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Showing results for tags 'stitching'.
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Hey All, I'm in the process of developing durable, hand stitched tool bags for tradesmen. The first iteration I'm working on is a traditional carpenter's bag. By trade, I'm a builder who specializes in structural masonry and timber framing. I began leather working as a way to replace the old Medallion bags that I had used for years and were falling apart. I'm quite happy with where I have landed design-wise, but believe there are a few production processes that need improvement. Generally speaking, I'm looking for any guidance on how to approach stitching through two layers of 8-10oz. leather in an efficient and frustration free manner. I'm a believer that hard work will always be hard work, but it shouldn't be frustrating. Right now, there are a few of aspects that exasperate me, and I'd like to iron them out if I can. Below, I've posted a brief overview of my stitching process and a few pictures that hopefully provide further insight. I plot out all of my stitching lines and use a groove set to hollow out a channel for the stitching to lay flush into. I use a SEIWA 6x4.5mm Stitching Iron to mark and puncture all of my runs of stitching on a cutting pad. I use large 000 harness needles with 1.0mm tiger thread waxed. I use a french styled stitching clam on some aspects of the bag, but the doubled up edges don't seem to provide enough material to clamp down. I've also used a table vise to good effect as well. Also, I sometimes wet and hammer flat the edges before stitching them in place. Currently, I rely on a little scrap leather to help push the needles through. I know I need to buy or made a some sort of glove to keep my fingers free, but should I be having to force my needles through? Hopefully, this provides enough background to my current progress and situation. Let me know what I need to explain further, and most importantly what areas I need to improve upon. Thanks for taking the time to read this and help me out. Here is a link to an imager album that I had already compiled featuring pictures of my work with a further description. Best regards, Patrick P.S. Let me know if I am formatted my post incorrectly, or have posted in the wrong place. I am still learning the rope of this forum. Thanks again
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I am thinking about getting a sewing machine to help speed up our work. For the most part we are sewing 10 oz. Leather to 8 oz. Leather. I like the way the thick wax thread looks just takes too long. Was looking at getting a cowboy 3200. Any suggestions or recommndations would be appreciated
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According to many years' experience of our leatherwork team, we originally design and develop the diamond four-prong chisel, which is suitable for larger arc punch. Compared with 5-prong chisel, it is easier to play a significant role for 4-prong when punching the arc area. It also maintains high efficiency for the straight parts as well. Each prong are exactly the same as the middle one so that the every holes are exactly same. High quality white stainless steel. Strong, durable and wear-resistant. Uneasy to break and bend with high ductility. Sharp rhombus tooth is easy to pierce 3mm thick vegetable tanned leather and helpful to punch quickly and effortlessly. Light and conformtable to grip, the body of prong is as small as possible in order to reduce the shoulder fatigue caused by a long time punch. Easier to grasp steadily due to low center of gravity. Grinding and polishing, more natural and environmental without blackening. -
Hello all, After a few simple no-sew projects, I've decided I should learn to stitch. I've watched a couple of videos, have the Stohlman book on order, and now it's time to buy an awl. I've read enough to know I should avoid Tandy and the other inexpensive version, so I'm looking at the Barry King hafts and blades (available from the same source). Good choice for a first tool, or should I pick something else? Which one? I have medium sized hands (7.5" tip to wrist). My guess is the small haft with the flat side, but if someone has a better idea, I'm all ears! Blade: Are the Barry King blades good for a beginner, or should I bite the shipping bullet and make a second order from Bob Douglas? Blade size? I'm working with small-ish projects (journal cover or smaller) and using ~5oz leather , 2-3 layers. Also, will one small blade cover most small to medium projects, or will I need more than one type? Thanks!
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Got this in Seoul, capital of South Korea, a few days ago while on a tour. Cost: 28,000 won (about 28 US dollars). Hardwood (birch or maple), sanded but untreated. Uses a cam lock (red lever on the right, with wooden triangle to help reduce thread catching on the lever, I think) Cam can be adjusted by a screw on the opposite side of the lever. Jaws clamp to board with wingnut; hole in middle of the board and on the end. There were 3 other types of stitching clamps available; one was made with laminated wood, and the other was twice as long as this, going from the floor (I guess floor mounted?) I need to l line the jaws with thin leather before I start any stitching, though.
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Hi guys! Wow, it has been a while! I would just like to announce that my store, Egyptian Leather, is now selling FULL, Factory Sealed spools, of Ritza 25 Tiger Thread! We have struck an amazing deal with the manufacturer, and we are now a certified wholesaler of Ritza 25 Tiger Thread! -- And the best part is, were based in the USA! That means no more $40+ Shipping, no more surprise bills for Import Taxes, and free shipping for everyone! We will be selling the spools at the same price as Abbey England, minus the shipping, and you can find them Here, along with my smaller spools. (Which are still available!) AND John James Saddlers Harness needles are in stock too! If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to post it here, or email me at Orders.EgyptianLeather@Gmail.com Thank you to everyone who has given tiger thread a shot, you guys are awesome! -JEM
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Traveling in Maine today and decided to stop into Maine Thread to have a look a pick up some supplies. Besides being like a step back in time, they have what they call "seconds" boxes of stitching thread. Rolls with not quite enough on them or they consider under waxed or over-waxed. Otherwise perfect stitching thread. Rolls are 2 for $1. This is for the drop in trade only, they don't advertise it. If you ever in the area, it a great stop. They are incredible people to deal will. This is my 20 roll, $10 haul.
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Hello leathercrafters, So far I've been using Seiwa diamond stitching chisels. I was Pretty much satisfied wit them however I decided to give a try to another irons. Since Wuta and Crazy Cut chisels are in same price range and reviews found on internet are rather good for both brands I wonder if anybody have Experiences with both of them. I look forward to hear further information / Experiences which might point me to easier decision which sets to pick Best regards, J.P.
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I have two hides of thinner 4oz horween Essex that I just can not seem to get a straight and neat stitch groove on. The leather stretches so much that I can't apply enough pressure with the stitching groover guide without the leather moving and creating a wavy stitch groove. I'm not sure if I should be burnishing the edge slightly before marking the stitching line so there is less give/stretch to the edge? Should I try using a ruler to guide the grooving tool or get one of the divider/caliper style tools to make a stitching line. I only have this problem with thin leather, anything over 6oz allows me to make a perfect stitching groove. I would appreciate any advise.
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I'm almost embarrassed to ask this question, key word almost. I hand stitched on shearling to skirts the other night and was thinking I really have no idea what knots I should be using here, which is part of why this question is almost embarrassing to ask I kinda pride myself on my knot tying ability from being around horses the majority of my life and when I wasn't I was in the service I've learned many knots over the years and have forgot very few. I started my stitch by going through the first hole then going through the second to make a loop did this twice pulled tight tied a square knot with a half hitch on each side ran the dead end of that over so it pulled it up into the stitch on the underside as I stitched for about three inches. To tie to my needle i tried a surgeons knot had it pull out about a quarter way through then tried a palmer had it pull out and then tied a bowline it never pulled out but was a pain to pull through the holes. Finally got to the end tied two half hitches through where i started then back stitched a little ways and tied two more. Thinking about it that seems weak. What are appropriate knots for these situations? Also had my diamond awl pull out of the handle on the next to last hole but thats another story/question for later.
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Hi all! as the title said this is a question relates with balls I've got the patterns that Cem shared on another thread. I'd even bought a Tandy leather football kit but I can figure out how to close the ball (the final stitch with the thick thread). I assume is not too difficult but I can do it The second question is about soccer balls and also the final stitching. I asume the ball is done inside out but once you put the inside out, how do you close the ball. Thanks a lot to everyone (sorry for the poor grammar) and I promise to share the results if somebody teach me how to close the balls
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So I've been going crazy the last month making garb and other sundries for the SCA event I went to, which means lots of leftover scraps. I hate throwing anything away, so I came up with a little pouch made of a scrap of leather for the base and a band of linen from something or other. The bead is one I made in lampworking, works pretty well as a stop. Thinking on it, I realized that a good way to use up torn up jeans is to cut off the bottoms and use those as the walls of a sack, just turn down the raw edge and make a new hem, sew on a leather bottom and add a cord! Minimal sewing and you used up some stuff that might have gotten thrown out. -
Haven't posted any projects for a while. Made a new phone case for wife. 4/5 weight.leather with magnetic clasp. 3 card slots ( full with 9 cards). Saddle stitched six stitches per inch.
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Just one more "attaboy" for Bob Kovar. Talked to Bob by phone on Friday. Thread in my hand on Monday. And it was THE thread I asked for -- not "something" plus a speech about how he'll "make it right". For those old enough to have forgotten, or those young enough they've never seen it, THIS HERE is customer service -- send the customer what they asked for, at the advertised price, in a reasonable amount of time. Sending the wrong goods, or billing problems, or slow response.. an offer to "fix" the problem the supplier caused is not 'customer service' -- it's 'damage control'. I ordered thread, not a fancy pile of bull poo. And thread is what I received, so thanks again, Bob ...
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If someone can help by providing information or pointing me in the right direction I would be most appreciative. I have been searching the forum trying to figure out how to "polish" pricking irons. Some of the irons I have from Osborne and Joseph Dixon are a bit rough, and I would like to know an efficient way to get in between all of the teeth. The metal is pretty hard on some, I believe the Osborne irons are drop forged. I have tried wrapping sandpaper around a flat bit of leather, but I am concerned I will actually wear a different angle into the teeth, ie sand only one side. This is less of an issue on the European style irons than on the diamond shaped stitching chisels, which are designed to go completely through the leather. Many of these are really rough the entire length of the tooth, which makes them difficult to pull out of the leather once punched through. Thanks in advance for any advice! For other images: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=galleryℑ=28911 YinTx -
Question regarding pricking iron sizes. I like the handmade look of the more spaced out stitching. I'm wondering if someone could tell me the size I have (top) compared to the one used in bottom project? (The latter is a wallet made by a friend of mine.) I would have preferred to use a wider one, which I will have to purchase. Second question: What kind of thread is used in the bottom piece? It looks quite thin compared to what I used. I almost thought it was dental floss.. Side note .. The top, dark brown leather was my first attempt at stitching. It's a small sheath I made for my japanese skive. It looks quite awful, I know. Mistakes/Things I learned: 1) The pricking irons were not sharpened, simply because I did not have the resources and was anxious to try. 2) The stitching was too close to the edge, and so the welt started moving over since I couldn't get the needle through the thickness of the 3 pieces. ( I snapped easily 3 needles.) This also cause everything to be wildly uneven. 3) I should have hammered the pricking irons in each piece before I glued them together for stitching.
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I am looking for a sewing machine that can handle a minimum of 1/2" thick of leather but can also do a small thickness of leather. so far I have been looking at the Cowboy 3200, but I would like to know some other alternatives(preferably less than $1700). Please help, Im a little lost when it comes to this stuff. Thanks, Payton
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I got one of the Tandy ponies when I started this leather thing. I got the higher level one, but it still needs some help to be "not annoying" to use. So far I've re-contoured the top of the clamp. (cut/peeled off the leather, contoured the wood on a disc sander, reglued the leather.) It was just too blunt for my liking. I also added a wire to guard the thread from hanging up on the wing nut. THAT is really annoying! Then, I counter sunk the bold head at the other end of the bolt from the dastardly wing nut. There are many ways to immobilize that bolt, this is just what I came up with. As you can see from the pictures, I have some extra Styrofoam insulation hanging around. I used contact cement to put a small piece on each side of the clamp, tapered so as to not let the thread hang up. Also put a larger piece at the bottom of the clamp to hold the awl. It's all easy stuff to do, but it makes a huge difference when trying to get a stitching flow going. Oh, and still had a lot of Styrofoam, so I made a holder for various misc. stitching stuff. It won't last forever, but I can make a thousand more with my stash of material.
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I've been watching Nigel Armitage's review of Craftool Pro stitching chisels. He makes the comment that we shouldn't make stitching grooves so much as - They weaken the leather; and as the stitching is set in a channel that restricts the sideways expansion of the stitching so that it is less able to develop the typical zigzag pattern He just uses a line made with dividers, and then goes on to say that when the stitching is flattened and has time to settle as the item is used, there is not much of the stitching protruding above the surface of the leather anyway Interesting; any comments? I make mostly knife sheaths and I have always used a stitching groove, but I think that for the next couple I might just make a line with an edge creaser
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Hey all, Just wondering what size (mm) tiger thread is recommended for 8 spi. I read a post that suggested .8 mm for 8 spi. Just wondering if anyone else has tested this. I am currently using tandy's craftool pro 8 spi chisel. What would be the advantages/disadvantages of going smaller to say, .6 mm thread? Thanks! Zayne
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How do you end the thread so it doesn't come out of the holes. I wrapped the end a few times on my straps and the end came out already. I back stitch on other parts of the bags. But the ends of the strap I wanted to wrap to protect the points from opening. Maybe a dot of glue?
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Looking for stitching and/or sewing help (contract based) for a consumer leather product in the next few months to half a year. In Massachusetts, preferably within an hour or two of the Blackstone Valley area. Thanks!
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Well i wanted a lacing pony but didnt want to spend any money. So i made this one, the idea is that its easy packable and portable, parallel jaws for maxium friction so minimum pressure needed. Its just two boards, rounded and split leather added, at the bottom spacers added, just turn them around for no space, one layer spacer or two layer spacer. To keep jaws parallel to your work. Then tiny sash cramps, to add pressure but to also use as support on top of your knees, this way you can adjust the height perfectly.
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Hey everyone, I've been doing leatherwork off and on for about a year now and have gotten pretty good at hand stitching. I'm looking towards making some Dopp kits and other items as gifts and saleable items and after crunching the numbers and the time I've discovered it's not really cost effective to do everything with hand stitching. However, I'm in that age old conundrum of wanting to buy a sewing machine, but needing to justify the cost to my wife. I'm asking for your recommendations not for a machine that will do the job well for decades, but for something that will do the job for a year or so that can help me build some capital for buying a dedicated leather sewing machine. Some examples of what I'm looking for are, some really sturdy straight stitch vintage Singers that your grandma had, off brand walking foot or pseudo walking foot machines like the Mercury 337, trashed machines that need some TLC but might run ok for a while. Do you guys and gals have any recommendations or cautions? Am I looking at this all wrong?
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Hey guy's So I'm newer to leather work and want to start making my own designs instead of just using kits. however when stitching in the past the holes have always been there. Now I have a few ideas in mind where I'll have to punch my own holes but I'm not sure what tools to use or how to go about it. Thank you
