Making Holes For Saddle Stitching Your Leather

[DavidL]

Depends on what your making - wallets, small bags, check books or things to this nature it wouldn't matter as much as a saddle. Wallets/bags (made in china) that are made from thin cotton thread at 6-7 SPI, also not an issue

I have made wallets and bags from .58mm thread at 7 SPI. Again 6 SPI at .58mm is within reason for fine stitching, not for saddles. Asthetics is mainly a personal choice.

The sizing is the Fil au chinois thread 432(.63mm) and 532 (.58mm).

Edited September 20, 2014 by DavidL

[Hi Im Joe]

Depends on what your making - wallets, small bags, check books or things to this nature it wouldn't matter as much as a saddle. Wallets/bags (made in china) that are made from thin cotton thread at 6-7 SPI, also not an issue

I have made wallets and bags from .58mm thread at 7 SPI. Again 6 SPI at .58mm is within reason for fine stitching, not for saddles. Asthetics is mainly a personal choice.

The sizing is the Fil au chinois thread 432(.63mm) and 532 (.58mm).

Post up some examples of stuff you've made with that combination. I'd love to see it.

[DavidL]

7 spi - .58mm thread (532 fil au chinois)

Bottom of the bag 7 SPI - .8mm thread

Few mistakes on the bag, it was my first one but I think it looks good.

[Hi Im Joe]

You need a better camera. LOL.

[DavidL]

You need a better camera. LOL.

yup..

[MonicaJacobson]

David, I think I've only seen one example of something you've made, but that dopp kit looks really cool. I'd like to see more of what you're making. But yes, you need a better camera. Even a phone camera in good lighting would be better than that.

[DavidL]

Thanks.

I should be uploading more projects onto this site. A lot of my time is spent practicing so theres a lot of leather squares with lines of stitching or prototypes. Usually the pictures on my samsung s3 are good but these came out faded.

[xyshannen]

I usually work with heavy leather in the 8-9 ounce weight so I personally like to use my pricking irons to punch all the holes before stitching. I've tried using the awl to punch as I go and just don't care for it. I use different size irons and threads depending on what i'm working on, the thickness of the leather and the look I'm going after. A lot of times I like to use thicker thread as it helps to show that what you are looking at is all stitched by hand. It really gives the piece the done by hand look. I use a compass to mark my stitching line because I hate stitches that wonder all over the place and found it's next to impossible to keep things neat without laying down a guideline before punching holes.

One problem I had with pre punching the holes is the iron would stretch the leather when you tried to remove it. So to keep from stretching the leather I fashioned a 1 by 6 board with a 1/4 inch slit down the center. I then lay this on the stitching line and punch the iron down through the slit and through the leather piece. The board then holds the leather down wile I pull the iron from it. First few attempts I noticed the board leaving edge marks on the leather from the edge of the wood. Gluing 2 strips of leather along the underside of the board eliminated the edge marks.

[Sanch]

I have worked will many different thicknesses and combinations of varying thickness and only recently did I try making the holes in the leather before stitching but it was from necessity

Edited October 4, 2014 by stealfdawg

[snubbyfan]

I have a degenerative peripheral motor nerve condition and I can't maneuver a needle and a stitching awl at the same time. I make all the stitching holes ahead of time.

First I'll either mark or groove them depending on what I consider appropriate. Then I'll mark the stitch holes with a pricking iron by puttin' it on the line and givin' it a good whack with a mallet. Then open the holes with a stitching awl.

Edited January 3, 2015 by snubbyfan

[MorningStarL]

Hi, everyone! I'm new on the forum, and this is one of the things I'm here for. I've been making knife sheaths out of 8-9 ounce vegtan and sewing two layers for the sheath with at least one and sometimes more layers of the same weight for a welt, contact cement in between. I've been drilling holes cuz I didn't know better (5/32") but I hate how big the holes look. I'm getting some arthritis in fingers now, and I'm wondering about using a diamond awl for saddle stitching. I'd LIKE to.

Should I be able to push an awl through that thickness, usually a half-inch, by hand? I see some of you chuck the awl into a drill press and use it just to push, turned off. I know I can do that. Thanks in advance.

I'm using a groover to make a stitch line, probably not deep enough, on the face side, and a 6spi wheel for marking the holes. Can't make them any closer since I'm drilling. On a good day, I'm pretty good about the holes going straight through. On a good day.

[snubbyfan]

Hi, everyone! I'm new on the forum, and this is one of the things I'm here for. I've been making knife sheaths out of 8-9 ounce vegtan and sewing two layers for the sheath with at least one and sometimes more layers of the same weight for a welt, contact cement in between. I've been drilling holes cuz I didn't know better (5/32") but I hate how big the holes look. I'm getting some arthritis in fingers now, and I'm wondering about using a diamond awl for saddle stitching. I'd LIKE to.

Should I be able to push an awl through that thickness, usually a half-inch, by hand? I see some of you chuck the awl into a drill press and use it just to push, turned off. I know I can do that. Thanks in advance.

I'm using a groover to make a stitch line, probably not deep enough, on the face side, and a 6spi wheel for marking the holes. Can't make them any closer since I'm drilling. On a good day, I'm pretty good about the holes going straight through. On a good day.

Just make sure the awl's sharp, polished and stropped. Also be careful of where you put your fingers on the back side, that sharp. polished, stropped awl'll go right into a finger.

I use pricking irons and give them a good whack with a mallet. That gives me an angled starter hole that helps to guide the awl.

Edited January 13, 2015 by snubbyfan

[MorningStarL]

Thanks, Snubby. Guess the next thing I'm gonna do is order a couple of awls.

[ramrod]

what snubby said.

another thing that you can do to make sure that your awl goes in straight is to use a stitching horse. second best is a stitching pony. you can be more consistent in your awl and stitching action. also, to prevent sticking the awl into your finger on the backside, you can use a cake of beeswax or a cork to push against the needle.

your awl has to be crazy sharp. i polish mine with toothpaste after i get it to the right sharpness. and, just a little dip into a cake of beeswax with your awl before you stitch (or every third or so), really helps it to slide through the leather. it makes it so you're not working so hard.

[snubbyfan]

My wife wanted to try pokin' a few stitch holes one day. "Be careful," said I, "that's awl's sharp." First thing she did was jam it directly into her finger. "Don't get any blood on the leather!"

[MorningStarL]

Mum taught us to do fancy embroidery when we were kids. I think it kept us out of her hair on weekends and summer holidays. First rule was always, "Don't bleed on the fabric!" So we learned some self-protection. Thanks, guys; I'll look at a stitching pony too.

[camano ridge]

Morningstar, I make kniofe sheaths to as well as holsters and other gun leather with welts. Like they said get a good sharp awl , however in additon to getting a good haft and awl blade get an extra just awl blade. If you are doing large sheaths or belts the arthritis will kick in even with a sharp awl. I have a awl blade chucked in a drill press. Don't turn the drill press on just simply lower and raise the chuck to punch your holes just like when you drill them except the awl is not turning. It will pierce thick leather with little effort on your part.

[MorningStarL]

That's exactly what I need to know; thank you. I'm wondering if I have to buy an awl handle. We're pretty handy here and make knives and other tools. I was thinking I'd buy one slim and two regular from Bob Johnson, and we could make our own handles and set them in permanently.

[camano ridge]

If you can make your own handles nothing wrong with that.

[TRHLeather]

When I started stitching, I bought an awl and stitching wheel from Tandy and assumed it was sharp enough. I quickly became frustrated and gave up and used my pricking iron to drive all my holes. Receintly, I have done a lot more reading and realized that even though i thought my awl was sharp, it was not even close to being sharp enough. I watched a really great video on youtube where Nigel Armitage shows you how to spend hours sharpening your awl. At first this seemed crazy to spend all that time doing it but it really is the trick to making awl work less painful and more productive.

If your awl seems like it is too sharp, it's probably not sharp enough.

[dikman]

Regarding the original question, I do neither - I run the work (very slowly) through a sewing machine, without thread. This gives me even hole spacing, straight lines, is quicker than manually marking/punching and makes it much easier to get the awl through.

Sticks, if you're referring to Metric 20 thread, I would think that would look like rope on a watch strap!

[dikman]

You might be right. Just when I thought I was beginning to understand thread sizes..........

[Todah]

Hi there,

I've been punching the holes with my awl before stitching.
I want to use my awl to make the holes as I stitch. Anyone knows how to improve
the technique and make it perfect like the craftsman at Hermes.

I tried using my awl to make hole as I stitch and it turns out not straight and unappealing. 
Any tips to for improvement? 

Thank you,