Help Needed : Thread And Needle Sizes For Smaller Wallets/cases

[c2369zulu]

Hello All,

I tried to make one of the Al Stohlman "playing card" cases from the Volume One: Art of Making Leather Cases book and had quite a bit of trouble trying to hand stitch the "Miter Box" type stitching using the larger blunt tip stitching needles. I am sure they are the wrong type for this application as the larger eye would stretch open the hole too much, but do they make smaller blunt tip needles for finer work? I was under the impression that when hand stitching you would want to use the blunt tip needles to prevent piercing the thread and causing knots as you stitch, however I do know harness needles and such are sharp...............Rory

[ramrod]

just spotted this thread. i think that tandy sells a very sharp pointed needle called a glovers needle. thinking out loud here....i wonder if the tip can be dulled on either sandpaper or a small grinding wheel? that might be the needle you're after.

[TwinOaks]

I quit buying the "harness" needles a long time ago because of the large eye. Not that it's any larger diameter, but because it's a weak point. If you get any lateral movement while the eye is in the leather, you can easily bend or break the needle at the eye. Instead, I buy upholstery needles with a small eye which doesn't get bent nearly as easily. The sharp point can be dulled quite easily on a sharpening stone if you feel the need for it. I just pull the opposing thread 'back' and slip the point past it.

[c2369zulu]

Thanks for the responses TwinOaks and Ramrod!

[Bob Blea]

I quit buying the "harness" needles a long time ago because of the large eye. Not that it's any larger diameter, but because it's a weak point. If you get any lateral movement while the eye is in the leather, you can easily bend or break the needle at the eye. Instead, I buy upholstery needles with a small eye which doesn't get bent nearly as easily. The sharp point can be dulled quite easily on a sharpening stone if you feel the need for it. I just pull the opposing thread 'back' and slip the point past it.

Hello,

Where do you get your needles? I just tried looking up upholstery needles at the local fabric megastores and it looks like the smallest upholstery needles they have are 6 inches. Is that what you are using or do you have something smaller?

Bob

[Horrrk]

Hello,

Where do you get your needles? I just tried looking up upholstery needles at the local fabric megastores and it looks like the smallest upholstery needles they have are 6 inches. Is that what you are using or do you have something smaller?

Bob

I just looked on the UK eBay, Bob and some of the upholstery needles are 14" and 16" long!! I'd have to stand in the next room to sew something..lol

The smallest I've seen is around 5", but even so, thats a beast of a needle..

Do you use the curved needles, Mike??

Regards

Phil

[katsass]

OK, from the grump, just saw this: I've heard this before and I don't know where the hell folks are getting needles that break at the eye -- unless it's Tandy. Tandy was fairly decent 50 or so years ago, but I'd think that anyone reading some of the posts on here now, would see the number of gripes about their current stock of -- sh uh, 'stuff' -- and take heed!. Tandy, in my opinion, is fine for getting things for the kiddies to play with, but for ANY serious person wanting to work with leather it's THE place to shy away from -- again my opinion. (notice the disclaimer?) For needles you can go to "S-T Leather" (stleather.com), on the left side of their front page, click 'needles'. On the page shows up, go the the far right side, down to the fourth item listed therein, and pick out GOOD harness needles anywhere from size # 0000 (too damned big) down to size #5 (pretty damned dinky) About three years ago I purchased a 10 pac of #1 sized harness needles for $3.95 from them. Of the 10 needles purchased, I have - - - 10 needles, none with broken eyes. Only two have been used (one is slightly bent because I use pliers to pull the needle through the holes in my work) and the eight others are still in their original pac. Just saying. Mike

Edited October 2, 2012 by katsass

[TwinOaks]

What I get is a multi pack in the fabric sections of wally world and they're labeled as 'upholstery' needles They are from 2.5" to 3.5" long, depending on diameter. I use the two smallest pairs - the smallest for linen, and the next size for back stitching the threads from my Boss (277, and it just barely fits in the eye).

Yep, Mike, I was talking about the Tandy needles. After the second, and third broke at the eye, I went and found a locally replaceable substitute. I wouldn't mind stitching with a 5-6" needle, though - I'd be able to push it through just about anything I hand sew and have enough to grab that I would't need the pliers.

Tip for hand sewing: Use nitrile or rubber gloves (over a finger and thumb) for increased traction on the needle.

[katsass]

Well Mike, I'm not much hell bent on changing my way of doing things, and nitrile gloves drive me nuts when doing most kinds of work. To me they lack tactility (didn't know I had that in my vocabulary, did you ) I do wear them when doing firearm repair (I was trained as an S&W mechanic back when I became the armorer for the Dept. I was with) because Ma gets a bit irritated with the odor of Hoppe's solvent, and in the past I have been accused of using it as an aftershave. Mike

[TwinOaks]

Mike, I got in LOADS of trouble about a year ago when my wife asked me what fragrance perfume I liked (for her to wear, of course). I offhandedly replied "I like the smell of Hoppes #9."

She spent a few days looking for it at various department stores and finally asked where to find it. When I showed her what it was........ouch.

And I wasn't trying to say that you should use the gloves. When you've got permanent indentions in your fingers...that just happen to be the same size as your needles...well, there's not much need for it. But for some of our new members that haven't got the hang of it yet, it's a good aide. At least until they realize they need that pair of smooth jaw pliers.