How do I perfect straight holes while I use my awl to make the holes as I stitch

[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,

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[Halitech]

 

watch and read that as many times as needed to understand then practice practice practice

[billybopp]

I agree with Halitech.  Study a bit with some of the good videos around and then practice .. A lot!  One thing that can help some with practice is to glue up some scrap in the thickness you'll mostly use and then put a heavy line or stitch groove on BOTH sides, then mark your spacing in your preferred way.  If you can mark spacing on the back to match the front pretty precisely, that can help too(not easy to get them lined up the same front to back).  The line on the front side will help you keep that line straight pretty easily.  The line on the back gives you a target to aim at top to bottom, and the spacing marks a target front to back.  

Once you start getting it right .. you begin to find that your arm is always in the same position, awl in the same position, and work in the same position!  That seems to be the key to repeatable results.

A stitching clam, pony, horse, clamp is a huge help too. Keep the stitching line down relatively close to the jaws of the clamp to minimize now much it flexes around.  A good VERY sharp awl is essential.  A wine bottle cork of some other backer that the awl can go into is helpful on thinner leather (keeps it from flopping around as you try to hit the target).  Just remember, a cork from a RED wine bottle ... So that you can let it breathe while you use the cork and then drink it AFTER practice.  It will not do your stitching much good to drink the entire bottle before.  

You might also find that hand sewing leather is in general a skill that needs a little upkeep practice.  After not having made anything for awhile, last week I made a sheath for a head knife that I recently bought.  I dove right into sewing it with no practice, and the backside holes were all over the place but got much better as I went along.  I should have glued up some similar scrap and practiced first. The skills degrade with time, but come back quickly with a little practice.  Getting the skills initially just takes more practice.  At least that's how it goes for me!

Bill

[Todah]

Thank you billybopp & halitech. 

I will get into it and keep practicing it. 

 

[Boriqua]

another small thing I find really useful is getting the work right up underneath me. I have a floor standing stitching pony but I sit at the edge of my chair so my head is almost directly over my work when i look down. Really helps when I am lining up my awl to keep it at a proper 90 degrees to the leather. YMMV

[bikermutt07]

Another thing I learned was to keep the depth of the awl consistent.

Going deep on one hole and shallow on the next will skew the lines.

Also, the amount of tension and angle of your pull will cause uneven stitching.

Anytime I get ready to stitch I start with a 3 or 4 inch practice strip. Stitching can make or break the look of your project. It's worth the practice to me.

Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day.

[Japi]

Use a good quality stitching iron to mark out your holes first. A groove can help but if you stitch "English" style then marking your stitching holes across a feint scratch line made with a marking awl, a needle, knitting needle or a bent prong of an old fork accurately will be all you need. Just make sure that whatever you use to do the marking is sharp. That goes for your awl too. Look out for Nigel Armitage's YouTube lesson on how to sharpen an awl. Then it's just the same as getting to Carnegie Hall. Practice, practice, practice.

[Todah]

Thank you Boriqua, bikermutt07 & Japi.
I will take your advise into practice. 

[ConradPark]

While a 'European' style pricking iron is fine, there is no denying that it does take considerable
practice and time to get consistent good looking stitching with that. There is no shame in using so called Japanese pricking irons, that cuts the holes like an awl. They don't cost much and speeds up your work considerable if you're new to the game.

Another technique is to hold your awl in a 'stabbing' position and 'stab' all your stitch marks beforehand. The repeated motion and the fact that your eye to hand/awl to leather vision is in one straight line helps a lot, to make a consistent hole making (while this is only one part, it seems to be the part that most often fxxxs up). Now, the purists always tell you that you shouldn't make holes beforehand, but the truth is, that unless you stitch heavy leather like on saddles and soles on shoes, you, nor anyone else will see or encounter any issues or notice the difference.

Another tip is ti 'flatten' your stitching when you're finished, bu tapping over your stitching with a shoe hammer or a rubber mallet. Makes a difference.

However, in the end it's mostly down to practice, and practice. Good luck and remember to have fun!

[TinkerTailor]

  On 10/8/2016 at 11:17 AM, bikermutt07 said:

Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day.

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You should add this to your signature. It is perfect.

  On 10/11/2016 at 1:04 PM, ConradPark said:

 Now, the purists always tell you that you shouldn't make holes beforehand, but the truth is, that unless you stitch heavy leather like on saddles and soles on shoes, you, nor anyone else will see or encounter any issues or notice the difference.

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I think this comes from stitching unglued stuff. In traditional stitching you follow the awl back through the hole with the needle, keeping the hole alignment intact. If the layers shift after you take the awl out, it is a bear to get the needle back through. With modern glues, tapes and techniques, most of us glue then stitch so the layer shift is not a problem.

An old fabric type singer treadle machine, hand wheeled with an awl instead of the needle, no thread, and an edge guide makes a hell of a nice row of stitch holes in the tighter stitch lengths with up to 8 oz of leather.....you can even punch pieces separate and the holes line up when you put them together......

[gmace99]

You should use a pricking iron to mark the stitches. This does not go all the way through the leather.

I have several videos on hand stitching and will add more when I get time.  I have resisted doing the video where you stick your two needles through and twist over the back.  Lots of people have done this already.  Most don't show you the important tip to get your stitches at the correct angle.  This is the way you hold your hands.

I have a play list with several tips on hand stitching on you tube. If you look at my video titled hand stitching leather tip you will see the marks I made using the pricking iron.

In this video I had already punched all the holes using my awl.  I would normally use the awl as I go along but it was easier to explain the way you hold your hands with my holes already done. I would imagine on my other videos there will be some showing the marks and me using my awl.  I don't watch my on videos so can't say what one will help the most. 

This link might not show you my playlist.  If it only shows you one video look on youtube for uksaddlery  I have 50 videos on there.

 

I hope this helps

 

 

[Boriqua]

I also prepunch but not all my holes. I am quite capable of using 2 needles and awl in hand but find I just get a little nicer result if I poke about 7 holes set my awl down, stitch, punch 7 holes stitch and so on. Might take a little more time but I definitely think the finished product just looks a touch nicer and hell ... I'm not in a rush .. my goal is to try and make as nice looking a product as I can. If speed were my primary concern I would buy a machine.

Doing it this way I can focus on making sure my angles are as consistent and the awl is held as straight as I can make it. My primary awls are Siewa which are straight sided so I don't run into the problem Bikermutt mentioned but I do from time to time use a tapered awl and then you do have to focus on consistent depth as well.

[bikermutt07]

  On 10/11/2016 at 5:53 PM, Boriqua said:

I also prepunch but not all my holes. I am quite capable of using 2 needles and awl in hand but find I just get a little nicer result if I poke about 7 holes set my awl down, stitch, punch 7 holes stitch and so on. Might take a little more time but I definitely think the finished product just looks a touch nicer and hell ... I'm not in a rush .. my goal is to try and make as nice looking a product as I can. If speed were my primary concern I would buy a machine.

Doing it this way I can focus on making sure my angles are as consistent and the awl is held as straight as I can make it. My primary awls are Siewa which are straight sided so I don't run into the problem Bikermutt mentioned but I do from time to time use a tapered awl and then you do have to focus on consistent depth as well.

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I had seen someone mention it. My craftool pro is tapered and the "tip" (HA!) seemed to help. The results I were getting was one stitch deep into the leather and the next just kind of sat where it was supposed to. It was causing me fits because my elbow is precisely calibrated.

Now they lay down pretty even. I use the stitching chisel but have backed off punching all the way through. Like you mentioned I use the awl for 5 or 6 holes. Then concentrate on the stitch itself, and repeat.

[bikermutt07]

 

 

 

How do you make a signature? I couldn't find an option on my profile.

Edited October 11, 2016 by bikermutt07

[bikermutt07]

  On 10/11/2016 at 3:22 PM, TinkerTailor said:

You should add this to your signature. It is perfect.

I think this comes from stitching unglued stuff. In traditional stitching you follow the awl back through the hole with the needle, keeping the hole alignment intact. If the layers shift after you take the awl out, it is a bear to get the needle back through. With modern glues, tapes and techniques, most of us glue then stitch so the layer shift is not a problem.

An old fabric type singer treadle machine, hand wheeled with an awl instead of the needle, no thread, and an edge guide makes a hell of a nice row of stitch holes in the tighter stitch lengths with up to 8 oz of leather.....you can even punch pieces separate and the holes line up when you put them together......

Expand  

 

[Boriqua]

  On 10/11/2016 at 8:22 PM, bikermutt07 said:

I had seen someone mention it. My craftool pro is tapered and the "tip" (HA!) seemed to help. The results I were getting was one stitch deep into the leather and the next just kind of sat where it was supposed to. It was causing me fits because my elbow is precisely calibrated.

Now they lay down pretty even. I use the stitching chisel but have backed off punching all the way through. Like you mentioned I use the awl for 5 or 6 holes. Then concentrate on the stitch itself, and repeat.

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Worse yet is if you dont poke with Consistent depth with a tapered awl you are creating different sized holes. That results in a nasty stitch line with different length stitches. Its one of the reason I lean heavily on my Seiwa. Its one less thing I have to worry about. With straight sides I just poke and go. No matter how deep or shallow I always have the same size hole.

[TinkerTailor]

  On 10/11/2016 at 8:44 PM, bikermutt07 said:

 

 

 

How do you make a signature? I couldn't find an option on my profile.

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Its under account settings not profile settings.

[bikermutt07]

Thanks. And here it is.

And it's not showing?.....

[Northmount]

  On 10/11/2016 at 9:30 PM, bikermutt07 said:

Thanks. And here it is.

And it's not showing?.....

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It shows on my end.

Tom

[bikermutt07]

Thanks for that. I guess it won't show it to me.