove at a pace that suits you.... take care and be patient, you need to go over and over until your desired depth is acquired and the result is what you seen in the image i posted, ready for the awl. (practice on some scrap veg tan and if you don't have any than I'll send you some for nothing if you cover the postage)

Next it is important to use a sharp awl and angle the point (the diamond shape) at 45 degrees to your stitch line and then just allow the point to slip into each stitch groove depression the wheel has made and ensure you are at 90 degrees to the face of your leather and then push down.....but get yourself a chunk of old conveyor belt rubber or some type of thick stiff rubber to push into, glue it to a bit of timber also another good tip is to use a chunk of bees wax as the backing to stab through the leather and into ...in stead of your fingers....(the bees wax keeps your awl lubricated every stab and makes life real easy) don't ever try to punch/stab an awl through leather into fresh air expecting your fingers/hands to be out of the way!!!! It is so so so much easier and safer to stab into a semi solid backing ...

Cheers Jace

[keableleather]

Nuttish - this is a good video on actually stitching for perfection.. http://youtu.be/Q2lDExF5NbE

[keableleather]

Here's my technique on getting a straight line stitch using an edge grooving tool & the Craftool Over-stitch Wheel System

Item #8091-00 from Tandy. This tool comes with 3 wheels that are easy to change over , you get 5,6 & 7 TPI.

1 - Set your grooving tool to the desired distance & cut your groove, do several passes to get the depth you require.

2 - Wet your stitch line, position your over-stitch wheel in the groove & keeping a firm pressure move slowly forward and then back, repeat and progressively move along your groove.

3 - The result is a perfect formed straight stitching groove with even indents to take the awl.

4/5 - Take your awl & here i am using bees was to stab the hole at approx 45 degree to the stitch line.

[Nuttish]

Hi Keable - thanks for the link. This is helpful. It's always good to hear someone discuss needle priority and casting the thread.

It seems to me that the author is probably using a pricking iron in his groove. Same as I'm attempting, but I take your point that grooving makes things a lot easier to line up. The 7-8 re-tanned pull up leather I'm using won't groove and it's very soft, so I might actually use a dull scratch awl and get a slightly deeper and wider mark to prick. In other words, your advice is helpful to show me that I'm making lining up and opening my holes way too hard on myself.

My pricking iron and thread are too fine for some of my work and dividing my scribed line is my main challenge. When using it I also see that my stitching awl is a big wide so I'm occasionally exceeding the edges of my pricking iron impressions. I need to take a longer stitching awl to a stone to narrow it up so I can't open my pricked marks too wide. Nigel Armitage is just really really good at this.

Thank you.