First Few Stiches With An Awl

[cleanview]

So I mostly make holsters. Each one I try to refine a process since starting this last year. I am finally around to stitching with an awl.

I have been drilling holes and then pulling each pass with a pair of pliers because I thought it looked much easier and faster than with an awl. Just did my first few stches with an awl and it amazing how much easier it is and I am sure it is probably faster as well not to mention how much better it looks.

A few questions...

1. I am assuming that the hole closes up as opposed to the hole from a drill (the drill removes soem leather)?

2. Most of the threads will not fit through my needles that are suppposed to be more for this purpose. I ordered from springfield leather the needle and thread below. This thread fits but things I have from past orders dont fit well at all. Is there a better defining quality to the best thread for stitching with an awl.

Needle,Harness,"0"Sm,5pk

Round and blunt for harness repair, sewing up knife sheaths and other heavy duty craft projects that have pre-punched holes and where you need a needle that won’t break very easily. Our harness needles are original John James Brand.

Item #130119705.

Thread,Wax,Linen,Brown,50yd

Excellent thread for hand sewing. This and the Nyltex are the best buys for the money! 50 yds.

Item #45-120702.

3. I saw a video of a guy putting a cork on the receiving end of the awl and that seems like a good idea but any comments would be appreciated.

4. And i read some where that the awl comes new being in need of sharpening? It seems to work great but maybey it is supposed to be even better. Does soem one have a good link on how to sharpen an awl?

Just a few questions to this new step in my refining process I am going through, I sure appreciate any comments.

[Macca]

good vid on sharpening, notice how easily it goes through thick leather when its really sharp, thats what you want, very little pressure should be required.

[Procyon650]

I'll second the recommendation for that video. It really helped me and I thought my awls were sharp to begin with.

I wasn't too impressed with that linen thread from Springfield, I use a prewaxed nylon thread from Tandy.

I don't use a cork on the awl as a stop, I let my thumb work as a variable stop. I will occasionally use a cork in my left hand, so I don't stab myself.

[Matt S]

1 yes the hole will close around your stitch

2 you need to taper the ends of your threads, as described in stohlman's book. Makes life much easier. I still don't understand why people don't bother doing this "to save time" and end up having to tug every stitch with pliers. You can even go one step further and hans roll your threads from yarn, makes lovely long tapers on any thickwithness. I can roll a 12/6 thread and stitch it a no 4 needle if I want.

Yes sharpen and polish your awl until you think you are done, then polish some more. You will be amazed at the difference. Stabbing a piece of glycerine soap every now and then helps too, as lube.

[cleanview]

Thank you very much. I worked on sharpening it today and stitched a little project and well it turned out good but there certainly is some learning to go yet. The stitch line on the front was straight but the line on the back had a few wobbles. Takes some practice to keep it straight i guess. I also notice the cement from gluing the two pieces together gets on the awl and becomes problematic. I really see the value of keeping it sharp and I polished it when experimenting and that makes a big difference as well.

Thanks again

[silverwingit]

One tip that I found useful in many aspects of leatherwork is how to manipulate knives, awls, etc. from the shoulder and elbow, ~not~ the hand and wrist.

In the case of stitching, I get the best results by far if I first find the perfect perpendicular approach to the leather and the ideal 45 degree orientation of the awl blade and then ~anchor~ my hand and wrist in that position. I make the puncture from my shoulder, using the elbow only to adjust the position of the awl, always keeping my hand and wrist in that ideal perpendicular approach with the awl held at that 45 degree orientation.

You will likely find this also to be true even when using a pricking iron. The pricking iron helps immeasurably to get the spacing correct but there is still enough room inside each slot to vary your awl orientation by probably plus or minus 10 degrees. If you want the back of your stitches to look as close as possible to their front -- and you do -- you will find your own standardized, mechanistic way to make the interval, angle of approach and orientation of your awl blade as uniform as you possibly can.

Michelle

[prc77ro]

I agree with all the advice given, the only thing i havent seen mentioned here is are you securing your holster in a stitching pony/horse? I also started drilling holes using a harness needle though, and held my sheaths in my had while pushing the needle through. Very, very time consuming. If you have not already purchased AS's The Art of Sewing Leather buy it and read it cover to cover. In the back are plans to build a stitching horse. for about $50-$60 in materials you can make your own and it makes a BIG difference. It's easier to see your overstitcher marks, how straight your awl is and if you practice, practice, practice the instructions in Al's book you'll be able to stitch a saddle stitch without setting down either needle or awl. I am now stitching about a foot every 30-45 min at 6 stitches an inch. I use an awl haft not a saddlers awl, that way I can change blades and its still comfortable in my hands. Also, one more thing to note: when I sharpen and strop my blade I push it along the length of the blade just as the begining of the video shows, so I don't change the angle's on the blade and don't drag it across a stone or even a strop because both will change the angles. I'm not 100% sure but reason tells me that even stroping or polishing the blade still leaves micro abrasions(lines) in the blade and that the awl blade would perform better and with less resistance(drag) if they were in the same direction as the point, if that makes any sense.

Edited August 14, 2013 by prc77ro