Basic Saddle Stitch Tutorial By Nigel Armitage

[Dangerous Beans]

Thanks Nigel, wasn't aware of the first three suppliers! Typical though, before i ever got into leather (ooh err!) I love less than a mile from Abbey, now they're 30 miles away.

Is the leather strap with the hinge how you achieve the tension on your pony?

Promise i'll stop bugging now!

adam

No problem Adam, yes, the strap holds the pony in place, it's got two swing clips on which have screw tension so when the leather begins to give a little, I can just tighten it up. There is a proper name for them but it escapes me. Clipydoobrywhatsits maybe. Google that!

Nigel.

[Aurelie]

Aurelie, there is a Tandy in Jerez Spain as well as the UK, might be worth checking out which is cheaper on shipping.

Germany do some excellent leather, as do Italy! All cheaper than getting from the US.

I'm sure there will be outlets in France but a bit of time searching might be needed.

If you find an outlet, let me know.

Love your work by the way.

Nigel

Hey Nigel,

Skirting leather for building saddles => i do not have found something that worked as fine as US leather (no matter the price - technically speaking - does not mold well , does not stamp well)

as for "small leather", i have always been said that leather from Tandy are not really good so i kept buying other stuff from them except leather

I tried to get in touch with Italian suppliers (in english 'cause i do not speak italian or french) and either they do not need new customers, or i am too small one or they do not speak english or french 'cause they do not bother to reply)

so i searcher in France : found 2 small suppliers near my home : i find quite nice leather (not terrific though) i can buy in "small amount " ( several hides at a time - 1 to 3 usually) but trouble is : no continuation in the leather : you get what you find and it's not there the next time you come....) but for small project i do with this...

I have BIG troubles to find REALLY GOOD QUALITY LEATHER (even with a high price) , specifically for chaps , here in France so i used to buy goligher leather in California (awesome stuff) but it does cost an eye when you count shipping+ customs .

After searching like crazy , i finally found a guy in Espelette : http://www.carriat.com

they sent me some samples , they seems fine , i can buy not too much hides (1 to 3 at a time versus 10 to 40 with others) and the price is slightly cheaper than if i bought from goligher.....so i have to give it a try....

It is just a really pain in the butt to find things that work + i hate that "french mentality" => girls can't build saddles or work leather or "Dear god above us , i won't tell you where i buy my leather or how to do that because you 're going to rob my customers"........i 'm just fed up with this.....

I am a rookie, i do not do the same things than others in France (and i do not intend to do so) and i think along that way => Anyway, if someone comes along in the business and is better than others => he (or she) will deserve to get the business . That is this simple in my mind

:D

By the way : thanks for your praise, as said above, i am a rookie (except for saddle building for which i learnt from a teacher ) i learn from scratch - and a lot from that super terrific forum-

I am far from perfect but i try and learn.....and for my sake , i think that Rome has not been built overnight

Keep throwing at us some good tips

And last thing : I love you job too = neat and classy!

and i really like you UK system of guilds (i was talking about that with a fellow girl about "saddle-fitting" another poor thing not taken into account - or badly- in France

[Dangerous Beans]

I have just sent you a PM Aurelie, it's http://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/ that do the oak bark leather.

Maybe you could start Guild of Saddlers, Leathersmiths and Cordwainers (Europe) I'd join.

Nigel

[Aurelie]

Maybe you could start Guild of Saddlers, Leathersmiths and Cordwainers (Europe) I'd join.

Nigel

:D that's something we're thinking of with several other people.....but more "global" for the sake of the horse :D

[Dangerous Beans]

:D that's something we're thinking of with several other people.....but more "global" for the sake of the horse :D

The Global Guild of Saddlers. It has a ring to it.

[St8LineGunsmith]

Cheers Adam, hers are a couple of snaps of the log, it's not a new idea, I stole if from someone who in turn stole it from someone else, it's just a log with the pony strapped to it, I spend a lot of time at this so I thought I'd make it it's own tool belt, it's just slots and loops so is fully adjustable for all my tools.

Hope that helps.

Nigel

This is a cool little setup.I might have to find me a nice log .

The video tutorials are top notch too.

[EricIsaiah]

Nigel,

These tutorials (and some others I scoped out on your YouTube acct) were really great. I helps to have someone show you the basics, so, even if you don't follow it exactly, you know where to start.

After watching these videos my stitching looks way better. I had been pulling one thread all the way through and then the other. Just by pulling them at the same time, the aesthetics of my stitching improved a lot.

Thanks again. What a great thing you've done for the community.

Eric

[Robgski]

Hello! I am new to this forum as well as leatherwork. I have to say that this tutorial taught me a whole lot!!

Nigel, I would pay to watch more video's taught by you. You explain things in a way that are very easy to understand.

Very much appreciated.

[WScott]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to make these videos and post them up

CHEERS

[Pip]

big thank you! I have a question, I currently use a marking wheel, and i have a problem getting the diamond awl through the leather especially thick stuff then once its through it doesnt come out easily, it kinda sticks. I recently polished my awl to a mirror shine and it now has a seriously sharp point which helps it in and coming out, you make it look so easy, I must be doing something wrong as I need to seriously force it through, but with what appears such a simple movement, I can't see what?? Any ideas??

[Leela Valley Leather]

more than just the point needs to be sharp (from what I understand), the sides also need to be good and sharp

[Dangerous Beans]

big thank you! I have a question, I currently use a marking wheel, and i have a problem getting the diamond awl through the leather especially thick stuff then once its through it doesnt come out easily, it kinda sticks. I recently polished my awl to a mirror shine and it now has a seriously sharp point which helps it in and coming out, you make it look so easy, I must be doing something wrong as I need to seriously force it through, but with what appears such a simple movement, I can't see what?? Any ideas??

Hi Pip, polishing your awl will help immensely! Moisture can have a huge impact, if you've dampened your leather or moulded it and the leather is not fully dry, it can hang onto the leather.

Most Walsh come rough so need polishing first. What awl are you using.

Can you send me some pics of how your doing what your doing and see if that helps to answere the issue.

Nige

[Dangerous Beans]

more than just the point needs to be sharp (from what I understand), the sides also need to be good and sharp

There are so many variants on how to put a simple stitch into a piece of leather. A lot of the finer point come down to what works for you.

I don't like an awl that is sharp it's full length. It cuts the leather to the maximum diameter of the awl. The weakens the leather at either end of the cut and when tension is applied whilst stitching can make the hole larger due to this weakness.

At the broadest part of the awl, I soften the edge so it doesn't cut. This rounds the hole preventing tearing and helps to close the hole around the stitch.

It's only the tip that needs to cut, so it's only the tip that's sharp. This is just my personnel preference.

I use different awl sizes to suit my thread, needles and what I'm stitching, If I use a stitch wheel or a pricking iron, it all has an impact.

What works for me may not work for everyone.

Nige

Edited January 23, 2013 by Dangerous Beans

[CeilingUnlimited]

Yes Thanks Nigel for making your video's! I really enjoyed watching them,and taking valuable notes! A wealth of visual information that I know (myself included) have been struggling to find to no avail. I hope you continue to make more in the future. Thank you soooo much Nigel!!!!

[naturalisme]

thanks nigel for the tutorial..i wanna ask where do you buy your bonden nylon tiger thread?

[Dangerous Beans]

Thank you folks, it was just a helping hand video, if I can resolve my camera issue I will do some high detail stuff so you can see all the finer points in HD. I'm looking at funding a canon 5D MkII which has HD video, with the lenses I have, I should be able to really up the quality. If anyone wants one of My 5D's to assist with this, shout up.

Naturalisme, I get my thead from Abbey England. http://www.abbeyengland.com/

Nige

[Cameroo]

I'd like to thank you for taking the time to make these videos as well. Stitching seems like a fairly simple process but I never really thought about some of the things you mentioned before. They really helped me be more consistent, and also made me much faster. I subscribed to your Youtube channel and look forward to seeing what's next!

[cem]

Nige, great videos there will definitely pass them on to a couple of newbies to leather sewing I know. You do a lot better than I can with the awl changing I'm a lefty as well and get too jumbled up trying to show right handers how to sew.

Just one thing though Tiger thread is actually polyester not nylon. I've been using it for a number of years as well excellent stuff though I wish Julius Koch (the manufacturer) would provide colour charts to Abbey as some have different codes even though they are the same colour.

Any chance you buy in store and could give a run down of the colours they have in stock as I've been trying to get them to provide some samples or even just a pic on the shelf for awhile with no luck either.

Cheers,

Clair

[bdickason]

I have a question, I currently use a marking wheel, and i have a problem getting the diamond awl through the leather especially thick stuff then once its through it doesnt come out easily, it kinda sticks. [...] you make it look so easy, I must be doing something wrong as I need to seriously force it through, but with what appears such a simple movement, I can't see what?? Any ideas??

Just a question about the response to Pip's statement. Pip said he is using a marking wheel and an awl to make the holes. Isn't the main difference that you pre-punch the holes with your Pricking Iron and just widen them with your awl instead of using the awl to cut the leather? Or am I missing somthing?

Thanks,

Bill

[Dangerous Beans]

Just a question about the response to Pip's statement. Pip said he is using a marking wheel and an awl to make the holes. Isn't the main difference that you pre-punch the holes with your Pricking Iron and just widen them with your awl instead of using the awl to cut the leather? Or am I missing somthing?

Thanks,

Bill

That depends on how hard you hit the pricking iron, if you're stitching two pieces together, you'd mark the front with the pricking iron, not going all the way through, then use the awl to make the rest of the hole in that piece an on through to the back.

If you're making an item with three or four layers, you can use the iron on each piece to make it a lot easier.

Pip, Ive done a quick video using the stitch wheel and awl to try and answer some of your questions. Hope it helps.

Edited February 3, 2013 by Dangerous Beans

[silverwingit]

Hey, Nige -

In this terrific video you seem to use the terms "pricking wheel" and "overstitch wheel" interchangeably. Maybe you could provide a bit of terminology clarification for those of us on this side of the big water who might be confused because we are used to the Tandy or Osborne overstitch wheels. As I understand, Tandy and Osborne overstitch wheels differ from a pricking wheel in that their stitch marks are just a point rather than an angled "slit" shaped mark as with a true pricking wheel. I think of a pricking wheel as a sort of circular prickng iron, though it makes only a diagonal mark, not an actual cut or depression into the leather like a prickng iron does when you strike it with a hammer or maul.

As I look closely at the marks your wheel makes, they appear to be angled, slightly elongated slits, not just points, or are my old eyes failing me? If that were the case I would call the wheel you are using a pricking wheel, not an overstitch wheel at least so far as those of us who are used to the Tandy or Osborne tools are concerned. Pricking wheels leave that diagonal mark as a reference by which to maintain the angle of your awl from hole to hole. They are hard to come by Stateside. So far as I am aware, we are limited to an antique one from Bruce Johnson or the like:

http://brucejohnsonl...and-channelers/

or purchase a new one from a Great Britain source like Joseph Dixon.

http://leather-tools.net/

I'd like to find a Stateside source a new prickng wheels but I know of none.

Nigel, thank you once again for so freely providing the wisdom of a true master to us mere wannabes.

Michelle

Edited February 3, 2013 by silverwingit

[Dangerous Beans]

Hey, Nige -

In this terrific video you seem to use the terms "pricking wheel" and "overstitch wheel" interchangeably. Maybe you could provide a bit of terminology clarification for those of us on this side of the big water who might be confused because we are used to the Tandy or Osborne overstitch wheels. As I understand, Tandy and Osborne overstitch wheels differ from a pricking wheel in that their stitch marks are just a point rather than an angled "slit" shaped mark as with a true pricking wheel. I think of a pricking wheel as a sort of circular prickng iron, though it makes only a diagonal mark, not an actual cut or depression into the leather like a prickng iron does when you strike it with a hammer or maul.

As I look closely at the marks your wheel makes, they appear to be angled, slightly elongated slits, not just points, or are my old eyes failing me? If that were the case I would call the wheel you are using a pricking wheel, not an overstitch wheel at least so far as those of us who are used to the Tandy or Osborne tools are concerned. Pricking wheels leave that diagonal mark as a reference by which to maintain the angle of your awl from hole to hole. They are hard to come by Stateside. So far as I am aware, we are limited to an antique one from Bruce Johnson or the like:

http://brucejohnsonl...and-channelers/

or purchase a new one from a Great Britain source like Joseph Dixon.

http://leather-tools.net/

I'd like to find a Stateside source a new prickng wheels but I know of none.

Nigel, thank you once again for so freely providing the wisdom of a true master to us mere wannabes.

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

You know me... Coming up with the wrong term again... I have both pricking wheels and overstitch wheels. They are basically the same thing, or at least do the same job. An overstitch wheel will leave a dimple impression in the leather, a pricking wheel is usually sharper and dependant on maker, sometimes slanted.

The pricking wheel as I understand it is harder to make and more expensive, because the awl overrides the mark left the question is are they worth the extra? Especially when an overstitch wheel does the same job.

Maybe it's this cross terminoligy that's trying to resolve the iner conflict of which is better.

Note to self for videos... Be concise! Be accurate! And stop waffling. Sorry.

Nige

[silverwingit]

A bit of pondering about the difference between pricking and overstitch wheels...

Overstitch wheels as their name implies, in addition to marking stich hole locations, are also used to refine the appearance of stitchwork by running the wheel to and fro over stitchwork that has already been laid into a stitch groove. I'd guess that a pricking wheel wouldn't produce a pleasing result if used similarly.

To expand a bit more on that thought, maybe it's me but I associate stitch groovers with overstitch wheels, but not with pricking wheels (or chisels). With a stitch groove, the stitchwork is almost forced to lie down into the groove, making the stitches lie in a straight line. I don't see pricking wheels or chisels used much if at all in conjunction with stitch groovers. With a pricking wheel or iron (and no stitch groove), the stitchwork is designed such that each stitch ends at the bottom of the angled slit left by the awl and the next stitch starts at the top of the next slit (or vice-versa). Thus these stitches lie in a sort of zig-zag pattern that has a different "eye appeal" than stitches that lie in a straight groove. I know that stitch grooves are intended to protect stitchwork by allowing the stitches to lie below the surface of the leather. But in "American" leatherwork I see grooves used almost universally even where there would be no concern for friction or contact against another object. In contrast, the British stitching I see needs no stitch groove to lie down into the surface of the leather, apparently if the thread is pulled tight enough.

Therefore, while we are on the subject of stitching nomenclature I have a question.

I know for example, Nigel, that you prefer not to use stitch groovers for "external" stitchwork (stitches that "show"). That seems to be consistent with the work of other British Master Leatherworkers I am aware of such as Valerie Michael, the author of an excellent book titled, "The Leatherworking Manual." Is this lack of use of a stitch groove consistent enough across those who use pricking chisels or wheels to term it the "British" style of stitching? If so what might one call work that almost uniformly combines an overstitch wheel with a stitch groover on external stitching? I trace that trend to Al Stohlman's famous book, "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather." I'm not sure where it came from before that. I suspect it has a Mexican heritage, since much of the American Western style of leatherwork and carving has its origin south of the border. For the sake of discussion, let's call it the "Stohlman' style.

The answer to that question would clarify my thinking and permit a more consistent and precise dialog amongst us "leatherheads."

Thanks,

Michelle

Edited February 4, 2013 by silverwingit

[jpguest]

Great video's Nigel, thank you for taking the time to share with us. As I have not attempted to hand sew yet, your video's have given me the confidence to have a go. Love the log as well!

Thanks,

Jason

[Harag]

Great video's Nigel, thank you for taking the time to share with us. As I have not attempted to hand sew yet, your video's have given me the confidence to have a go. Love the log as well!

Thanks,

Jason

I completely agree with this, I'm new to leather working and planning on learning carving & dyes first. The videos have really helped me to "have a go" as well