joe h

6spi for 12" at 5min? including the time to move the project in and out of the horse clamp? consistent? for a few hours? without butchering the material or uneven stitch lines? Where are they because i want to offer them a job, oh but wait, with speeds like that they must be sitting on a leather stitching empire. There is so much BAD, MISLEADING, and just out right wrong information in this industry. Hence the AWL thing the old timers like to suggest. For craftwork, OK, punching is better - for commercial, wanting to get paid and making designs that truly standout and last forever, please! Glue - but the little black word thingys on the can said f-o-r L-e-a-t-h-e-r and w-a-t-e-r-p-r-o-o-f - im sure the hot sun and then rain had something to do with destabilizing the chemicals. Glue will NOT keep stitch from coming apart, at best it keeps the seem closed and looks good. even the most experienced old ladies, during production will make mistakes and have to restitch. if glued, that material is wasted. what is "designer leather?" can you order that from a tannery like that? i never said "designer leather" or that i use Latigo. i said i stitch into "chrome leather 4/5 stitched with heavier 9/10 bridle and harness leather" which is already drummed dyed. if you haven't in all these experienced years worked with "delicate" 9/10 USA steer bridle or harness leather that scratches and dents with a finger nail then your advise should not be trusted from the newcomers trying to learn to work with leather and SELL IT TO A CUSTOMER that demands professional work for their payment. This is NOT natural tooling leather where you could hide your clamp marks, scratches finger oils, and other movements of the leather that on some level absorb into the hide. When a customer receives a leather product, its hard enough to get them to understand the natural characteristics of the hide. So when i say "delicate" i don't mean it in a "designer leather", whatever that is, sense. "delicate" to picking up a leather craftsman's touches.

Bingo jack, im glad you could see it. "kat" comes right off the bat with his awl advise assuming i don't know how to stitch. Assuming i want to learn how to "Learn to use an awl" Assuming the old Stohlman books contain the great wisdom of leatherwork. And ass-u-me 'ing' every two bit hack that purchases a couple of stamps and strips of scrap from eBay can secure leather together. There is so much bad information on leatherwork, usually from a "craft" perpective so when someone new comes into this field, wrong methods and procedures are made and a lot of crap work exists, that call it "leatherwork'. There is a case to be made if all this crap work is good for the people who make a living with their leatherwork. But then again, the market floods with foreign mass produced inferior products and drives the price to the floor, leaving the customer to wonder why should he should pay $1000 for an American made leather bag when he can pay $200 for a Chinese bag. Leather craftwork, IN MY stupid, nothing, opinion, is like the "Chinese bag" of our industry. (come on you got to laugh at this one). I guess i just wanted to point out to the new comers of leather work that the AWL is not the end "AWL." but who cares, thats my opinion, im sure there are threads where great leatherworkers are are telling people about the virtues of jabbing leather with a spike one hole at a time. be my guest, what do i know. twin, real good points thanks. if you wax up your diamond chisel tips and press the leather down with your thumb and pull it out you will minimize the "hurt" to the leather. nothing is ideal though. The Awl or a metal chop stick is probably the perfect hand stitching tool for the perfect stitch, but im working with constraints - dead lines, fatigue, and pricing the labor competitively. Honestly, how long does it take you to stitch say one side of a bag 45", 2 corners, delicate 9/10 leather with 5/6 skived gusset? and no horse clamp because your gona tear up that fine expensive leather. remember, can't have not even 1 scratch or finger nail mark or ding. Now, how many times in a day can you keep up that consistency? on gluing leather. i don't. i found out 1) it runs when tested with heavy rain and water (i forgot the brand i tested though) 2) MOST important, we all make mistakes and try having to restitch glued leather or repair a customers problem or whatever and work with a $200+ hide. On linin thread. what is the strength like compared to nylon? Where is it available? how are the color choices? OK, lets get down to business, forget the nonsense. My testing: i build my "stuff" lets say bags of some sort, on aesthetics. sure, like NORTH said, not too close of a stitch will weaken. i dont know about the thicker leather holes should be further apart? how far apart do you mean? i have built "stuff" with 2mm chisel holes at 3mm and 4mm apart with 346 nylon and polester waxed bonded thread into chrome leather 4/5 stitched with heavier 9/10 bridle and harness leather. I have tested these bags, the stitching in particular, with up to 30 pounds of weight. i put them through various vigorous testing methods. 1) hung on side strap dees for 1 week 2) hung on rivit secured handle for 1 week 3) shaken and rotated the bag for about 10 minutes. 4) heavy sun and rain conditions and repeated 1 to 3. the stitching has always held up. the rivits became loose but more because the leather around the holes was stretched and glue started to run in the rain. What i don't know and would like to know: i have not tested those heavier leather hides 9/10 stitched together with the same hides just cut down to 5/6. I know chrome leather is stronger, but when you skive that thick leather and stitch it like for a gusset 1) does it lose its strength? 2) now should stitching holes and spacing factor into this? What I am trying to do: If anyone has actually tested this that would be great. I would like to move to 5mm spacing with either 207 or 277 nylon waxed bonded thread. less holes = less stitching, but how many pounds am i good for? I and we need real measurements.

Let's assume I know what I'm doing. If anyone suggests that chisels are "useless" than they are still making simple craft projects with natural undyed leather. The awl, chisel, hand punch, and sewing machine all have their particular purposes. In my opinion the awl, is the worst and for simple projects with curves and big holes, that is very time consuming. I would always use a hand punch and a 00 tube for curves anyway, it's cleaner, easier, smaller holes, and faster. The awl, even experienced takes forever. Those stohlman suggestions are geared more towards craftwork. You are not using an awl on fine leather not clampable in a stitching horse even with padding, complicated projects like a large bag with straight lines, a gusset with tight corners, in a commercial application where you have a dead line and not all day stabbing one hole at a time. Another impractical thing is that saddle stitching thing I see some do where you are putting the 2 needles in the hole together. Who stitches thick leather for 3 to 4 hours a day with at least 2mm to 3mm size holes and 277 or 346 thread? I would really like people's opinion on how and why they choose their hole and spacing sizes? Why 6spi? Is it a strength thing? For me it's always been an aesthetic thing and like all fashion, copying what other high end leatherwork is selling in the market. Im really trying to get to the science of stitching leather and determine the load capacity for hole, spacing and thread size.

When hand sewing with thick leather what do you think from experience is the best stitching chisel size or hole spacing, 2mm, 3mm, etc... to use? do you find the smaller spacing the stronger? does it even make a difference, say between 2mm to 5mm space and its just about how it looks? what nylon thread size 207, 277, would you use on 2mm to 5mm and why?

cool. Who are some of the top Chrome tanneries?

Hello, does anyone know any leather tanneries? i am looking to purchase cow or steer hides from the source. right now i deal with Hermann Oak, which is a great tannery but i just want to know what else is out there. A particular leather tannery i am interested in is the one where Saddleback Leather get their hides from, but if we could put a list together of all working tanneries that are still in bussiness for September 2001, that would be great. the websites would be very helpful.