Stitching

[JRB]

Gotta newbie question on stitching when making your holes.

The drilling method is pretty straight foward. What size bit is preferred?

However, if you're not going to drill and use tools, which tools are for making the holes?

From left to right can someone tell me what's for what? Will the thonging chisles go thru both layers front & back?

I know the top left is the stitch groover. I don't have a freehand groover. Will it work to use the edge groover for all grooves?

Edited December 16, 2008 by JRB

[JRB]

I guess my biggest question is the difference between using the thonging chisles and the sewing awl.

[Rawhide]

I guess my biggest question is the difference between using the thonging chisles and the sewing awl.

The difference is that the sewing all is for making holes for hand stitching. The thonging chisels are for lacing an edge.

For drilling holes most people that do so use the smallest drill bit they can find, and a dremel tool to drill the holes.

That being said, I don't use the drill method as I feel it makes the holes too big for fine stitching. Also the Tandy awl in the pic is WAY too big for making proper sized holes for most hand stitching. I use several awls for different projects. But they are probably 1/4 to half the size of that Tandy one.

[CitizenKate]

Just my own two-bits of trial-and-error...

I tried drilling my holes, and they ended up looking very blown-out and chewed-up, regardless of which direction I drilled from. A stitching awl makes nice clean, tight holes, and in my experience is much more convenient to use than a power drill or even a dremel tool.

Kate

[JRB]

I guess what I have is not a sewing awl though. They are sewing hafts & blades. What are these used for?

[CitizenKate]

That looks like the Craftool 4-in-1 awl set. The blade I use is closest to the smaller of the two awl blades you have shown, although mine is smaller/thinner. The other two blades are a scratch awl for marking, and a lacing fid, for making holes for lacing.

Kate

[superchute]

I belive the size is a 53 wire bit vary little and use a dremal with a sewing machine foot feed to slow it down to drill nice works vary well.

Russ

[MADMAX22]

I have done the drilling also and thought I got a very professional appearance. It is different then using a awl to do it. WIth drilling your stitching will be all in a row, with a stitching awl your stitching will have the cant to one side for each stitch which is also why its important to pierce the leather the same way each time and when you stitch make sure you stitch the same way each one. This will make your stitching look great.

When drilling I used I think it is a 3/64, use a good drill or a new bad one and they will drill perfectly each time. I did find this a little more clumsy then the awl once I got use to the awl. Now you also have to make sure that the thread your using is the right size for the hole.

Tandy sells a smaller stitching awl that I use for all my stitching and it works very well.

Stitching Awl With 1-1/4" Blade

31218-01

[JRB]

So the 2 larger on the right are for lacing?

The one 2nd from the left is an awl (round) and the 1 on the far left is diamond shape. I thought I read that it was better to have a diamond shaped hole???

[Rawhide]

So the 2 larger on the right are for lacing?

The one 2nd from the left is an awl (round) and the 1 on the far left is diamond shape. I thought I read that it was better to have a diamond shaped hole???

You'll get a bunch of different answers to that question. Some like round (from drilling) some like diamond from awl. I prefer the awl for three main reasons. I like the way the stitches lay if they are done properly, two, the awl is easier to control where the point comes out of the back. This will give you as straight a line as the front, three, the holes seem to disappear with the proper awl and the proper thread.

Yes it's a little more work, but I'm more fond of the results.