How is this stitching possible on a stitcher?

[chuck123wapati]

15 hours ago, yober said:

How do you propose pushing the needle through the backside without punching the inner side of the fold over?  That welt is too think for a curved needle.

it looks fiddly but not impossible pre punch you holes. they could have also used a jerk needle to do that.

[yober]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

it looks fiddly but not impossible pre punch you holes. they could have also used a jerk needle to do that.

What’s a jerk needle?  Is that like a stitching awl (Awl for All)?

[chuck123wapati]

3 hours ago, yober said:

What’s a jerk needle?  Is that like a stitching awl (Awl for All)?

here ya go.    

 

[yober]

33 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

here ya go.    

 

Ah, didn’t know it was called that.  Learned something new.

[Bert03241]

Never to old

[Dwight]

I've done holsters like that on and off for 20 years . . . all of the stitching except the 9 stitches which hold the holster together at the trigger guard and continuing down 9 stitches.

All the rest is done with the double layer holster laying flat on my Cowboy table . . . the decoration on the front only goes thru the one outside layer

In this order:  outside decoration on first layer of the holster . . . wet form the holster parts . . . first the inside layer . . . then wrap the outside layer around the gun AND the first layer.  Be sure to also fold over the belt loop while the leather is still dampened.  

Proceding on:  allow all pieces to dry . . . use glue or contact cement to put the 2 pieces together . . . wrapping them first around the gun . . . then around each other . . .

Trim as needed . . . then sew the whole holster other than the 9 stitches talked about earlier . . . last to sew is the loop on the backside.

Starting out to "finish" the stitches . . . when you started sewing this holster . . . at the first stitch . . . the 10th one down from the trigger . . . you go completely around the edge of the holster.  A cowboy 4500 laughs at how easy this is to do.  The stitching you did here has 3 inch starter threads that you do not trim off.

When you get to the area of the holster where the trigger guard is . . .  you quit sewing  halfway around . . . in the 9 stitch area on the backside of the holster . . . pull out 4 inches of thread and cut it . . . pull the thread out of the needle and sew the 9 stitches' holes . . . just punching holes in the leather.

Apply contact cement to the inside of both edges where it is below the trigger guard for those 9 stitches.

Starting on the back side . . . first stitch the top one of that 9 stitches below the trigger guard  . . . making sure you have the outside leather facing up and the needle going down thru it . . . but all you will do is punch holes . . . when you get back up to the top where the leather is just below the trigger guard . . . pull out 3 or 4 inches . . . and sew the whole outside top of the holster.

When you get around to the place where the top of the outside of the front of the holster is . . . pull out 8 or 9 inches of thread from needle and bobbin . . . cut it off.

Sand the edges of the holster and bevel all except the area where the 9 stitches are.

Wire brush both places on the backside where the belt loop is sewn down.  Contact cement it . . . put it between two small wooden pieces and squeeze the bent over piece that when stitched out . . . it'll form the belt loop.

HERE COMES THE TRICKY PART:  if you did it right (and if I told you right) . . . you will have 4 corners on that holster that have thread protruding out of it.  3 will have 3 or 4 inches . . . one corner will have 8 or 9 inches.

You should also have punched holes for the "9" stitches I talked about earlier . . . but no thread . . . and those will be located 180 degrees from each other . . . two sections of 9 stitches . . . but no thread.

On the backside pull both threads thru so that the stitch threads will both come thru toward the welt. (forgot . . . sew 9 stitch holes  in the welt too . . . but not with thread . . . you want holes only)

Do the same for the back side of the holster beginning at that piece where it is below the welt . . . pull both threads in so they lay on the inside of the holster.

Do the same for the front side of the holster  . . . beginning at that piece where it is below the welt . . . pull both threads in so they lay on the inside of the holster.

Apply a 1/2 inch wide strip of contact cement to the welt and to the inside edges of the holster where those 9 stitches will be finished up. On 3 out of the 4 corners you have at the 9 stitches . . . pull all 6 of the threads into the contact cement . . . and lay them 1/16th of an inch inside the punched holes for the 9 stitches.  Let it all dry.

With a hand needle that will adequately hold your thread . . . pull the bobbin thread of the front side of the holster up at top where the trigger guard is . . . pull it thru the welt then thru the back side.  

Get your needle pad and as you gently lay together the outside area where the welt is . . . fill each hole with another needle.  When you have the holster fully together with the contact cement . . . use two small wooden pieces or two sections of 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/8 inch . . . CLEAN . . . steel angle iron . . . use a couple of C clamps . . . pull the wood or the angle iron up and almost touch the needles on the front and the back . . . and clamp them down . . . hard.

Put your remaining one orphan string of thread thru another needle . . . and saddle stitch the top 8 of the 9 stitches on the welt . . . pulling out the 8 needles and going thru the  hole each occupied . . . start at the top and stitch downward . . . remove the wood or the angle iron.

For that last stitch . . . I personally would do it and double stitch back up toward the top of the welt . .  . 3 or 4 stitches . . . cut and trim.

This holster was probably done a different way here . . . bringing both threads thru their respective pieces of leather and a square knot finishing it all off . . . the knot residing between the welt and the back side piece of leather.

Take those last two sewing threads and pull up on the inside of the holster next to the welt . . . after first coating the first inch with contact cement . . . force them into one of the valleys between the front and back and the welt . . . but do it on the inside. 

When the contact cement is dry . . . get a flashlight . . . check for any EXTRA thread that didn't get cut off inside . . . with barber scissors . . . reach in and trim off all you can.  If there is any left over you cannot reach . . . dip a q tip in contact cement and force the EXTRA thread into the welt area.

When that dries . . . you are ready for dying and edging the welt . . . and the final finishing touches.

Hope you all were able to follow my directions.  I've done several like this . . . works every time. 

May God bless,

Dwight

Edited March 2 by Dwight

[yober]

Thanks for the in-depth write-up.  My process is a little different but the gist is you’re pre-punching holes and handstitching, if I read that correctly.

I ended up using a “jerk needle,” switching to harness needles with a saddle stitch using the same length of thread, with excellent results.  The issue is always not enough room to either run the harness needle, or stitching with my Artisan.  It got done.

Edited March 2 by yober