Stitch Ditch?

[paprhangr]

Is a "Stitch Ditch" needed to protect the thread from wear, when sewing borders on belts, guitar & bag straps?

[camano ridge]

You can do the stitching without a groove, however it puts the stitching above the surface of the leather and exposes it to friction, abrasion and more contact then it would have otherwise. There are some that stitch without a groove then hammer the stitches flat.

Edited December 25, 2013 by camano ridge

[electrathon]

Very little that we make needs to have the stitches protected from abrasion. Compare what you are making to comercially produced items, most do just fine with the stitches on the surface. It really is more of an apearance issue than anything.

[GrampaJoel]

I use this test to determine whether or not I need a stitch groove.

Is the stitching going to be subject to wear? If yes, then stitch groove.

Is the leather thick enough to cut a stitch groove? If yes,, then cut groove.

Is the leather veg tan or of another tannage, and meets above standards. Stitch groove.

However I usually only groove veg tan leather, as most others are pretty soft.

Any other leather is usually to soft, and the stitches settle into soft leather pretty good by themselves.

Joel

[Matt T]

Plus, you are removing the strongest leather under the stitch by creating that channel...

[Cyberthrasher]

Belts will benefit from a groove since they get worn down by the belt loops on our pants and can run into things. Guitar straps don't necessarily need one as long as the stitching is clean. For bag straps, make a judgement call based on where the strap is and how it will be used.

[Matt S]

With a pricking iron the stitches semi-recess themselves.

[Red Cent]

I need a visual guide to get a straight or a continous round curve. But I am going to stop using the groove cutter. 'Course, I say this because I use a machine. I am starting to use a good creaser instead. Especially with things that need to be wet formed. The additional stress buries the threads further into the leather.

Using 8-9 outer with a 4-5 liner, the thread will bury itself without a groove but with a slight crease.

[WScott]

I use this test to determine whether or not I need a stitch groove.

Is the stitching going to be subject to wear? If yes, then stitch groove.

Is the leather thick enough to cut a stitch groove? If yes,, then cut groove.

Is the leather veg tan or of another tannage, and meets above standards. Stitch groove.

However I usually only groove veg tan leather, as most others are pretty soft.

Any other leather is usually to soft, and the stitches settle into soft leather pretty good by themselves.

Joel

This is a great set of rules for stitching, thanks for posting it.

In softer leather like CXL, I do a line with blunt calipers or edger with pressure so as to compress and mark but not remove the top layer.

Then follow the compressed line with a diamond chisel and off to the races with stitching

[paprhangr]

Thanks for all comments, keep n comin, good for learn n

I used a Groover then when I got a little off the gap showed,wouldn't have showed soo bad if I had

grooved before dye. I like the advise using the creaser to help depress the thread and have guide line

And just stitch without. I am a new sew machine user and going to give the edge guide foot to keep me sewing straight

[paprhangr]

when sewing belts, is it best to apply the final finish like resoleen, before or after the stitching?

[Tex Shooter]

I hand stitch repair on small items like knife sheaths. Most of what people want repaired were not stitched well either with a machine or by hand. You will very seldom see items that need repair that are well stitched with a machine or by hand unless the item is quite old. Like Electrathon I think on most items it is a appearance issue. Because I use mostly thinner leathers I don't cut grooves. I also don't cut grooves because I sell a lot of what I make wholesale and keep the finish work to a minimum for price point reason. -- Tex

[Dwight]

when sewing belts, is it best to apply the final finish like resoleen, before or after the stitching?

After, . . . finish the work, . . . 100% final, clean, done, . . . then put on the Resolene.

There may be some other special applications of things done after Resolene, . . . but I don't know what they are, . . . and don't do them.

Other than, . . . some extra final wax polishing for certain items.

And for the OP question, . . . GranpaJoel pretty well summed up my practice as well. If for some reason you do not want to use a stitch groover, . . . buy a pair of LARGE dividers, . . . dull the points down, . . . and use them to make your line and your groove. In one of his older video's, . . . that is the exact process that was taught by John Bianchi, . . . no groove, . . . just a wetted leather indentation produced by a pair of dividers. I also have used this process, . . . it does preserve the top layer, . . . but generally I only use it on very thin veggie tan stuff.

May God bless,

Dwight