This Has Baffled Me.....help Required Please.

[Lesbarbeux]

Hi all,

newbie to the forum so treat me gently!

I saw these online whilst doing some research for a project that I have been asked to undertake...seems pretty straight forward except for the ridge on the back of one side of the "rim" on the right hand side of the wallet.

Have asked around at a well known leatherwork goods outlet, but they are baffled too. The rim and inside ridge appear to be one peice, but how has it been achieved? I have worked out various other ways of getting the same effect, but none that only need one row of stitching....simplicity is important I feel.

I'm sure that someone somewhere knows how this is done......your help will be greatly appreciated.

[coreysyms]

looks like they trimmed the piece to get a ridge, dremmel tool might do the trick, or a table saw, then wet mould to get the shape, google wet moulding leather and you will find plenty of videos. As for the stitching, it looks like a box stitch, which is one of the harder stitches, one set of holes is on an angle if I remember correctly. see this image, google box stitching leather for more info.

[Lesbarbeux]

Many thanks for that Corey, I don't have a problem with either wet moulding or angled box stitching, though to be honest I don't use it unless I have to!

I had thought of trying to rig up a jig to use a router to get the lip but am having difficulty getting hold of thick enough hide to do that in any case. Think I am going to go the easy route and use a quarter inch strip of 4.5mm on a half inch strip, burnished before construction and stitched vertically, then stitch vertically through the half inch strip to the case outer, leaving only one row of stitching visible on the outer....if that makes sense. Not as neat as the one in the photos but it should be presentable, albeit with a thicker "lip".

[dirkba]

Hi Lesbarbeux,

The rim is not going to carry weight so I would go with your method of using a quarter inch strip of 4.5mm on a half inch strip, burnished before construction BUT glue it together! Why overkill with the stitching?

In your own words

"simplicity is important I feel"

"The rim and inside ridge appear to be one piece" - maybe because of a good burnishing job!

Good luck!

[Geneva]

That is a box stitch. It works best with leather 7 oz. or thicker leather.

Except the wooden form needs to have the corners cut back about 1\4" to 3\8" inch. There are no right angles in the corners of the jig there is not a piece of wood in the corner to nail to.

Also you will need to bevel both edges of the leather . Lay out all of the stitch holes before you sew it together. Neither of the stitch lines is set at an angle it is a regular saddle stitch when properly executed

There will be two almost 45 degree angles on the leather edges to sew together. I use two pieces of steel to make the angle on the leather. One piece is layed on the bottom of the material and the other is layed on the top of the material creating a sandwich effect. The top piece of steel is moved back from the edge of the material about 3\16" to 1\4" or farther back if needed, clamped in place and cut with a utility knife of what ever you want to cut it with. What you are doing is using the two steel pieces as a cutting guide for the bevel for the leather and cutting out the corner of the leather. This is how I achieve the mittered effect illustrated in the above photo. I hope this makes sence.

It is a really great looking stitch when you are finished.

Good luck.

[coreysyms]

What about cobblers glue, I know some guys on the forum swear by it, if it can keep the heel of your shoe glued should be good for a small box. Glue the pieces together to build up your leather block, heck you wouldn't need to cut it then because you could just glue a smaller piece for the ridge. I agree with Dirkba, it looks like 1 piece, prob because of good burnishing.

[Geneva]

You can use whatever you want to to put it together