Hand Sewing With Nylon Or Polyester

[Cattle Hide]

I will be hand stitching modern design holsters and want to use nylon or polyester for durability, chemical resistance and water resistance (UV resistance with Polyester). Many high end holster makers seem to use nylon on sewing machines.

Is nylon or polyester hard to work with when hand sewing?

Can you get a tapered end on the thread so the needle pulls through work easily?

What size of thread for hand sewing holsters? RawhideLeather's Hand Sewing Guide mentions Nyltex indirectly and per The Thread Exchange this seems to be size 554

Any suggestions, comments, experiences, etc.

Finding size data has been very difficult to say the least. Many vendors sell thread for hand sewing but do not indicate the size. Many leather workers talk about hand sewing but do not include details on tools, needles and thread. My hope is to start with well tested options and reduce the inevitable experimentation that everyone seems to go through.

[Rayban]

After a few years of hand stitching all my work with waxed thread bought at Tandy, I tried a project using the size 277 thread that I normally run on my machine.

It took some getting used to for me. The nylon thread was very flimsy and kept pulling out of the eyelet of the needles.....let's just say it was very slow going. I believe that for using nylon thread, a smaller awl blade and needles are necessary too.

But the end result was fine.

For handstitching, I'll be using waxed thread whenever possible, just my preference.

[Cattle Hide]

Still looking for comments!

Especially regarding tapering polyester or nylon for hand stitching and should you purchase waxed thread or inwaxed and hand apply wax yourself.

Thread sizes you use would also be useful.

[King's X]

Good thread. I use mostly unwaxed natural cotton thread for my work. Yes, I will pull my length, wax it and burnish it into the threads. The reason for this is because I have found the cotton thread to work best for me. As for Waxing it, well I bought crap load of it and my stock will probably out last me. It is a 7 thread count and if I need to reduce it, I just pull what I need and go from there. I also have some old thread from Tandy, but I have never really liked it. I also have a stock of waxed weaved thread from Tandy and I will use this thread if I need some really strength down the road.

I hope this helps.

[GrampaJoel]

I just finished repairing a saddle yesterday. I sewed a saddle stitch using double needles.

I used poly thread size 277 that I waxed myself.

I feel that the wax helps it to sort of lock against itself and hold tighter stitches as I sew.

When I machine sew I just use the poly thread.

Joel

[oldtimer]

You can taper Nylon / polyester thread like you do with a linen thread.

When I handsew with nylon thread ( bonded), I wax the thread with a sticky wax I blended myself, yellow pine pitch, bees wax and mutton tallow, as bees wax rubs off the thread in the first couple of holes.

The sticky wax locks the stitches very well.

/ Knut

[ramrod]

i use the tandy poly machine thread size 277 for all of my hand stitching. it's unwaxed. but i'm really pleased with it. i usually impale the thread twice when locking it to the needle. it's a bit stiff to use at first, but it will limp out and it works fine. i've never tried to taper the ends on this thread.

i'd really like to try some flax linen and wax it myself, but i haven't gotten around to buying any. i get the feeling that i'd really like using it.

as a side note, i ran across a ton of this synthetic stuff called vectran. extremely tough to cut and without any stretch at all. it's kind of like sinew because it's flat and not wound or spun. i've tried it on a small repair and was pleased with it. it seems to hold dye quite readily.

Edited April 17, 2011 by ramrod

[Leather Monkey]

When you guys use the poly or nylon thread, does it take dye when you dye the leather? Or does it stay white? Do you stitch after if it does dye?

What size awl do you use for 277?

[Rayban]

When you guys use the poly or nylon thread, does it take dye when you dye the leather? Or does it stay white? Do you stitch after if it does dye?

What size awl do you use for 277?

The nylon thread I use on my machine (277) takes dye pretty well.....if white thread is requested, I'll dye and finish before stitching.

If I apply a finish after dyeing, some dye may bleed onto the thread with the sponge I use.

[King's X]

I dye all of my projects before stitching, if possible. Than I will use a color coordinated thread to compliment the dye color. But I usually use white thread mostly because I really think (for me) it looks clean and the contrast is nice as well.

Either way, sample your threads and keep that piece by your bench to reference it as you progress through you projects.

Good luck

[Leather Monkey]

Thanks to both of you for your replies!