silverwingit

Like catskin I rarely have to adjust the tension on my Cobra 4. I use 138 to 346 thread on leather ranging from garment leather through multiple layers of 7-8 oz. veg tan. No problemo. Sounds like a return to basics is in order with revisiting threading, trying different needle/thread combo's, starting from scratch adjusting tensions etc. If you do need to adjust your bobbin tension, forum member Al Bane has an excellent Youtube video on that subject, amongst his others on the Cobra 4. (For whatever reason I am unable to post a direct link here; search for Al Bane on Youtube.) Good Luck, Michelle

I agree with electrathon regarding hand lock-stitchers. Strictly amateur. Near impossible getting anything semiprofessional looking with one. I'd only consider using one if the stitches were completely invisible in the finished project. I wonder what type of construction you have in mind that precludes saddle stitching? Usually by being clever with the order of construction you can avoid problems like you describe. Pictures? Michelle

Alex, I have to chuckle... Over here in the US, Tiger thread, which is only available in Europe, is ~highly~ coveted for hand stitching yet there are many sources for linen thread. I you aren't married to the idea of linen, you might consider Tiger or Ritza 25 thread (same thing). All the pros swear by it. Michelle

You will have great difficulty finishing the edges of oil-tanned leather. Try vegetable-tanned next time. Michelle

Thin leather puts greater demands on your stitching technique. You can't rely on the firmness of the leather to help guide the awl. Your awl placement is more critical. You also need to use far less tension when you pull the stitches tight or it will deform the leather. Good Luck, Michelle

I have a bit of a different view on stitching from previous posts. What camano ridge described is classic Western stitching as taught by Al Stolhman. Nigel Armitage (Dangerous Beans), being a Master British Saddle Maker, teaches classic British saddle stitching. The major difference is in the finished product. Western stitching recesses the stitches in a groove where British stitching relies on the tension applied to the stitch work to recess the stitch line. The means for achieving the two types of stitching also differ. Both overstitch wheels and pricking irons are effective in determining the location and hence the spacing of the stitches. But what hasn't been mentioned is that the pricking iron serves a couple other important functions. It helps guide the awl blade into that slanted position where the overstitch wheel doesn't provide any assistance for this. With an overstitch wheel method of spacing stitches, the leatherworker's hand-eye coordination, technique and muscle memory are left to determine the angle of the awl. The pricking iron also serves to ensure that the stitches fall in the right location along the slant and hence in a straight line. If you push the awl through off-center along the slant, the ends of the pricking iron marks guide the blade back toward the center. In my own experimentation, I tried using an overstitch wheel without first using a stitch groover to see an apple-to-apple comparison of the effectiveness of the wheel against a pricking iron. What I discovered is that using the groover forces stitches to lie in the straight line of the groove. In other words, the groove hides small deviations from perfectly straight or from that elusive 45 degree angle. The exact position and angle of the awl doesn't matter so much since the stitches will be forced into that straight groove anyway. So it is a personal preference sort of thing. You like one or the other for your own reasons. But, do try both and experiment like I did. You will learn volumes and be in much better position to decide for yourself. I personally appreciate the beauty of the zig-zag appearance of British stitching. Michelle

I know this will sound like a car salesman's pitch on adding undercoating to your new car, but... Cobra 3 vs. Cobra 4. Alex, you didn't mention what projects you are considering but the only real difference between the two machines is the greater "throat" of the Cobra 4. You wouldn't think that extra 4" would make that much difference. Maybe it wouldn't for a holster or even a belt. But if you ever decide to venture into the many larger or odd-shaped projects like messenger bags or purses for example (and you will once you see what a joy a good walking foot machine is to use and realize what new horizons it presents for your leatherworking), you will wish you had that extra room of the Cobra 4. And it isn't that much more costly. Folding and manipulating a bunch of leather with your right hand to clear the throat is a distraction at best and dangerous at worst. Oh, and the Cobra 4 will likely sell faster and hold its value better than the Cobra 3 for these very reasons. At least that's the way I see it, Michelle

I would not buy a machine from any company that does not advertise on this forum. Any other purchase decision would be a formula for disappointment. Period. End of discussion. I bought my Cobra 4 from Leather Machine Co. two years ago and couldn't be happier. Michelle

I use secretary's rubber finger tips on one finger/thumb of each hand as suggested by list member Chuck Burrows (Wild Rose Trading Co.). They really help in grasping the needles so that I don't have to press my fingers together so tightly as to injure them. I've never cut my fingers pulling the needles through leather. Of course if it gets really tough as in back stitching, I'll use my smooth-jawed pliers. Michelle

I don't want to seem argumentative but any high school chemistry student learns that water is indeed the universal solvent. Michelle

In the end, though, you will likely have to make a couple prototypes before you produce a truly professional result. That is what belly leather is for. Good luck, Michelle

I personally detest Resolene for its tendency to streak, but from what I've read, spraying it on without wiping it down afterwards yields good results. Good luck, Michelle

I hate Resolene for this reason! I will never use it again. After all the positive recommendations about Resolene I made a tooled piece that I worked on for hours and then I antiqued it with Fiebing's antique paste. I made the mistake of applying 50-50 Resolene with a piece of sheep's wool. The Resolene dissolved the antiquing and the wool spread it all over the piece, including areas that it wasn't supposed to go on. The piece was totally ruined. I was absolutely crestfallen! I actually retrieved the piece from the trash when I got an idea. I decided that "stressing" the piece might cover my mistake so I took the piece and kicked it around the pavement in the street in front of my house. Since I had made the piece for myself and actually had thrown it away once, I wasn't too worried about the outcome. To my surprise, it actually turned out quite well. It now has the appealing look of a well-worn western saddle. But, lesson learned! (YMMV) Michelle

You can put short lengths of plastic or rubber (better) tube over the jaws of hemostats. Very good positive grip without any damage to the needle. Oh, and I like the idea of keeping on your finger while you stitch. Michelle

All true, zuludog. But there are always times when bare fingers just don't do it. Backstitching is one example. Michelle

I learned from member Chuck Burrows (Wild Rose Trading Co.) that the rubber finger tips like secretaries use work great. Problem solved! Michelle

Well, I've stumbled onto this resource quite late, but I'll also ask for a copy of your zip file, Bruce. mlefree@silverwingleather.com Many thanks! Michelle

Very nice! I especially like the cam lever. I struggled with a knob until I swapped it for a Rockler cam lever. Quick and smooth operation and it does not catch the thread. One thought along the lines of using your pony for smaller items. You would be better able to grasp smaller items if the angles on the tip of the jaws were sharper. Also, thinner leather would conform better to the sharper jaws, allowing your to get in closer to those pesky small items. Thanks for sharing, Michelle

I'm with the rest -- great work! Can you share details about how you stitched the two halves together? I'm very impressed with how close to the formed piece you were able to get without marking it. What machine and foot did you use? Any other info would also be appreciated. Thanks, Michelle

I'm not a fan of belt clips in the first place, so take this with a grain of salt. Those are some very big bags for the little belt clips. I don't think they're going to be very stable on the belt. They are very wide for a single mounting point and the clips will allow/encourage them to tip to one side. Next time I'd put two mounting points and I myself would stitch in leather belt loops. Two clips would also work. Other than that those are very nice bags! Michelle

Chief's da man when it comes to lacing (and lots of other stuff, too)! Michelle

Be wary of Any DUST as you're grinding/sanding/filing it. Michelle

I used to make sandals and purses etc. back when I was a hippie in the late '60s and early '70s. Then I laid leatherwork down to raise a family. At a ripe old age someone gave me an opportunity to go elk hunting one more time after many years. I needed a hunting knife so I bought a nice one online. I was astonished at how a reputable, well-known company could ship such a nice knife in such an embarrassingly poorly made cardboard and nylon sheath. So I figured I'd make my own leather sheath. I looked online for help doing that and found Ian Atkinson. The rest is history. Now I have so much money invested in leather, tools, and all the rest including a Cobra Class 4 saddle stitcher that I really don't want to add it up. At my age I'd have to make a whole lot of harmonica cases, guitar straps, belts, knife sheaths, pistol holsters, etc., etc. to justify my "investment". That ain't gonna happen. So even if I have a web site and a tax ID and have gotten pretty good at modern leatherwork, I must admit (to myself any way) that it's all really a glorified hobby that's taken over half of my living room and consumed a good portion of my waking hours. But, I LOVE it! And now I am thanking the company that shipped that hunting knife in a crappy sheath. Michelle

When you split 4" wide strips of leather on a hand splitter you enter a different world. Much of the results even under the best of conditions depend on the type of leather you are splitting and even the specific sample/cut of leather you split as well as the thinness of the split you are trying to achieve. When you split oil-stuffed leathers thinly down close to the flesh side, for example, the strip can easily stretch and warp. You have to be very careful about just how you grasp the sample to pull it through in such a way that uniform tension is applied across the width of the sample as well as its length. A wide-grip Vice-Grip pliers can help with that. There's lots of technique involved. Similar to cutting a straight line with a swivel knife, avoid wrist or elbow action and use shoulder or even body motion away from the splitter to do the splitting, especially with long samples. Try to hold the sample in such a way that as you split, the sample enters and leaves the splitter at the same angles thought the length of the split. The little guide bar isn't always sufficient and it affects different leathers differently depending on their stiffness. A helper guiding the strip into the splitter as you pull it through can make the difference. Even with a good split with wide strips I often then re-cut the split sample to the desired final dimensions. In my experience, you are expecting a lot trying to thinly split wide samples to exact dimensions. Like someone said, be prepared to ruin a lot of leather to get good at it. Even a well-set up hand splitter is like a violin. You don't just walk up to one out lf the blue and expect to play it well. Michelle

Actually, my machine was set properly in terms of reverse stitch length when I took delivery, but I had an incident early on where the thread jerked out of my grasp at the beginning of a run and that caused the machine to go out of timing. Steve successfully talked me through resetting the timing and I haven't looked back since (nor have I allow threads to slip from my grasp). The only side effect was that the reverse stitches are no longer the same length as the forward ones -- but not by much -- so I haven't worried about it since I don't do long runs in reverse. I would like my machine to be set up properly, though, ergo my question. I should give Steve a call. Michelle