EfrainBG

If I were to saddle stitch something like this, I would do it with two separate threads (two pairs of needles), starting both in the center of the bottom edge of the pocket towards the corners. Once there, I would sew two or three of stitches at the time on each side. That way I would have space to put my hand into the pocket and see what I'm doing. Just my 0.02, anyway. Cheers!

Here's my take on the stitching pony. I was going to be sewing on very large pieces, so the tightening screw in the middle was not an option. This is what I came up with. The fastener was made of a cut out from a screw clamp. It works wonders! The fastener put so close to the fulcrum lets the clamps open/close with very few turns of the screw.

thanks, man!! I actually had to buy a second side to make the straps (and I've been making wallets and some other small items with it). In the end it weights around 8-9 pounds empty. When fully loaded with the cameras and the rest of the gear, it's around 30 pounds, but I rarely carry that much. Near the end of the project I was a bit affraid that it would be too much to handle, but I was lucky enough that it fits so perfectly on my back that it's not such a burden.

Hi, everyone! Efraín here, from Monterrey, Mexico. I joined the group because I've gotten somewhat serious on this as a hobby and want to learna bit more since I have some other projects in mind. I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself (and show off a little, to tell the truth). I'm a software engineer, with a very serious film photography hobby that led me into this other hobby of leather work. I started by wanting a vintage looking sturdy backpack for my cameras. The obvious choice was to purchase a leather bag, but the prices I saw for what I liked were out of my league. I tried to convince myself that the price was worth it, so I started looking in Youtube for reviews about Saddleback Buffalo Jack, Satchel &Page, etc... one thing led to another and soon I was watching at videos on how to do saddle stitching. I took the jump, purchased some tools and thread, built my own stitching pony and started practicing my stitches on some scraps as I went and made the pattern for my backpack with ideas borrowed from different models. Bought some leather and started the project. (I have the pattern drawn at scale and can share if you want, but I made modifications to the cut pieces once I started putting them together, so the pattern does not represent the actual, finished bag). The logo was made with a laser print, which I engraved by hammering a little screwdriver into the design after dampening the leather with some water. The leather I got for it is called "sillero" here in Mexico, meaning it's the one used for saddles... by Tandy's buying guide it's somewhere between 8-10 oz, so, you can guess it's a heavy bag!!. I'm sure it will be a blast to go through the forums and get to know all of you. Here are some pictures of my bag and the process (the color is a bit off in some of them because of lighting and filter process in the iPhone). I hope you like'em!