UnionCraft

1. Make sure to line up your iron properly. Judging from pic 1, you're not lining up the iron straight. 2. Punch the iron through all the way. Make sure you have a piece of leather or poundo board underneath to protect the iron. 3. You do not require a sharpened awl. If your needles/thread are having difficulty passing through the leather, use your awl to open up the hole before threading the needles through. 4. Always stitch consistently. Your needles go in randomly in and out of the holes. They need to enter and exit uniformly and consistently all the time. Back side stitching commonly looks exactly like your pic #2 stitching due to inconsistencies. Also, you are not using a "Pricking Iron." Before everyone on the planet decided to purchase Blanchard or Dixon pricking irons, what you're using was sold as a "Diamond-Shaped Stitching Chisel." For short, they were called "Stitching Chisels" or "Diamond Chisels." Both the stitching chisel and pricking iron produce a different type of hole. Therefore, the different names. After pricking irons grew in popularity, sellers such as GoodsJapan, started labeling the chisels as pricking irons along with the original name (Diamond Stitching Chisel or Diamond Leather Stitching Chisel). Tandy still refer to theirs as "Diamond Hole Chisels."

Thanks again guys and sorry for the late reply. I will PM you guys the answers to your questions, because I do not want to make that info public.

In case someone was wondering, this is what the finished edges look like.

I use the screw crease. Slipping can occur on any of the tools, so being patient and steady will help you to prevent it from slipping. Pre-crease Try using minimal force and create the crease line with an unheated creaser. - An unheated creaser with little embedding is easier to hide mistakes with corrections. - A heated creased line will be more visible with mistakes. After creating a light, but slightly pronounced straight line with an unheated creaser, run a heated creaser over the line. The pre-crease creates a guide, to help your crease straighter with the heated one. If you can get that down well, you can switch to just using a heated one all the time. Let me know if that helped!

Sorry, I was holding the camera with my right, and cutting with my left. When cutting, pull the thread with your left hand and use your "pinching fingers" to pull the thread upwards. With the remainder of your fingers, use the knuckles to apply downward force on the leather. Then with your left hand, use your thread nippers/scissors/knife and cut the thread closest to the bottom. Doing these steps can help prevent excess thread sticking out. Sorry, no pics provided... However, you may use a metal hammer with a rounded face, a closer's hammer (AKA "Fittings Hammer" or "Pasting Hammer") or use a bone folder to flatten the stitches. This is the end result on the front of the leather. This is the back of the leather. Again mrtreat32, for your reference... I used Barbours 25/3 thread for this. I would say it's fairly close to 632. My 35/3 is definitely thinner than 632. If you can find it, try a 30/3 and 25/3 to see what you'd like best.

I apologize to mrtreat32 for getting back to him late and after the previous thread was locked. Here's a tutorial for back-stitching initially and finishing your work w/ 2x back-stitching. I always back-stitch 2x. However, items that have higher stress points, I would back stitch 3x. Not only does back-stitching lock the stitches, they also provide extra support/strength. This is for right-handed saddle stitching. I'm using a saddlers clamp as well. (Clamp opening is facing my left.) Start by inserting the thread through the third hole. Insert your LEFT hand needle through the back of hole #2 first. Then insert your RIGHT hand needle through the front of the #2 hole. You may stitch by inserting the needle at either the top of the hole or bottom. Results will be similar either way. Bottum of hole > / (bottom of the slant) or / < top of hole (the top of the slant). Then pull both the LEFT & RIGHT needles firmly to complete the first stitch. Repeat the same process, LEFT 1st and RIGHT last for hole #3. Now stitch like you normally would, but over the back-stitches. LEFT needle through the back first... followed by the RIGHT needle through the front. Continue to stitch all the way to the end. As in the beginning instructions. LEFT needle through the back 1st. Then RIGHT needle through the front. Pull the threads together and repeat to finish the final back-stitch To finish the work, see below...

You're welcome Bob. I'm glad it helped!

Thanks! I've bought some of my Barbour on ebay. I've also bought from Hewit in the UK. Keep stitching!

@1:04 in this Dunhill video, Thomas is using a "Split Hammer." It's like a hammer with a heavy metal head, but the striking surfaces on both ends are raw hide. The head splits in two in order to replace the raw hide faces. There are also "solid-head hammers." They are similar, but with fixed rawhide faces that require a press to insert new faces; they're also a bit lighter in weight. List of Manufacturers CS Osbourne Garland Vaughn Thor All of these split/solid hammers can be purchased on ebay.

Before pulling the trigger on your next order, I thought you'd like to see this. The edge stitching is a N°9 pricking iron with N°632 Lin Cable. The s-decorative stitching is a N°10 pricking iron with the same N°632 Lin Cable. Since this topic is about rounding corners, I decided to include rounded corners to remain relevant lol! The curved parts were all stitched using the tilted pricking iron technique. I hope this reference was helpful to you. I'm sorry, but I do not have any N°532 Lin Cable to compare.

super helpful tutorial! Really appreciate it! You're welcome! After looking at your pics I was curious about a few other things. Did you backstitch at the beginning of the piece when you started and than again at the end to make it look uniform? I might give that a shot if so.. I like the way both sides ended up with symmetrical stitching. Yes I did. It's a neater look. Do you punch the pricking iron all the way through the piece? I have read different opinions on this.. I dont see the harm as long as there is something under the piece to protect the tool when the teeth go through. Maybe finishing the whole with the awl gives a better result? For the straight stitches, I punched through the leather. The rounded corners were pierced with my awl. What size thread is that? Fil au chinois? I did not want to waste my good thread for this tutorial, so I opted for my cheaper Barbour 32/3 thread. The 32/3 is equivalent to the N°732 Lin Cable thread. Typically I would use my N°632 Lin Cable for my N°10 pricking iron. My stitches dont have space like that between each one. Im assuming because I have size432 and maybe youre using something finer? Which pricking iron do you use? I would recommend N°432 with a N°6-8 pricking iron depending on your preference. Stitching looks awesome. Do you have a website? Thanks! Sorry, but I'd rather not disclose that information. I'm only here to help.

Also, since Nigel Armitage is referenced many times, I decided to poke around. In this video, at around 1:15, he demonstrates the tilted method for rounded bends. He also demonstrates the wheel method by using an "overstitch wheel." An over-stitch wheel is common in western leatherwork and it produces small dots to mark the leather. European leatherwork involves a "pricking wheel," which creates the slanted marks of a pricking iron. Again, as shown by Nigel, there are multiple ways to go about rounded corners. I hope all this info was helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gtonQ3YF5s You're welcome!

The rounded corners on this, was made using a penny as a pattern. Pic 1 Here I am placing the first tooth into the previous hole to space the stitching. The second tooth is being pressed into the leather carefully, so that the 3rd tooth doesn’t come down far enough to mar my work. The second tooth may be adjusted if mistakes are made, because the leather hasn't been punctured yet. Pic 2 Here are the marks after I’m finished. Pic 3 Being careful, I place my awl on the mark and make sure it lines up perfectly slanted with the slanted marks from the pricking iron. Then I push the awl straight down, perpendicular to the leather. I’m using multiple scrap layers to do this, so that I protect my awl after it exits out the back. Pic 4 Here are the finished results after making the holes with my awl. Pics 5 & 6 After stitching this piece, I decided to finish the edges as well, for presentation. Pic 7 What I am referring to, in my previous reply… I’m not a fan of lightly hammering the iron with a mallet, because doing so, will create a slanted entrance holes because of the tilted iron. You can still achieve good results this way, but only if you’re able to correct the hole you make with an awl. However, I just prefer to not have it initially slanted.

Mrtreat32, Again there are multiple ways to achieve round cornered stitching. In mathematics, 2+2 will always = 4 However, there are many leather craftsman from many different backgrounds of training and there are also many different tools. Thus, there are various ways to approach a rounded stitch. And there are no correct ways of doing so; it's only based off your preference. The most common ways I've seen are: - Tilting your pricking iron. (Commonly used in England) Some just use the iron alone to mark the holes without hammering and use the marks to guide an awl through. Others tap lightly to make a short hole and use an awl to penetrate through and exit the backside of the leather. I don't like this way, because you end up slanting the entrance hole and it’s easier to accidentally mar the leather with an extra tooth where you don't want it. - A pricking wheel. (Used a lot more in the saddlery trade, so Hermès selliers have been seen using the Blanchard griffe à molette when making saddles.) Just like an overstitch wheel, you push the wheel around rounded ends and then make the holes with an awl. - A 2 Dents Pricking Iron (Commonly seen in France due to Blanchards wide offering of pricking irons.) (Dixon, Barnsley, etc. offer 1/2”, 1”, 1.5” irons, so you see lot old school English craftsmen using the “tilted pricking iron” method. However, to meet the demands of today’s market, Dixon has their own 2 tooth offering now.) Depending on the size of your curves, you can use a 1-20+ dents pricking iron. The larger the roundness, the larger your pricking iron choice. I like this method because it’s easier and less time consuming. If you are looking to try alternatives to the 2 dents iron and would like to use your existing iron, please see my next post, I will show you how to do the “tilted pricking iron” method.

Do what Gary said. Tilt your iron, but DO NOT PUNCH OR TAP w/ a mallet. Using your own strength, apply a small amount of pressure to make slanted marks. After you mark around the leather, use your diamond awl to make the holes. I recommend placing the leather over thick scrap leather or a cork board to drive the awl through to make sure it's perfectly driven straight. The marks from the pricking iron shows you how slanted each hole needs to be as well as how they need to be spaced apart. The awl acts as a 1 Dent pricking iron that you drive through the leather. This is the best way and your results will appear exactly as if you had used a 2 Dents pricking iron.

Sorry Charlie, I wrote this up before I noticed a reply from you. Great work by the way!

Sorry if I butt-in, but here are some answers to your questions. I see that you're stitching very close to the edge of the piece, which is appropriate for such fine work. Are you using a groover, or otherwise creating a recessed path for the stitching to lay into? He is either going the traditional way by: Using a compass or ruler+scratch awl to draw a line in order to line up his pricking iron Or: He is using an edge creaser to guide his pricking iron in a straight line. See right below! What do you use to emboss the edge outside of your stitch line? Is that an impression made with a tool of some kind, or does it just...occur..as a result of your stitching technique? There are several options for achieving this using different edge creasers. 1. A “screw creaser” EX: Vergez Blanchard “Cornette a Jonc Manche Buis” 2. A fixed edge “creaser” EX: Vergez Blanchard “Fer a Filet Maroquinier a Guide Emmanche” 3. Heated iron. These don’t really have an exact name. Some use soldering irons with the creaser tip attached. The ones used by Hermes are the most sought after versions. EX: Ets P. Regad & Fils “G/6M (power source and controls)” + “Manche (the handle)” + “Ref: F Fileteuse (attachable creasing tip)” You mentioned using Blanchard 10spi pricking irons. I've been seriously considering buying a set of these irons, but I have a hard time picturing how fine, or small, the stitch marks are that these are capable of. Evidently, you can get very close to the edge with these tools without wrecking the edges. Your strap and belt example pretty much has me convinced that I need to just bite the bullet and spend the money for these. The size of each tooth is approx. 1/16th of an inch. I would recommend a set of 4 irons. - Griffe a Frapper a Dents N°00 01 Dent - Very handy for filling in big gaps on squared corners. - Griffe a Frapper a Dents N°10 02 Dent - Useful for going around rounded corners. - Griffe a Frapper a Dents N°00 04 Dent - Useful for tight spaces and smaller work such as across watch straps or making small keychains. - Griffe a Frapper a Dents N°00 10 Dent - Useful for small leather goods such as watch straps, wallets. Also larger items like bags and cases. Others have been able to achieve good stitching with vintage pricking irons, Chinese, Japanese, Joseph Dixon, and George Barnsley irons. It’s not always about the tools, it’s more on the user’s end. I can already tell you that you need to re-learn saddle stitching and practice more. I already can see what you’re doing wrong, so it’s not the irons fault. When you master your current irons, decide whether you’re content with your current tools and then determine whether or not you’d like to upgrade to VB. If you need help, I’m sure someone including myself can steer you in the right direction. When I asked about stitching long ago, many seemed to ignore me. I ended up watching tons of videos to learn. My last question (I hope I'm not going too far here) How do you lock the thread at the end of a stitch line with the Chinois thread? With the heavily waxed linen I've been using, I just do a couple back-stitches, with the ends coming out on the back of the piece and just clip them flush. I read that no knots or anything are necessary to keep the thread locked and in place this way. The Chinois, however, which isn't quite as "sticky" as the waxed thread, doesn't seem to me it would stay put without some kind of knot, or other method of locking. Any comments on the locking technique you used on these two pieces? Do the same with the lin cable. Back stitch 2-3 times and nip the thread as flush as possible. I noticed you refer the lin cable plainly and your alternative thread as “Waxed linen thread.” The lin cable must be waxed! Get beeswax and draw the lin cable through the wax like the Hermes artisan in the “Pique Sellier Video.” Some craftsmen also use a needle and poke out a very small piece of beeswax and wedge it into the last hole. Hermes strap makers finish their stitches by back stitching 3 times vs the usual 2 and they do a similar thing with the beeswax except they use a small amount of glue (use elmers glue.) I typically do not use the beeswax or glue. I just nip the thread and then hammer the stitches and I’m done. FYI N°10 & 632 FTW!!! If using a N°09, it should be either 532 or 632. However, like what Charlie said, it’s about preference really.

Those are all embossing tools for bookbinding. The bookbinder would heat the ends in a flame and press it onto the leather for decorating leather-bound books. I'm no expert in bookbinding, so that's pretty much all I can say.

Agreed. I was taught that using pliers, means you're doing something wrong. You have to find the balance of getting the right sized awl, needles, and thread. This is taught by many master craftsman.

Nope it peels right off.

I know exactly what you're referring to Doug. Every European luxury goods craftsman has at least one of those on their bench. I've seen them with red, green, (and the most common) blue lids. They are produced by Verona-Italy and they are "made in Italy." Yes, something plastic that is not "Made in China!!!" Anyways, I purchased mine from Ohio Travel Bag. They are $18.75 for the small cement pot and $26.50 for the large ones. I have the large one which could be seen in the Alfred Dunhill video, which I'm sure you've watched a billion times like myself hahahah! FYI, there is a minimum purchase order of $30 required, so I'd get the large pot and some extra brushes.

Not true. Both irons can be used for the double saddle stitch. Hermes uses the \\\\\\\ irons for their goods. It only changes the direction of the slants the stitches go. However, you have to change how you stitch to get it done correctly.

Hey, I am very interested, but you got me at a bad time. I'm still in college and Fall semester just started, so I'm sort of broke. However, I will definitely place an order soon; whenever I replenish my funds. Thanks and I hope you are a long term supplier!

W&C only asked me for my mailing address and I got the samples in maybe 3 days. If you go to to their tannery, I'm sure they'll just hand you the samples for free.

I had been looking for a vendor who could fabricate my templates for me and I found myself on Grey Ghost Graphics page. When I saw the prices on the pre-made templates, it scared me away from asking about custom templates. I am so thankful that you posted this Sylvia. I just placed an order for templates to make a card holder and it only cost me $25 shipped. Every time I have a finalized design that I know I will be using a lot, I will have it made by Black River.