Stitching Grooves And Machine Sewing

[llucas]

I have recently bought an Adler 205-374 that I am rebuilding for sewing gun belts and holsters. I have a question in that regard: when hand stitching I always use a stitching groove on the front and back. In the small amount of machine sewing I have done I have relied on the center presser foot to press the stitch below the surface and the back side is slightly proud. Do any of you cut a stitching groove and follow it with your sewing machine? How easy is it to follow a stitching groove with a sewing machine? Sorry, newbie question vis-a-vis hand stitching versus machine stitching.

[Ken Nelson]

I always use a stitch groover and it is easy to follow the stitch groove. Part of learning to sew. Ken

[Dwight]

I'm with Ken on this, . . . I do the same.

Fact is, . . . some of my holsters get the stitch gouge treatment on the front and the back as well. It makes the stitches lay down a lot better, less chance of fraying, and the holster coming apart.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Chief31794]

Just to pile on, I use a groover as well, I also use an edge guide whenever possible (belts, guitar straps, etc), I set the guide so that the needle is in the middle of the groove, then just keep the project against the guide and sew away. Even when I can't use the guide a groove makes it easier to follow than a scribed line as well as the benefits of protecting the stitches.

Chief

[Troy I]

I do the same as Dwight and Ken...I make a stitch grove on the front...it makes following the stitch line a lot easier, as well as getting the stitches to lie down better.

[Red Cent]

I don't groove, I crease. I do a lot of white thread sewing with a machine. The ditch digger will leave a natural colored line on your dark dyed piece and if you stray just a little you will leave telltale goofs. So, I crease. And I always run a very wet rag over the back stitching and then roll to flatten the stitches. On the front, the crease and thread tension pulls the thread into the leather sufficiently. I don't groove or crease the back.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Red Cent

[Colt W Knight]

I prefer to use either a groove or a crease, I just think it looks better. Some projects, I do not use a groove, like the outside part of a purse strap.

[llucas]

I appreciate all the feedback. Good stuff. For those who crease, do you heat the tool with an alcohol lamp, or simply apply elbow grease as needed? I just acquired two double shoulders of prefinished leather split to about 8 ounces with the back nicely slicked. I am going to make a few holsters out of this and crease the stitch line front and back. Up to this point I have always used double shoulder veg tan, grooved front and back. I am optimistic that the sewing machine will do a good job of hitting the groove or crease on the front and the back. Your observations have made me more hopeful that I can pull this off.