Tell me what stitching chisel for newbie shoemaker

[SUP]

@Aventurine, most important... get an anti-tetanus shot!

[Mablung]

3 minutes ago, SUP said:

@Aventurine, most important... get an anti-tetanus shot!

Then there’s that? I nearly took the tip of one finger off, or would have if my first head knife weren’t so dull. 

[Aventurine]

 I think I’ll just plan on dyeing the leather blood-red
@Aven, those turn shoes sound like exactly what I’d want to start with!  Please, what kind  of skiving knife?  End-sharpened like a chisel  or triangular side sharpened like an x-acto blade (“English knife”)? And what size?   Would it differ according to the thickness or hardness of the leathers?

For the heavy leathers you describe, how heavy a thread, how long a stitch, and how big an awl blade?  I understand that the lore on this is that you should make the holes small and tight so that they will grip the thread and not allow it to “saw”into the leather with use.  I don’t know how to apply that advice  though.

Edited July 12, 2024 by Aventurine

[Aventurine]

@Sup thank you for the reminder.  No fears, I am vaccinated and always have Povidine  and such stuff in the house.

[Aven]

10 hours ago, Aventurine said:

 I think I’ll just plan on dyeing the leather blood-red
@Aven, those turn shoes sound like exactly what I’d want to start with!  Please, what kind  of skiving knife?  End-sharpened like a chisel  or triangular side sharpened like an x-acto blade (“English knife”)? And what size? 

Skiving knife -  Sorry, I'm not going to be helpful here.  I have several skiving knives and a couple of safety skivers.  I'm a neurodivergent lefty made to be a righty with hand damage.  My thought process is my own and my physical dexterity is different from yours. So.. what works for me might not work for you.  I like the safety skivers (the stick shaped ones with a triangle formed end) because they use a razor blade so they are sharp.  I dislike them because the blade cost adds up over time. And its easy to cut yourself getting a blade in or out.  They dull quickly, but when they are sharp they work a treat.  I found they work best if they are held at an angle, not perpendicular to the edge of the leather, closer to 45° so you are doing more of a slicing motion. 

I have two Japanese style knives I got at Sorrel Notions, a 3/4" and a 1". They are about 10" long and about 5mm thick. I tend to use both equally.  Learning how to sharpen them takes more than a minute.  You will need a couple of high grit water stones or wet and dry paper and a strop. One of the things that I saw in a basics class that I thought was really brilliant was to sharpen your knife and then cut thick scrap leather with it until it wasn't sharp any longer then hone the knife and start cutting again.  This taught you what really sharp feels like when you cut and you got to figure out a technique for honing that works for you.  And it gives you practice cutting leather free hand if you marked cutting lines before hand.

There are numerous styles, custom and factory made.  Pick one and learn how to use it. Draw a margin line and learn to skive to it and not taking chunks out of the edge. Practice on scrap until you feel confident using it.

 

10 hours ago, Aventurine said:

Would it differ according to the thickness or hardness of the leathers?

No. The only thing that changes is the angle of the blade.  You lift the handle higher for a thick leather than you would for a thin leather.

10 hours ago, Aventurine said:

For the heavy leathers you describe, how heavy a thread, how long a stitch, and how big an awl blade?  I understand that the lore on this is that you should make the holes small and tight so that they will grip the thread and not allow it to “saw”into the leather with use.  I don’t know how to apply that advice  though.

Use something thickish for your thread.  0.8, 1, 1.2mm.  You need something that will hold up to the stress of you walking in the shoes.

If you are going to use linen you will most likely have to make it up from smaller diameter strings.  You will have to twist them together and taper the ends.  And wax it.  Its a whole nother process to master.  While I respect those that use linen threads for shoe making and take them to their A&S for review, its more than I want to do.  There a couple of videos out there on loading a boar bristle.  Search the forum for boar bristle.  I know I linked a couple for someone interested in going that route.

Stitch length - 1 cm works.  Its not too close to cause your leather to tear.  Its not too far apart to leave space that your finger will fit in. 

Practice doing a butt seam and using an awl.  The upper is stitched to the sole by using the inseaming awl to go from the top of the sole (the side your foot will be on) to the middle of the edge of the leather.  This way you aren't walking on any stitches.

[Mablung]

Look in the Leather Tools forum for guidance on things like different flavors of skiving tools. I use the safety skiver that Aven described and my round knife for skiving. Lots of ways to skin that cat. Go read the other threads, get your wits jumbled and then reassembled, and see if you can “test drive” someone else’s tools somewhere. 

[Aven]

23 hours ago, Northmount said:

Since this is more about sewing leather, moved your post there.  Take a look through this pinned topic.  https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/88881-stitching-chiselsirons-and-pricking-irons-reviews-and-information/

 

Northmount, would you mind sticking this back into shoe making? 

Thanks

[Aven]

Here's a short video of Jason's turnshoe process.  It takes you through all the steps so you get an idea of what making a turn shoe looks like

[Northmount]

1 hour ago, Aven said:

Northmount, would you mind sticking this back into shoe making? 

Thanks

Moved, was originally in How do I do That

[Aventurine]

Thank you all so much!