Stitching The Cantle Binding

[ktravis]

I'm hoping someone here can help me. When I bought my shop (in 1989) it came with a supply of wire bristles. These are great for stitching cantle bindings because they are flexible, and I could feed them up under the Cheyenne roll, where there is not a lot of room. I am now down to my last bristle, and it is getting pretty beat up. I have not found any new ones. Does anyone know where I can get some?

Also, what are the best alternatives IF I can't get any more bristles. What are you using, and how do you stich your Cheyenne rolls at the cantle?. Thanks,

Keith

[Blake]

  On 1/26/2011 at 9:22 PM, ktravis said:

I'm hoping someone here can help me. When I bought my shop (in 1989) it came with a supply of wire bristles. These are great for stitching cantle bindings because they are flexible, and I could feed them up under the Cheyenne roll, where there is not a lot of room. I am now down to my last bristle, and it is getting pretty beat up. I have not found any new ones. Does anyone know where I can get some?

Also, what are the best alternatives IF I can't get any more bristles. What are you using, and how do you stich your Cheyenne rolls at the cantle?. Thanks,

Keith

Pilgrim shoe supply has "Boot Quills" and also J H Cook in N Carolina.

Blake

[Kevin]

I found some floss pullers that are shaped the same, but look like fishing line. I think they will work the same.

Good luck,

Kevin

[mworthan]

How do you stitch using wire bristles? I just always used an awl, egg eye needles and linen thread. Just curious....

Edited January 28, 2011 by mworthan

[Blake]

  On 1/28/2011 at 4:13 AM, mworthan said:

How do you stitch using wire bristles? I just always used an awl, egg eye needles and linen thread. Just curious....

"Pop Stitch"

[mworthan]

  On 1/28/2011 at 3:18 PM, Blake said:

"Pop Stitch"

Can you explain the process if you have time? I've seen a buckstitch done with rawhide lace. Is it similar?

[Randy Cornelius]

I think he is refering to what most, or some of use call a jerk needle. It is more or less like a needle off an old landis sole stitcher. You push the jerk needle down through the hole. wrap the thread around the needle and the small slice ( whatever you call it) catches the thread and you pull up a loop, pass the thread through the loop and pull the threads tight. Kinda like a speedy stiticher.

[mworthan]

  On 1/30/2011 at 4:28 PM, Randy Cornelius said:

I think he is refering to what most, or some of use call a jerk needle. It is more or less like a needle off an old landis sole stitcher. You push the jerk needle down through the hole. wrap the thread around the needle and the small slice ( whatever you call it) catches the thread and you pull up a loop, pass the thread through the loop and pull the threads tight. Kinda like a speedy stiticher.

Gotcha,

If it gets cut or breaks, will it unravel?

or...

is it just as good as a lockstitch where you cross needles / threads. The benefit is that it is faster?

Thanks,

Mike

[Randy Cornelius]

  On 1/31/2011 at 12:46 AM, mworthan said:

Gotcha,

If it gets cut or breaks, will it unravel?

I guess If it got cut it could unravel but have not seen that happen.

or...

is it just as good as a lockstitch where you cross needles / threads. The benefit is that it is faster?

Thanks,

Mike

The benefit is that it is used where you cannot get a needle in underneather the bottom side of the Cheyene roll.

[bruce johnson]

Bristles can be actual boar bristles or synthetics like the flexible wire or plastic. I watched a video of a guy using guitar strings and some boot makers use heavy monofilament fishing line. They are flexible and will bend to get into a confined are or follow a curved awl hole. The thread is attrached to the bristle with a wax and whipped on. They can be used in a traditional saddle stitch with the threads crossing in the awl hole. "Pop Stitching" to me basically means a running stitch - in and out with a single thread going in one direction just like using a thread to do a buckstitch pattern. This is used on some overlaid seats with the thread coming up and going down through each scallop. Some makers do it on cantle bindings too. Diifernet people use thread, lacing tape, or artificial sinew.

Randy described using a jerk needle well. What it makes is a mechanical lock stitch like a machine. You can reach down into corners and hook a thread underneath and pull a loop back up through the hole. You pass the top thread through and then tension the bottom thread to bring the lock down into the leather.

I sew my Cheyenne rolls with a saddle stitch. I start down in the corners nearly horizontal or even angled up slightly so I can get my backside needles in. I may use the same bottom hole twice before moving to the next one. The lets me catch up and keep the same stitch spacing on the bottom as the top. Once I get to where I am in the clear, then I go to the normal saddle stitch sequence. Hard to explain but it is shown in one of the Stohlman books. I usually sew to past center from one side or the other and then start in the other corner and overlap a few stitches. I do the overlap slightly off center of the binding so it is not quite as noticable. Again maybe from Stohlman, maybe someone here gave that tip. Some days I have done this technique with one thread and go all the way across for grins. You need to have the floor clean and things out of the way. It uses a mega-pull of thread and takes a lot of time pulling slack.