Saddle Stitching, Front/back Look Different?

[bigtree]

Both methods produce the "potential bad side" as you mentioned. There is no escaping it. The only way to avoid it this "potentially bad side" as you mentioned is to use round stitching holes.

Yes, you're absolutely right. I've spent hours experimenting and researching since I posted and came to that realization that no matter how you stitch one side will align with the direction of the slant and one won't. I just saw that happening on my work and have never really noticed in pictures of other people's, so I got paranoid that I wasn't doing something correctly. Turns out my "potentially bad side" isn't bad at all, it's normal. Phew. I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist.

It also wears out the thread considerably.

Can you elaborate on that? The only reason I'm attracted to this method of stitching is because it seems like it is the strongest and most durable stitch as it adds an actual knot to keep the threads locked in place. Do you mean to say that the knot actually wears on the thread over time? To continue with my over-perfectionist nature, I need to be using the stitch that is the strongest to feel good about my work...

Edited April 2, 2011 by bigtree

[MADMAX22]

Well Ill throw in my limited experience with saddle stitching as i have only been doing it for a few years.

If you use the regular method without the fullblown knot for each stitch you will still have a very good holding stitch. Like if you want to take the item apart you will still have to cut each and every stitch just about to get it apart. If you have not tried taking something apart that has been saddle stitched even with just the regular back and forth give it a shot. It is over all a amazing stitch.

I dont do the knoit thing on every stitch as showed above because to me it is time consuming and on thinner leathers you cant hide the knot very well. However what I do is when I stitch I on your right hand side I bring the thread that just went thru and loop it under back and over the needle coming thru on the right hand side.

On the left hand side which would be the back you do something similer, I think it is under over and back towards yourself. Its not a full blown knot, just a one side over one way, the other side over the other way. This pushes the thread either up or down depending on which side which usually lines up with the slant of your awl stabbings and will cause the thread to lay in the direction of the awl blade cut on both sides. Atleast it seems to work for me.

EDIT: I think I realized I just gave ya the same advice your video you posted gave you so it was kind of a pointless post.

Edited April 2, 2011 by MADMAX22

[reddevil76]

Well, the lockstitch actually wears out the thread as I am stitching, because the knot makes the threads rub against each other alot more than the saddle stitch during the stitching process.

I have to keep re-waxing while stitching a 8 X 8 inch wallet outer. With the saddle stitch, I don't have this problem.

[25b]

When you get better at saddle-stitching, you'll start using high contrast thread and leather just to show off how nice your stitching is. I do, anyway.

Until then, I notice most folks use black thread on black leather...brown on brown, etc...

[Martyn]

It's difficult to put into words, but instead of the thread laying into the nearest side of the diamond (the bottom point), it stretches across to the other side (the top point) and the thread coming through from the other side should sit in the top point but ends up laying in the bottom point.

I realise this is an old thread, but I was having this same problem and figured out exactly what was causing it and thought I would comment for posterity. When you create the knot, you pass the thread either under or over the needle, depending on the direction in which you are stitching. If you stitch appears 'wrong' in that the threads are emerging from the opposite point of the diamond hole to where they should be coming out, then you are either passing the thread over the needle when it should be under, or passing it under when it should be over. If you reverse whatever it is you are doing, the stitch should be corrected.

Edited March 9, 2016 by Martyn

[alpha2]

I have noticed that the depth of the stitch groove can straighten out the stitches. All that effort, and the groove straightens it out. Bummed. (It also has to do with the ratio of thread size to stitch groove.)

[bikermutt07]

I quit using my groover. I use the divider instead. I only use my groover now to make little tracks in things I'm glueing together.

[JLSleather]

Been a LOT of 'stuff' on lately about 'casting' stitches, and 'angling' stitches, and 'laughing till yer in" stitches....bleh!

I like mine STRAIGHT.  Comes out the awl, or comes off the machine - either way I want 'em STRAIGHT.

BOTH sides.

 

Edited July 5, 2016 by JLSleather

[MADMAX22]

I like mine angled, coming out either the awl or the machine. Both sides. 

[misarins]

Solution is simple.

1. Do not groove.
2. Do not use knot which is a force stitching technique when slanted angle is the opposite direction.
3. During stitching keep face side to your left, stitch towards yourself and keep left hand side loop on the top of the needle.

It will give you a neat and great looking stitch line

Edited July 6, 2016 by misarins
typo