About stitching horses

[Timbo]

Thanks for that Tony!!!!! I have never seen a jaw mechanism like that. The mechanics are very simple yet effective and very reproducible!!! That is really cool.

Tim

[Lippy]

Barra showed images of Saddlers Clams. What would be the advantage of a clam vs. a stitching horse?

Towards the end of this video about the making of a Hermes leather bag it shows clams in use. Once you get past the sales "fluff" the video shows some really fast hand saddle stitching too by folks who look like they've done it many times before.

Vergez Blanchard shows a clamp online. http://www.vergez-blanchard.fr/boutique_us...lg_us&num=2 Likewise, Abbey Saddlery has this one. http://www.abbeysaddlery.co.uk/product_detail.cfm?id=FS025

Do you know of any other companies who make the clams or has anyone seen plans to build your own?

[barra]

I get the impression that Clams are more an English/European saddlers item. Being in Australia we tended to follow the English traditions when it came to saddlers tools. I had only ever seen a stitching horse once in my life until I started to lurk here on LW. I have now made myself a (rough as guts) stitching horse just to see if I liked using it. I find that I would use the horse and Clams 50/50.

The benefits of the Clams over the horse as I see it would be that.

1. Clams generally speaking have a deeper throat and are universal for large items and strapping.

2. Also while you are seated at the bench you are withing arms reach of all your tools if you have given some thought to how you have racked them.

3. Clams are light weight and therefore easily portable.

4. It is easy to adjust the height of the jaws to suit individual tastes.

5. Clams come in different jaw sizes to accomodate items like shaft tugs that need narrow jaws. You can then just reach for the narrow jawed clams and not have to either have 2 horses or one with inter changeable jaws.

As noted, Clams can still be obtained commercially but it is relatively easy to make a functional set. You can get hold of a pair of barrel staves, add a length of timber to the bottom to suit you and then rasp the top so the jaws meet. I have also made a set by steam bending timber. I used the veggie steamer. Crude but it worked. As a general rule of thumb you steam for 1 hr per inch of timber thickness. Of course you need to use wood that lends itself to steam bending.

Barra

P.S. Have a look at the on the floor clamp model that Rawhide has made. Works for me.

Edited March 2, 2009 by barra

[Lippy]

Barra,

Thanks for the clam information. I'll get back to you as soon as I locate our veggie steamer!

[oldtimer]

This is the Swedish Army (pre-1956) version of a stitching clam for field use. It is made of birch and has a hinged leg.

The clam rests on one leg and is held tight with the other leg on top, and it has a good function.

/Knut

Edited March 3, 2009 by oldtimer

[tonyc1]

Now, that is very high tech compared to the British one that is usually seen, Old Timer!

Tony.

[Bmoz]

This is the Swedish Army (pre-1956) version of a stitching clam for field use. It is made of birch and has a hinged leg.

The clam rests on one leg and is held tight with the other leg on top, and it has a good function.

/Knut

I would love to have a plan for that. would you mind posting the measurements

[Suze]

the one thing that I can see with 'clam vs horse' for a person like me with little to no room in the house because of all the OTHER crafts that are in here as well

and being a "hobbiest" leather worker (small stuff - only for me)

is that it takes up LESS ROOM and if I were to get one it would be a clam because of that factor.

and that fold up one is COOL

[jimsaddler]

I get the impression that Clams are more an English/European saddlers item. Being in Australia we tended to follow the English traditions when it came to saddlers tools. I had only ever seen a stitching horse once in my life until I started to lurk here on LW. I have now made myself a (rough as guts) stitching horse just to see if I liked using it. I find that I would use the horse and Clams 50/50.

The benefits of the Clams over the horse as I see it would be that.

1. Clams generally speaking have a deeper throat and are universal for large items and strapping.

2. Also while you are seated at the bench you are withing arms reach of all your tools if you have given some thought to how you have racked them.

3. Clams are light weight and therefore easily portable.

4. It is easy to adjust the height of the jaws to suit individual tastes.

5. Clams come in different jaw sizes to accomodate items like shaft tugs that need narrow jaws. You can then just reach for the narrow jawed clams and not have to either have 2 horses or one with inter changeable jaws.

As noted, Clams can still be obtained commercially but it is relatively easy to make a functional set. You can get hold of a pair of barrel staves, add a length of timber to the bottom to suit you and then rasp the top so the jaws meet. I have also made a set by steam bending timber. I used the veggie steamer. Crude but it worked. As a general rule of thumb you steam for 1 hr per inch of timber thickness. Of course you need to use wood that lends itself to steam bending.

Barra

P.S. Have a look at the on the floor clamp model that Rawhide has made. Works for me.

Hey Barra

I've got to side with you. Clams is the way that I was taught and at one stage I had a pair for every Job. Including; narrow (2") fine jaws for fine Bridle stitching, 3 1/2" for general strapping, 4 1/2" for Trace and Heavy work with a sliding Band to lock the jaws, 2 sizes in curved Jaw Tug Clams, several with Notched Jaws for Sewing Rounded work, and 2 pairs with big bows and Pig skin lined jaws for Sewing Saddle Flaps (right & left). Actually there were 16 sets.

One the other side of the coin when I ran the Factory all of my women stitchers (50 to 60) used Horses or Ponies to keep thier modesty. The Saddle Stitchers used Jaws that were chunkier and lined with Harness Leather to avoid Scratching the work these were lever cosed at the back of the Jaw, The Harness & Bridle Stitchers used angled Jaws that were finer these were clsoed by a 1 1/2" strap for leverage. Unfortunately all of my Clams dissapeared so now I'm back to 1 set and a Horse that I made out of Rosewood. The Clams are used 90% of the time as thay are easier to work with at the bench and I can keep them between my legs while doing the set-up on the bench.

To justify the speed thing a Clam sewer can sew a Barcoo bridle complete with Billet reins in 46mins, a Horse stitcher takes 5 minutes more. That was done as a time trial in the early 80's with all stopd pulled out. By the same token the Horse was superior for sewing Traces as the could sew further without changing grip.

The hinged model shown in the post is similar to that used by a Dutch Friend of mine and he was very quick with it. He sat on it and created his grip by his weight on the leg.

So suffice it to say that what ever works for the Job use it. Saddles and Strappingwould be better off sewn with Clams because of the depth that can be accomodated easily by them. Also if your Workshop is small they take up less room (Mine stand where I can get them without getting off my Stool. Holsters and most Harness are better sewn on a Horse.

Then there is the Pony, very handy and transportable. Make sure you use a long Flap of flexible Leather to hang over the wing nut dow to the leg so the Threads don't catch on. I used to carry one in the Spring Cart and sew Stirrup Leathers and Bridles while the Horse was making his way along the road. It's better than Knitting (yes I had Rubber Tyres on the Cart).

Kindest Regardas.

Jim.

[tonyc1]

You're a real character, Jim.

Tony.