Butt Stitching With Straight Awl Blade

[JakeDiebolt]

Hello awl

Does anyone have any tips on how to do a butt-stitch with only a straight awl blade and needles? I know that most people use a curved awl blade but the only ones I can get are from Tandy Leather and I have found their awl blades to be sub-par at best. (Yes, I can get them sharp enough to work, but they don't seem to hold an edge worth a darn and the last ones took hours of work to get them sharp enough). I have a Bob Douglas awl blade and haft and I am supremely happy with them. I hope that they can somehow be used for this method.

Any tips, tutorials or videos would be very helpful!

[Tree Reaper]

Are these pieces inline with each other or perpendicular?

[JakeDiebolt]

They are in line with each other, edge to edge.

[Tree Reaper]

I'm assuming you can't get at both sides when stitching?

What is the application, how thick is the leather?

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3429/3208004209_3be7f99fd3_o.jpg

Edited January 14, 2014 by Tree Reaper

[JakeDiebolt]

I haven't started a project with this kind of stitch yet, but there are couple I'm interested in doing so I'm trying to get a feel for the technique.

This would be for something like stitching a cylinder as shown in the Stohlman hand sewing book under sewing with curved needles. There are apparently some stitching lines in shoes that require it as well (esp historical reproduction shoes, which I may get into).

Below is a link to an image of the type of stitching I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure leather thickness would be in the 5-8 oz range.

http://home.earthlin...9/butt-down.jpg

The baseball stitch you posted would work as well, I think. From the stohlman manual it seems that is best done with a glover's needle? Would that be your experience as well?

Edited January 14, 2014 by JakeDiebolt

[Tree Reaper]

You can use a straight awl to make your holes but it helps to use a curved needle to complete the stitch.

I'll make the holes then put the pieces together and stitch with a curved needle.

[TXAG]

I don't know if this will help, but you can get curved needles here...

http://www.paragear.com/products/10000169/S7210/

Unfortunately, they have a $25 minimum order...but they have some other things leather workers will find useful...(sewing palms, thread, etc...)

[Tree Reaper]

I just heat up a straight needle and bend the end.

[TXAG]

Yeah, I don't feel like doing that, so I just buy them already made that way.

[JakeDiebolt]

Thanks a lot guys!

[Tannin]

I've bent several leather needles (esp. JJ 002's) by accident, so I already have several that might be suitable :D

I just heat up a straight needle and bend the end.

Yes, Al Stohlman's book (with "The Art of..." or the tool one, I forget which) suggests doing exactly that if you have trouble finding curved needles/awls. His drawing shows a match (or possibly a candle?) being used as the heat source*. Apparently it works for awl blades as well as needles.

*I expect some leatherworkers already have a heat source available for tools such a crease/double-crease. BTW what do folk generally use for that, a small spirit lamp/candle/bunsen burner/lighter/...?

Edited October 18, 2014 by Tannin