Piteado Anyone?

[Santo]

Just wondering if anyone on this board does piteado. The town in Mexico i visit every year has alot of local artist, but i can never find anyone here in the states. Here is a wallet my buddy had made a few years ago.

[gringobill]

I've seem a lot of it along the Mexican border in Az. but have never seen anyone doing it or even seen exactly how it's done. Big time saddle maker from Loma Rica, is putting some piteado on some of his fancy saddles. I the TCA show catalog it says "trying to revive the art." It sure looks like a really fine and time consuming process. I'd like to see how it's done.

Bill

[Blake]

I've seem a lot of it along the Mexican border in Az. but have never seen anyone doing it or even seen exactly how it's done. Big time saddle maker from Loma Rica, is putting some piteado on some of his fancy saddles. I the TCA show catalog it says "trying to revive the art." It sure looks like a really fine and time consuming process. I'd like to see how it's done.

Bill

Some of our US boot makers perform this art so you might want to check in at the Wichita Falls Roundup this fall.

Blake

[Bob Blea]

I've seen computer driven embroidery machines that could probably do this. We used to have a kiosk in the mall here that would custom embroider anything you wanted onto a coat, hat, shirt, etc. Their system would take your artwork and break it down into an embroidered pattern and stich it almost while you waited. I don't see any reason one of these systems couldn't handle leather if it was thin enough. That said, it's probably not the way the craftsmen in Mexico are making these. They probably do it by hand.

Bob

[Leather Girl]

It looks like thread in it. So the question is, is it thread. If it is then it would be a long tedious project. One would have to punch lots of little holes because getting and embroidery needle through it would be impossible.

The embroidery machines in the malls are worth about 50k maybe more now for a single head.Those will do very thin leathers and depending on the make, a Tajima will do about half inch thick of cloth not leather. You would almost need doeskin or probably a 2-3 oz piece to have it embroidered. It would be very expensive because it is charged by the number of stitches needed.

Randi-Lee

[Blake]

It looks like thread in it. So the question is, is it thread. If it is then it would be a long tedious project. One would have to punch lots of little holes because getting and embroidery needle through it would be impossible.

The embroidery machines in the malls are worth about 50k maybe more now for a single head.Those will do very thin leathers and depending on the make, a Tajima will do about half inch thick of cloth not leather. You would almost need doeskin or probably a 2-3 oz piece to have it embroidered. It would be very expensive because it is charged by the number of stitches needed.

Randi-Lee

It's actually a cactus fiber.

Blake

[Leather Girl]

It's actually a cactus fiber.

Blake

How very interesting, that explains why I could not find a lot of information on it. It is beautiful and vey labour intensive this is the first time I have seen this.

Randi-Lee

[Blake]

How very interesting, that explains why I could not find a lot of information on it. It is beautiful and vey labour intensive this is the first time I have seen this.

Randi-Lee

Some of the high end Saddles and Boots in Mexico show off this art at its finest.

Blake

[oddball]

WOW love the little portriat

[ChuckBurrows]

here's nice writeup on how the thread is prepared and then how the embroidery is done

http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2007/06/its-sunday-morn.html

[mike59]

here's nice writeup on how the thread is prepared and then how the embroidery is done

http://mexicocooks.t...unday-morn.html

Great Information!! Thanks Chuck!

[Bob Blea]

Wow, thanks for the information Chuck. I can't imagine putting in the amount of work to do that by hand. I'm amazed they make one of those belts in just a week. I'll stick to carving and stamping my leather.

Bob

[Jimbob]

here's nice writeup on how the thread is prepared and then how the embroidery is done

http://mexicocooks.t...unday-morn.html

super cool and interesting information, thank you very much for sharing!!

I love to read info like that....!!

Again, thanks...

james

[Santo]

Thanks for the article Chuck.

There are lots of imitation piteado products out there that I'm sure were done with embroidery machines. When you see and feel a real piteado product you will know the difference. And it's durability is unreal. That is one of the unique properties of ixtle , you can ruff it up without it fraying or coming apart. I know till this day whenever someone I know buys something piteado they take a lighter to it. If the threads fray and burn its fake. Hopefully I can sit in on some local makers on my next trip.