Spyros

A couple of years ago I bought the Yucraft version with about 20 different tips for a much lower price than Regad, and it's been working flawlessly ever since. Seller's name is Wayne (I think he's a member here actually), he ships out of Knoxville TN and he was a real pleasure to deal with. I'm not sure what is the big deal with the Regad but I'm not a super heavy user of electric creasers either. Must be a reason it's so much more expensive, I just don't know it. Or see it. Or believe it

Fred and Tsunkasapa have done this so many times they can probably stitch behind their back just by feel

But even when you're using an awl, don't you have to first use a separate tool anyway to mark the holes, like a pricking iron or a wheel? Or you just eyeball them? About enlarging the holes. It's a redundant step, that was exactly the whole point of my long post earlier. Enlarging holes with their right hand needle is what some people do on those videos, because they insist on starting the stitch with their left hand on the back side, which is where the exit holes are, which are barely visible. As I was saying, I disagree with those videos, because nobody has to do that. I always start from the side where the chisels first pierced the leather, which is typically the skin side, and those holes are plenty enlarged and well formed and clearly visible. They practically suck the needle in. No reason to start from the other side, and no reason to start from the last hole and work your way backwards towards yourself. People can simply do the opposite, like I do...

I love Jo I think she has a super cute voice

Second time this is mentioned but I'm still not sure what we're talking about. Do you mean using inverse chisels to punch the bottom layer separately? That's a specialised technique for some very unusual situations, I've only really heard it mentioned once (by Equus leather I think) but I haven't actually seen anyone doing it.

So I received the metal one from Ivan and I love it. It's actually hollow inside so it's much lighter than it looks. Big screw locks it in place very positively, no worries about the wood giving way over time. In the bottom it has a screw on cap which is handy to store spare blades. The only thing I changed on it is I drilled a hole on that cap so I can pass a loop to hang it on my wall, that's it. Other than that it looks and feels like it will last a few lifetimes. Only thing to remember if you're looking at this or the wooden Weaver/Ivan version, keep in mind the blade is actually quite small, this tool is aimed mainly towards medium and light weight leathers. If you are frequently cutting heavy, tight grain leathers you will need something with a bigger blade or maybe a draw gauge or plough gauge.

I know, sorry, I get it. I must remember that not everyone does what I do.

I bought a pair of those but they've been relegated to very rare and specific tasks, like trying to punch holes in awkward places where I can't use chisels easily. With those pliers I found it very hard to keep the bottom holes well aligned on a straight line. But maybe I was using them wrong. How are your bottom holes? Do you have any tips for using them better?

I still have no idea why anyone would use anything more than a chisel and a mallet to punch it with. That's all I use anyway, and anyone else I've seen. I admit I don't know anything about holsters because 99% of the planet does not carry guns, just not a big market in my neck of the woods. But you're right I guess I should qualify that when I say chisels are faster I mean in common leatherworking projects like bags/belts/wallets. There will always be specialty stuff where specialised equipment is needed.

I'm sorry, maybe we're talking about different things here... Why would anyone punch the front and then the back separately? Or use a block of wood or other tools? I mean I must have made a hundred bags/belts/wallets using chisels and never done any of the things you describe. What have I missed here? I just glue, scribe a line and punch my holes through both layers at once.

I have and it still seems faster to use chisels to me, if it didn't I wouldn't be asking you.

But (other than you becoming really quick with an awl over the years), how can it be explained that making the holes one at the time with an awl is faster than making them 10 at the time with a chisel?

Before you join anyone or anything have a look at what they're making and decide if you like it, because they will teach you how to make that sort of thing. There are different types of leatherworking. Feels like in America for example there's a lot of focus on horse tack, holsters, western gear, saddlebacks and everything that comes with it: tooling and carving, heavy veg tan, antiquing, dying and burnishing edges, heavy threads, all that sort of thing. But if you sit with one of those European teachers (mostly online these days) they will teach you to roll, paint and crease the edges, slanted stitching, linen threads, colourful and soft shrunken calf chrome tan, exotic exteriors, skiving everything down to nothing, until ultimately after a few years everything you make must look as close as possible to Hermes. Basically, between those two schools of leatherworking, the only thing in common is the glue (not really but you get my point: they are very different). And then of course you have a bunch of other people who are everything in between. Whoever is teaching, ask to see their work first. It's important, you might not like it.

Yeah I don't know... Somehow it's ok to carve flowers on grown mens belts and holsters but god forbid if the stitching is slanted because that would be GIRLY

KS blades will do it I believe. In any case, in extreme situations you have to do what you have to do... awl, sword, spear, whatever works :D

That sounds great, and good for you to pass the message along I *suspect* that many, if not all of the guys mentioned here start out something like that, and want to stay like that, but at some point work catches up to them and they just don't have the time to offer that kind of quality service or even answer the phone sometimes. And everybody knows how difficult and risky it is to find and hire good help. But like I said, I don't actually know the specific circumstances of each dealer, just speculating.

Any hammer will do, just make sure it doesn't have any indentations on the surface or it might leave marks on the leather. If it has, sand the flat surface until flat and shiny.

So I'm gonna go ahead and be the heretic in the room and I will say that I disagree with all those videos, and pretty much everything else I've seen on youtube Maybe they are a start for beginners? Maybe. But I think those steps they describe are unnecessarily complicated and slow, for a couple of reasons: First, I think that using a stitching pony or a clam is a bad idea. I think the clam was a necessity when people were using awls, but most people use chisels these days. So what happens with the pony or clam is, if you notice in all those videos, those guys are always demonstrating with a nice, small and flat piece of leather. Perfect for clamping. But what about when you have a whole bag or a difficult stitch in a gusset, or some 3 dimensional object that you can't possibly mount on a pony without damaging it? You will sooner or later find yourself in a situation where you have to stitch without a pony, and then if you try to follow all those steps in the video you will realise that you need 3 hands to do it, and then you're stuck. Nobody needs a pony, it just adds unnecessary steps. Maybe as a beginner they do, until they get the hang of stitching, but after that I think people are better off ditching it entirely and teach themselves to stitch without. Second, I think it's a bad idea to start a stitching from the left needle. Particularly when you've made the holes with chisels, which most of us do. The reason is that we typically punch the leather from the skin side (the "good" side) and that makes the holes on that side much better formed and visible and easier to pass a needle through. So that's the side you want to first pass your needle through, it is much much easier, and that is the right hand side on the video. The exit holes on the other side are practically invisible most of the time. And what he does to overcome this is first pass the right needle to open up the hole so he can actually see it from the left, and then starts the stitching from the left. That's another unnecessary step (which requires 3 hands if you don't use a pony) Then I don't know why you have to make a cross or cast the thread while you're passing the needle from the holes. What these steps do can much more easily be achieved afterwards, by simply arranging your hands so that threads can cross or not cross each other as they need to. Personally I've stopped doing all those things on those videos and I reversed engineered my stitching down to the bare essentials. I never use a pony or a clam, I don't start stitching from the faraway hole to come towards me ( I do the opposite), I don't cross the needles or cast the thread, and I don't first widen the hole with the right needle so I can see it from the left, I just start each stitch with the right hand needle first . All those things combined make it way faster and easier. You're probably thinking my stitching looks crap now LOL Well, this is the result that I typically get. Front: Back: If that is not good enough, then ok, it's not good enough. But that's how I do it. And when I was doing it as described in those videos I was getting pretty much the same result anyway, because effectively I'm doing the same thing, but without all those steps and ponies. I think what all those videos do is convey methods and wisdom that have been passed down from generation to generation, but I think that wisdom hails from a time where chisels didn't exist, and you needed something to hold your work while you're dealing with the awl and the needles. With the high quality chisels that we have these days I think there are simpler and faster ways to stitch.

^ yeah that's about as good as most people need. I mean, you can still engage in a "who's stitching is most slanted" competition if you want, but to me that's a futile cause. Actual users and customers, outside of leatherworking forums, don't photograph their bags with macro lenses and then blow them up on computer screens to check the stitching. Only we do that

Yeah that monster you're about to buy will go through anything like butter

Also start ordering thread & needles in various sizes, your machine will probably come with one of each, and it will likely be the wrong one. And a light, maybe magnetic.

That looks like a good list. You will also (maybe) need a softer spring for the presser foot, the one that came with my machine was making the foot leave marks on the leather too easily.

Ah ok, you're like me, I also have room for only one But you are a cabinet maker, therefore you can make a flatbed attachment table, because the one that comes with the machine (if it even comes with one) is usually too small or too hard to attach and remove. I'm also a woodworker as a side hobby and considering making one, so maybe we can compare notes. As for other accessories, first you need to find out exactly what comes with the machine, which depends on the dealer You'll need a light, a guide, different feet, a softer spring for the presser foot etc

I'm pretty sure I have the cowboy version of this machine (CB4500) and I love it, I have done anything from upholstery to sandals on it. I think with your budget you are in the enviable position to actually get a flatbed as well, which would be ideal. This machine with a narrow plate (which is really the main accessory I would recommend) will do lightweight stuff but it's really not designed to make it easy for you.

I think every sewing machine comes threaded, and with a piece of stitched leather still hanging from the needle, specifically to prove that it works when it was delivered. But I don't think this is what this thread is about, it is about lack of responsiveness when people tried to contact some dealers.