Martyn

I've never made one, but I have done some knife sheaths. I would not try and 'plan' the lines, but rather wet form the holster and get it 90% complete and glued up and *then* decide on exact stitch line placement using a pair of calipers and Mark I Eyeball. It's much easier to stitch to how the wet-forming has left things, rather than wet form according to how your stitching dictates.

It's just not as good looking. Though it is weaker. An angled stitch puts more space between the holes, that means more leather between the holes, on any given stitch per inch basis. That means an angled stitch has less chance of ripping through the leather. But I think the main issue is aesthetics. A lot of people are in the habit of putting stitching into grooves because that seems to be what everyone else does and because they think it reduces abraision. But as tugadude says, it's a bit of an old wives tale and really isn't necessary - especially if you are using modern synthetic thread. I think the other reason people put stitching into grooves is because it forces the stitch into a straight line and hides sewing errors. But IMO it's better to get the stitching right, then you can display it with pride and no need to tuck it away into a groove. Look at this, some of the prettiest stitching I've seen (done by a member here D.A. Kabatoff).. A groove would have killed that stitching.

Hi guys, I'm hoping to probe the hive mind for some advice here. This is a practice project, a little round trinket box. My first was a few days ago and a complete disaster, this one is a bit better, but still lots of issues. It's a basic cylinder shape about 2.5 inches diameter by 2.5 inches high. It's stitched up one side with a herringbone 'baseball' stitch. It's 6/7 ox veg tan wrapped around a rawhide liner. The base is a circle of the same veg tan, box stitched onto the cylinder and this is where my problems start. A picture speaks a thousand words, so I'll just show you... I cant get the hang of this at all. My problems are... 1. cutting a perfect circle. I can cut a circle roughly and then sand it to a decent shape, but when I bevel it at 45 degrees for the box stitching, it goes out of round. I'm sure this is an issue with my bevelling, but any help.... 2. bevelling a circle. I can bevel a 45 degree angle on a straight piece OK (see the strip I'm using for the lid), but putting a 45 degree bevel on a small circle is a nightmare. Do you have any tips? I've been using a basic skiving tool. 3. Making the holes for stitching. It looks OK from the outside, but as you can see, the stitching on the base is utter rubbish. The next job is to make and stitch the lid. This stitching is bad enough on the bottom, but on the lid it would be unacceptable. I'm going in the side with the awl, but am having a nightmare exiting the bottom in a perfect circle - made worse because each stab has to be angled in slightly because I'm stitching in the round. So the stitch spacing on the base is obviously different to the edge. But try as I might, I just can hit the mark and it looks rough as hell. I'm thinking of putting a circular groove on the lid piece in the hope it will hide my clumsiness a bit, but I think I'm still going to have issue just getting the stitches actually in the groove. Is there a way of improving it? This has taken 'back side neatness issues' to a whole new level of awkward for me. Thanks for any and all suggestions, Martyn.

Thanks Paul. I just wanted to know he's OK really.

Exactly so, but your method lays the stitch out flat, one behind the other. I dont know how you are making your holes, but if you are using a traditional pricking iron, then the angle of your stitch is set by the iron and never flat. Doesnt matter whose iron you use, Dixons, Geo.Barnsley, Blanchard, Osbourne or whoever, they are always set at an angle. I agree completely. Properly done, a saddle stitch is every bit as uniform and neat as a machine, but it never looks like a machine has done it and doesnt need to. Looking like it has been done by hand, doesnt mean looking rough - quite the opposite. That's the point, you dont need to lay the stitch flat in order to achieve neatness and uniformity. Saddle stitching done properly... Isn't that a case of same term, totally different thing? I thought saddle binding was a reference to the way the pages are laid out - one inside the other - and then 'stitching' them together through the crease with staples, thread or whatever. It's just a coincidence of terminology and not a reference to a particular stitch.

Troy, I hear what you are saying, but there is more to it than just different ways of doing this or that. Traditional hand saddle stitching is a specific thing and a dying art. If it isn't down to us to keep the tradition alive, then who? I get that you are trying to be inclusive and I definitely support the sentiment, but if you're not careful, a desire to be equitable can end up diluting the skill base. What Donor Leather is doing is perfectly valid, but it isn't saddle stitching and I cant say that it is no matter how much I might want to avoid causing offence.

Tugadude, did you watch the video? The OP seems to be taking great pains to lay the stitch as flat as possible.

Why would you want to do that? Surely one of the main benefits of saddle stitching is the beautiful pattern it makes? Also, if you align your stitches in a straight line, you loose the strength advantage of an angled saddle stitch. I'm not even sure you would call it a saddle stitch any more, just a double running stitch. There is artistry and beauty is a well done saddle stitch, flattening it, sterilises it IMO. I try and avoid flattening it, I dont use grovers and even scratch my stitch line ever-so-lightly so it wont mess with the lay of the stitch. I've spent hours and hours practising so I get a nice angle front and back. If I'd got a flat stitch, I'd consider the piece scrapped - or I'd unpick and re-stitch if it could be salvaged. Why would you want to hide the fact that it's been done by hand? I'm baffled.

did you try the phrase manager?

Unfortunately, it doesnt fix it for me. I still get the errant tag in spite of a custom stream. Also, It would only fix it for the individual, it's not forum wide.

Yeah, that saves a custom stream to your personal menu in the drop down in the header. It doesnt change the default though.

I'm more familiar with vbulletin than IPB, but do you have a phrases manager in your admin control panel? If so, search it for bdsm and have a look what pops up. It's obviously not an IPB native code issue, it's going to be a mod or tweak and more than likely will show in a replacements or phrases search. Or im totally wrong and it wont. Worth a try though. Just a suggestion.

Much, thank you. You have my sympathies BTW, I've been where you are too many times and it's no fun. Good luck.

Looks like the link is formatted correctly but it's getting appended when clicked. It looks like a languages and phrases issue to me. You could try searching your phrases for bdsm and see if it's popping up.

The unread content link, top right - for some reason has an interesting tag appended... /unread/?&stream_tags=bdsm :D

Or if you cant toggle it, ditch it! It is just a repeat of stuff that is elsewhere and takes up 40% of the screen with dead space once you scroll past the birthdays.

I made an egg-cup. :D I wasn't going to show this cos it's really not very good, but I figure what the hell. You have to show the rough with the smooth right? It was a load of firsts. First time making a leather container, first time doing herringbone stitch, first time doing box stitch (the bottom is all over the place, it's really bad), first time doing basket stamping (or any tooling for that matter). But the box is functional. The every bit of detritus on my worktop was sticking to my sticky egg. It was starting to get pebble-dashed with crud. I've learned a lot from making this little box. It was worthwhile. One thing that stumped me though, re the box-stitch, how do you get the awl to exit the base in a neat circle?

grmnsplx, MattT is correct. They were all mixed, melted and cast into 4oz cakes at the same time and at that stage, were all exactly the same colour. The cakes were too big though, so I cut them in half and squeezed and kneeded them into 2oz eggs. The action of kneeding and pulling the wax, bleaches it and all the eggs have been worked a bit differently, so they are all all vary in shade.

Someone hereabouts must know the old goat? :D I used to have a lot to do with him, but haven't spoken to him in about 3 years or so. Just wondering if anyone knows how he's doing. I think he was 93 last I spoke to him and he was still working.

This thread jumps ahead of itself. It asks the question "is leathercraft art?". But before you can answer that, you first have to get a consensus on the definition of 'art'. Good luck with that. :D I remember talking to an engraver about engraving some knife bolsters. He was at the top of his game and charged something like $200 per square inch. The subject of art came up and he said "if you are selling what you do by the square inch, it aint art, it's work!".

Matt, you should try it mate, if nothing else it makes it nicer to sew with. But I've found Ritza to be quite variable in how much it's waxed. The white and black 0.8mm I have seems OK, but the colours seem to be much lighter waxed and definitely benefit from a little more IMO. In fact I think they all do really, most of it seems to relax after you tension up the stitch, that doesn't happen if you add a bit of sticky wax. I know some people prefer less because it has a tendency to make the thread a bit shiny, others like it quite heavy and I suppose out of the box, the thread caters for the lowest common denominator. I mean it's a lot easier to put more on than take it off. I definitely like it with more on though. Give it a try and see what you think.

This wouldn't be complete without some sewing pictures. Tiger thread, cream, 0.8mm at 6spi. Tiger thread, colonial tan, 0.8mm at 6spi. It makes the world of difference to my mind, even using what is supposed to be pre-waxed tiger thread. The thread is stiffer and lays better in the holes. It lays flatter with fewer twists and tensioning is better. When you draw up on the thread, it feels like it's locked into the hole and keeping the tension you put on it. no twists It makes it noticeably easier to sew with - it keeps your fingers just slightly tacky so you're not fighting for grip on the needles and I think my stitching is better for using it.

Thanks Troy, I'll give it a go.

Yeah, I found you can still shape it even when it's gone cold. I decided that the pucks of wax I'd made were a little on the large side so decided to cut each in half and shape them into the more traditional egg shape. I made 3x100g pucks into 6x50g eggs. I thought I might have to reheat the wax a little to make it soft enough, but you can get it malleable just by working it. It's hard at first, but there is give and the heat from your hands soon softens it to a point where it becomes like modelling clay. Also of note, I kept going with one of em, working and pulling it and it does bleach and get lighter. So the claim that toffy pulling bleaches as well as mixes the wax, is true. It does work. Omelette anyone? :D

You can see what I mean on this test piece... You can see the grain... But if I give it a quick oil, for a few minutes the grain really pops... Is there any way to enhance this contrast and make it permanent?