Members katsass Posted October 16, 2009 Members Report Posted October 16, 2009 Good morning PJ. As others have said, use a length of thread about as long as you can strech out your arms, you will want to re-wax periodically because as you stitch the stuff will rub off. You might think about only adding a re-enforcing strip where the holster will hang, and stitching that in place first before jumping into a complete belt. That might give you an idea of what you are getting involved in. Just a thought. enclosed is an example pic. Mike Quote NOTE TO SELF: Never try to hold a cat and an operating Dust buster at the same time!! At my age I find that I can live without sex..........but not without my glasses. Being old has an advantage.......nobody expects me to do anything in a hurry.
Members Shorts Posted October 16, 2009 Members Report Posted October 16, 2009 I handstitched my first belt. Never again. Sure, I'm proud it if. It'll last a very long time. However handstitching yards and yards of thread (one piece!) is something I won't probably do again. And I have a machine now Probably a good thing it was a 33" belt huh? Quote
Mike Craw Posted October 16, 2009 Report Posted October 16, 2009 Hey PJ243! I agree with everybody who has responded to date, but I didn't see anybody respond to one question you asked. Yes, you certainly could assemble the project and take it to a saddle shop or shoe repair place and pay them to do it. Most shops are used to requests from folks to sew projects that are partially completed, although I'd guess it's somewhat more rare now than years ago. Yes, you can just forget the whole thing and buy something from a big-name manufacturer, but you'll miss out on what may be the single greatest reason any of us is in the position we now find ourselves - Makers! We can honestly say, "Thanks, I'm glad you like it, I MADE it myself!" Caution: Once you make it yourself, you'll never look at a factory made leather item the same way again. Your wife will get sick of hearing, "Geez, they didn't skive the edges before they sewed it! I could make a better (fill in the blank) than that in my sleep and I damn sure wouldn't have put my name on that!" If you are in no rush, take the time to sew it yourself. I second the recommendation to get Al Stohlman;s book on hand sewing. Pay particular attention to the description of keeping the awl in your hand while you saddle stitch. It feels uncomfortable at first, but if you wind up hand making a saddle or similar project, it will save you incredible amounts of time over pick up the awl, stab the hole, put down the awl, sew the stitch, pick up the awl... OK, I'm done preaching. Thanks for letting me vent. Mike Quote My choice early in life was either to be a piano-player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference. Harry S. Truman
Members Shorts Posted October 16, 2009 Members Report Posted October 16, 2009 Mike makes a good point about using the awl in hand technique. I had to do it different since I stitch with one hand. What I did was punch all the holes then stitched. Quote
Members PJ234 Posted October 16, 2009 Author Members Report Posted October 16, 2009 Thanks for all the responses! I use a diamond punch for making the holes (I've tried an awl and I've tried drilling, and the punch works best for me at this point.) I'll probably give it a try if my hide is big enough (I'm your typical pear shaped American!) and take it to a shop to machine sew if it becomes overwhelming. I've got lots of time (and little money) so I'm not worried about the time aspect as much as how to wrestle 30 ft. of thread. I don't have that particular Stohlman book but I have seen it before. Perhaps I'll pick it up next time. Quote
Members TexasJack Posted October 17, 2009 Members Report Posted October 17, 2009 The Stohlman book, "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather" is a 'must-have'. It specifically addresses things like broken thread, running out of thread, etc. Very easy to follow with lots of diagrams. And it has a lot of specific information on making belts. Quote
Grunt Posted October 17, 2009 Report Posted October 17, 2009 I have hand sewn quite a few belts made from two layers of 8oz saddle skirting and yes it is a pain in the butt. I am, however, glad I made them. After making a few belts, sewing almost any other project by hand is a breeze. Even though I now use my sewing machine for belts and knife sheaths, I know that I can hand sew anything and do it to a high standard. I will probably hand sew another belt for myself before the holidays. I have built a stitching horse of sorts just for stitching and finishing belts that makes life a lot easier. I mainly use it now to hold belts in place for finishing the edges. It's the big "T" shaped thing on the left. I don't use an awl to punch holes however. I use a large needle chucked in my drill press and make the holes that way. The needle does not cut the leather like a drill bit would and it makes perfect holes. I have, by trial and error, determined which size needles work best with which size threads. By pre-punching my holes and using my "stitching horse" I am able to hand sew a belt fairly quickly with a lot less trouble. Using a quality linen thread, properly waxed, in the correct size holes, makes a really nice tight hand stitch. I have never had a problem once I settled on the method that works for me. Not everyone will agree with my sewing method but I think you have to find what works for you. Happy Sewing, Nick Quote
Lobo Posted October 17, 2009 Report Posted October 17, 2009 I have hand sewn quite a few belts made from two layers of 8oz saddle skirting and yes it is a pain in the butt. I am, however, glad I made them. After making a few belts, sewing almost any other project by hand is a breeze. Even though I now use my sewing machine for belts and knife sheaths, I know that I can hand sew anything and do it to a high standard. I will probably hand sew another belt for myself before the holidays. I have built a stitching horse of sorts just for stitching and finishing belts that makes life a lot easier. I mainly use it now to hold belts in place for finishing the edges. It's the big "T" shaped thing on the left. I don't use an awl to punch holes however. I use a large needle chucked in my drill press and make the holes that way. The needle does not cut the leather like a drill bit would and it makes perfect holes. I have, by trial and error, determined which size needles work best with which size threads. By pre-punching my holes and using my "stitching horse" I am able to hand sew a belt fairly quickly with a lot less trouble. Using a quality linen thread, properly waxed, in the correct size holes, makes a really nice tight hand stitch. I have never had a problem once I settled on the method that works for me. Not everyone will agree with my sewing method but I think you have to find what works for you. Happy Sewing, Nick Excellent idea! That long stitching horse would be real handy for hand-stitching a belt. Thanks for sharing. Quote Lobo Gun Leather serious equipment for serious business, since 1972 www.lobogunleather.com
Members carljc72 Posted October 17, 2009 Members Report Posted October 17, 2009 Nick, I personally agree with your method. I hand stitch everything and came up with a similar method. I also use my drill press with either a round needle or diamond awl blade. I have not done a belt yet but now I look forward to it a little more after reading this thread. Carl Quote Carl Collins
Members PJ234 Posted October 17, 2009 Author Members Report Posted October 17, 2009 Nick, that stitching horse looks great for sewing belts...thanks for sharing your idea! I may have to make one of those at some point. Quote
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