Rosin for hand stitching

[amuckart]

Hi all,

My background is in making reproduction medieval shoes and they called this stuff code back then. It's been a long time since I've hand stitched anything without it, but I ply up my own cords out of single-strand #10 linen and put bristles on them rather than using this newfangled poly stuff and harness needles Poly's hard to taper and I don't think you build good tight round closed seams in a shoe with needles.

Anyway, some time ago I wrote up how I make up code or hand wax as modern shoemakers call it, on my blog along with photos at http://wherearetheel...aking-code.html

If it'd help in terms of search etc, I can always transcribe that content directly into the forum. As I say in the blog post, I was poured about twice as much as I should have in each pour so in the photos I'm pulling a bit too much and it didn't really mix properly.

This is the mix that works for me, with the beeswax I have, and the rosin I have. It pays to experiment a bit and write down your ratios as you go, but make it up in decent size batches so once you get it right you've got enough to last you for a while. The made up wax will dry out over time as the volatiles evaporate out. Storing it in a ziploc baggie, or even better a jar of water stops this.

I've also been working on a recipe using proper black pitch rendered down from stockholm tar that's probably closer to what the medieval guys used, but I doubt it'd be much use for saddlery work being as it's awful messy.

I'd advise against using oil or tallow to cut the rosin with. It can go from rock hard to a gooey mess in the space of one or two drops if you get it wrong.

With a good mix I can build a seam then take a knife and cut off the externally visible parts of every stitch and still need pliers to pull the leather apart. When it comes apart there will be these hard little 'pegs' of waxed thread filling the holes.

I hope that's of some help to folk on here. I'm getting an awful lot out of this forum, so thanks to everyone who makes it such a useful place.