Stitch Ditch?

[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