hand stitching guide

[MTH]

Thanks so much for the time you took writing this tutorial!

I have to put my vote in for pictures as well. Thanks again!

[mischief]

Thank you all for the most usefull info and instructions.

[eireman72]

I love this write up. Al Stohlmans book is great. The first thing I did was to build a small stitching pony, but do have plans for building the full size one in the back of the book. My little pony isn't pretty, but it sure works wonders. Thanks for the other tips on the awl as well.

[Reinhold]

Thanks for taking the time to write this all up, a really good addition to Al Stohlmans book!

Especially the part about playing with the awl, I hope this will improve the backsides of my stitching..!

[specialcases]

I stitch just as shown in the Stohlman book with the only exception being occassionally I will use the awl 10 holes ahead then put it on the bench rather pearce and stitch each time. Not convinced yet if it is any faster but occassionally is easier on my sometimes stiffer hands and fingers just to have the needles to deal with. I think I may get more consistant through angle due to being able to repeat in sequence and take advantage of muscle memory. I flattened one side of the awl handle for two reasons 1) it keeps it from rolling off the bench when set down and increasingly more importantly I use it as a tactile reference with my fingers to know how the blade is oriented relative to the stitiching line so the "daimond" is aligned as Al says it should be. I also place my index finger on the top face of the bladeto help ensure alignment and to help push back out. It makes thing way more consistant and I dont need to look at the awl to know the orientation.

i made a pony that can slot into an old chair I reseated and used a tie down ratchet for the tension device and it works great. I included nice wide wings on the base which go under my thighs behnd my knees and i can us it on any seat as well. mostly now on my stool in front of the bench and usign the bench to stablise the pony forwards.

when working at the weekend place I have a real horse built by my brother in law to a pattern a cobbled up from lots of images and historical plans plus the Stohlamn plan. I added teh "saddle" once i rode it fro a while.....they both work great and are a must for me.

i am on a continuous improvement plan with technique and tricks and tools and am sucking up all that this forum can provide. Tips like the vinyl gloves on those tough peices to help grip the needles and a trick i saw on line on how to pearce the needle through the thread by laying the thread on the bench, flattening it a little section with a thumn nail then placing the needle tip on the flat and pulling the thread up the needle. brilliant help.

Here is my pony and my horsey. invaluable both of them.

Thanks for all the wisdom shared here.

stop by sometime and check out how i have tried to use it! plinkercases.ca

God Bless and thanks.

Edited August 9, 2013 by specialcases

[walter roth]

Hello together.

I'm a Swiss SADDLER, and about the profession for over 30 years.

Excuse my bluntness, ...aber this sewing steeds that I see on the pictures, which are all useless. It is also of the Al Stohlman.

I am amazed again and again how this poor utensils so long time get on the world and always some used.

I have sewn English coach harness, with 14 stitches per inch, and all with double seams. Here you can sit for weeks on the Nähross.

I've now got some km seam in the fingers, they gave up here all these instruments in Switzerland many decades ago.

Here are some pictures looks like something you can really use it.

The sewing horse must be separated from the Chair, not everyone is the same and not everyone sits right at the sewing.

Under this sewing horses we screw here is still a heavy plate, so they have a good level.

So here the LInks to do so.

http://lederflechten.ch/e_shop/popup_image.php?pID=587&osCsid=0snuofjjhhket6a0hfl2qq6qp3

http://www.bernhardw.ch/typo3temp/pics/eb690a48df.jpg'>http://www.bernhardw.ch/typo3temp/pics/eb690a48df.jpg

http://www.bernhardw.ch/

Greeting

Walter

Edited September 14, 2013 by walter roth

[Tannin]

Hi Walter, I could not access your first link (is it correct?), however I was able to access the others. For the convenience of others I have re-stated them below as an image link and an active hypertext-link:

http://www.bernhardw.ch/

Doing an image search on Google for "Nähross" is quite interesting.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Tannin

[walter roth]

Hi Tanin ....................

I was 6 weeks traveling abroad, and I have brought Salmonella what another 10 days busied myself ........)))))) -:

But now here an answer.

So the picture shows exactly "Nährössli" ​​or "Nähzange" = Sewing Clamp, .... sold the company Bernhard.
The company Bernhard shows almost no tools on his website.

These Sewing-Clamp is here in Switzerland for sure on the 100 years of the standard at the saddlers.

I would even without these Sewing Clamp-It could not be, what you can see at the 99% bad leather seams.

Of course, the topic of "Sewing Awl" is also something that should be necessarily improved. One issue that should be urgently improved also 99% of the leather craftsmen. Unfortunately, the awls will prepare nowhere more not shown correctly even by the learned saddlers.
In our traditional saddlers this is something which is most practiced what has been learned very thoroughly and at least 3 years requires exercise until you can do it right.

But a usable sewing horse is always the first requirement to do so.

[silverbullet]

Nice job I kind like to hand stitch my leather goods too. Even tho I have a. Couple machines nothing like the cowboy or Steve's , but my Adler 104 ? Will do a nice job up to about 3/8 leather mine has a walking foot on it , I think it was made for making the ruffled tops on moccasins . I'm disabled and one hand doesn't work as well as my other but it looks good to me when I'm done I'll never be an artist at leather but I like doing it , I made a fully adjustable sewing vise this summer so I can put it between and under my legs in my hospital bed and swivel and rotate it the vise to any angle while reclined or uprite , if I ever put some pictures on here that would be one I'd put up plus the mauls I made . Gary ,,, again thanks for the sewing hints , you make each step sound easy . I'm greatful thanks

[Tannin]

Hi Walter, hope you are feeling better after your Salmonella poisoning . That is a very fine clamp/Nähross indeed - I would expect nothing less from Switzerland (a beautiful, clean and "ordered" country). You will laugh when you see mine, which I made from an ash log:

Silverbullet, would be interested to see your vice & mauls.

...

After roughing up the welt area on the flesh side of the sheath as well as the welt itself on both sides with a hand leather rougher that's made for the job...

I had to Google "leather rougher" - closest thing I have come across in the UK would be the somewhat cheaper "suede brush", a small, stiff wire-brush - traditionally used to clean suede "desert boots" , brogues & the like:

Suede brush on Amazon

Edited September 11, 2014 by Tannin