Stitch strength heresy - Lock vs Saddle

[fredk]

4 hours ago, Digit said:

I have no experience with hand stitching, but a possible weakness with a saddle stitch might be that you keep pulling the same thread through the leather, abrading the thread and making it slightly weaker with each hole you pass. By the time you reach the fiftieth hole, the thread has been pulled through fifty holes.

Nay, with any hand stitching one keeps the thread well waxed to stop any abrasion by the leather  and thusly by the thread itself

Edited Monday at 07:23 PM by fredk

[fredk]

5 hours ago, Cumberland Highpower said:

Saddle stitching mostly still exists for either of 2 reasons:  

1) Novelty

2) Poverty.

Novelty as in Hermes or other high end makers that are selling the work of skilled artisans and a high end/luxury item.

Poverty as in you can't afford a stitcher, yet.

I would dispute that simplistic statement

1. I like to saddlle-stitch. It is NOT for novelty value. Knowing how to saddle-stitch is good for any sort of leather work. I can s/s some items up faster than it takes me to set up any sewing machine

2. Poverty - NOT, I have numerous usable sewing machines and a few speedy-stitchers. The right tool for the right job. All in the leatherworkers armoury. I am neither poor nor rich

[chuck123wapati]

 Well said Fred. 

[AlZilla]

6 hours ago, Digit said:

With a (machine) lockstitch only a short amount of (top) thread gets pushed through the hole and pulled back, while the bottom thread doesn't get pulled through at all. So any bit of the top thread at any moment in time has been pushed through the leather only a coupl

The top thread on a machine stitch saws back and forth something like 50 times. Remember that the tension arm way up at the top of the machine is letting it get pulled around the bobbin each rotation and then yanked back up. I was surprised when I first heard it.

You are correct about the bobbin thread having an easy time of it. 

I'm glad this post finally got some traction.

[Cumberland Highpower]

3 hours ago, fredk said:

I would dispute that simplistic statement

1. I like to saddlle-stitch. It is NOT for novelty value. Knowing how to saddle-stitch is good for any sort of leather work. I can s/s some items up faster than it takes me to set up any sewing machine

2. Poverty - NOT, I have numerous usable sewing machines and a few speedy-stitchers. The right tool for the right job. All in the leatherworkers armoury. I am neither poor nor rich

Ok.

Edited Monday at 11:45 PM by Cumberland Highpower

[FrankHester]

50 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

 Well said Fred. 

Ditto!

[Sheilajeanne]

[quote]

Quote

That's just it a saddle stitch doesnt create a knot while a lockstitch is basicly a series of knots. 

Visualize your threads. Saddle stitching is basically using two threads spiraling them together with leather in between with no tension built by the threads pulling against each other. while lockstitch is two pieces of thread wrapped around each other in every hole, pulling against each the opposing thread on the other side of the leather [/quote]

 

[Agrees with Chuck!]

Edited 20 hours ago by Sheilajeanne

[dikman]

Let's not forget the ego element, I find it very satisfying knowing that I know how to saddle-stitch something. 

[kgg]

On 7/28/2025 at 8:18 PM, fredk said:

2. Poverty - NOT, I have numerous usable sewing machines and a few speedy-stitchers. The right tool for the right job. All in the leatherworkers armoury. I am neither poor nor rich

I agree. Personally I don't saddle stitch or otherwise hand stitch not because of funds but I just don't have the temperament. That for me was a major factor for not purchasing a one armed bandit (Tippmann Boss or Cowboy Outlaw). I just couldn't see myself pulling a lever for ever stitch let alone saddle stitching.

kgg  

[Digit]

I don't consider myself poor, but neither am I rich enough to be able to afford all the specialty sewing machines that are needed to stitch all possible seams. I have a basic, run-of-the-mill walking foot cylinder arm machine and that's it. I try to design things (or adjust patterns) in such a way that they can be machine stitched, but sooner or later I'll have to resort to manual sewing for 'difficult' seams. Not necessarily out of stitch strength or financial considerations, but for the esthetics. I think (maybe naively due to lack of experience) that most items can be created using the same machine stitch, but not all of those items will look pleasing to the eye (or be comfortable to wear) when there are thick seams (however thin one can skive them) and exposed edges (however fine one can finish them).