Basic stitching tool related question

[rodneywt1180b]

I'm looking at buying a stitching chisel.  Most likely I'll buy either a 2 or a 3 prong one.  I will most likely be using 0.6 and 0.8 mm tiger thread for my thread.  I'm mostly going to be covering cane handles and making wrist straps for them.

What size(s) stitching chisel would be best?  Also, which cheaper brands would you recommend? I am on a budget and don't want to spend a lot.

Thanks,

Rodney

[rodneywt1180b]

I think I may have answered my own question.  Springfield Leather has some diamond point chisels that should work.

http://springfieldleather.com/Chisel-Diamond-4prong

[zuludog]

That chisel looks good value, but I think there could be a problem or misunderstanding

You can sew leather with thread, and the chisel needs to have prongs that have a diamond shaped cross section, and set at an angle to the body of the chisel

You can also sew leather with thin strips of leather, called lacing or thonging. The chisels for this have prongs with a flat section, like very small rectangles, and are set flat in line with the body of the chisel

I can't quite tell from the picture, but it looks to me that this is a lacing chisel, which is not what you want. I think the word 'diamond' in the description just refers to the tips, which is confusing. Check with the supplier before you buy. Just tell them what you want to do, and they should advise you accordingly. I'd say prongs with 3 mm spacing

Whatever chisel you get, it can be improved by polishing the prongs, especially the cheaper makes. Make a small file or buffing board by gluing some 500 or 600 grit wet & dry paper to a sliver of wood like a lollipop stick. And lubricate the prongs on a lump of beeswax as you use it

In the short term you can hit the chisel with a steel hammer, which you may already have, but eventually this will damage the end of the chisel. You should use a soft hammer, like plastic or hide. Don't get a cheap rubber mallet, they will bounce and be difficult to control. Don't hammer on your cutting mat. I use a plastic kitchen chopping board about 12 mm thick

Don't be tempted to wiggle the chisel around as you remove it, as this will distort the leather and possibly bend the prongs. Use a small length of wood to hold the leather down and go for a straight pull; the polishing  & wax will help

Depending on the thickness of your leather you might find that the prongs do not make perfect holes, in which case you will need to do some extra work  with an awl, but cross that bridge when you come to it.

I was going to reply anyway, as I don't think you can get 3 - prong chisels, you'll have to get 2 or 4

If you are going to make wrist straps they will be more comfortable if you bevel and polish the edges. Search YouTube and this forum for advice on that

[DJole]

24 minutes ago, zuludog said:

I was going to reply anyway, as I don't think you can get 3 - prong chisels, you'll have to get 2 or 4

Very good tips up there, Zuludog.

I just wanted to add that it is possible to get 3 prong chisels. My Leathercraft.JP set (http://goodsjapan.com/pricking-irons--stitch-punches-30-c.asp) in 3 mm pitch contains a 3 prong chisel (among others).

[zuludog]

I've just re - read my post

This part should be obvious, but lets clear up any possible misunderstanding

When I wrote about lubricating the prongs with beeswax I meant, of course, as you knock the chisel through the leather, and not when you polish them with abrasive paper

Use the buffing board dry or with water

I've just searched YouTube for 'leather covered walking stick'. there are 3 or 4 videos that look relevant, but I haven't watched any of them

Edited November 22, 2017 by zuludog

[rodneywt1180b]

I've noticed that Springfield uses the terms stitching and lacing somewhat interchangeably.  I was hoping that one was actually for stitching.

Thanks guys, the GoodsJapan prices seem reasonable and the tools look good. .  I know with tools you tend to get what you pay for but my budget is limited.  The GoodsJapan ones are within my spending range.  I do have polishing equipment.  Polishing the prongs, at least on the outer faces, won't be a big deal. 

I'll be using mostly a baseball stitch or possibly an X stitch on the wraps. I'm using a saddle stitch on the wrist straps.   I'll most likely get the  3x5mm chisel to start.  That should be a good compromise for my purposes.

My first leather wrap was pretty crude.  The only thing saving it is the rustic nature of the stick its on.  I'm working on a cane right now that will be much more demanding.  Straight lines and smooth curves are a must for it to look right.  A decent stitching chisel will help.  I'll post the new one when it's done.  It's probably a couple weeks out from being finished.

I'll take a look for the you tube videos.   I'm curious about what they're doing.

Thanks,

Rodney

[rodneywt1180b]

I just ordered my stitching chisel from GoodsJapan.  I'm getting the Seiwa 3x5 mm one.  It works out to 5 stitches per inch which should work out well for the baseball and x stitches on my wraps.  It should be here in a couple weeks, sooner if I'm lucky.

Thanks for your advice guys.

Rodney

[DJole]

On 11/22/2017 at 0:40 AM, rodneywt1180b said:

I've noticed that Springfield uses the terms stitching and lacing somewhat interchangeably.  I was hoping that one was actually for stitching.

Thanks guys, the GoodsJapan prices seem reasonable and the tools look good. .  I know with tools you tend to get what you pay for but my budget is limited.  The GoodsJapan ones are within my spending range.  I do have polishing equipment.  Polishing the prongs, at least on the outer faces, won't be a big deal. 

I'll be using mostly a baseball stitch or possibly an X stitch on the wraps. I'm using a saddle stitch on the wrist straps.   I'll most likely get the  3x5mm chisel to start.  That should be a good compromise for my purposes.

My first leather wrap was pretty crude.  The only thing saving it is the rustic nature of the stick its on.  I'm working on a cane right now that will be much more demanding.  Straight lines and smooth curves are a must for it to look right.  A decent stitching chisel will help.  I'll post the new one when it's done.  It's probably a couple weeks out from being finished.

I'll take a look for the you tube videos.   I'm curious about what they're doing.

I wonder if these angled chisels will do what you want them to. They lay stitches out in the traditional slanted stitch for two pieces of leather on top of each other.
Does the baseball or exterior X stitch, which are basically edge to edge,  work okay with those slanted stitch holes, or will it look strange?

 

[rodneywt1180b]

I'm thinking it will be fine.  Maybe not perfect but ok.  I also use a saddle stitch in my wrist straps and it will be great for that.

At least they'll be in a straight line.

Rodney

[DJole]

3 hours ago, rodneywt1180b said:

I'm thinking it will be fine.  Maybe not perfect but ok.  I also use a saddle stitch in my wrist straps and it will be great for that.

At least they'll be in a straight line.

Yes, they'll be beautiful for the wrist straps.
My stitching chisels were a lovely Christmas gift. 

[Fire88]

My stiching chisels just came in from goodsjapan got the seiwa 3mm and 4mm in 2&6 prong. Also got the small and medium awl by Elle per the Ian Atchikson site. 

[DJole]

3 hours ago, Fire88 said:

My stiching chisels just came in from goodsjapan got the seiwa 3mm and 4mm in 2&6 prong. Also got the small and medium awl by Elle per the Ian Atchikson site. 

How exciting! Don't you love the smell and feel of those new tools? You just pick them up and immediately start looking around for a piece of leather to stick them into... ;-)

 

[Fire88]

41 minutes ago, DJole said:

How exciting! Don't you love the smell and feel of those new tools? You just pick them up and immediately start looking around for a piece of leather to stick them into... ;-)

 

Did some testing with them first thing, bought them specifically for doing boxes. Which I have 3 to do at the moment and just using an awl doesn't work well.

[rodneywt1180b]

My chisel didn't arrive until after Christmas and I just put it to use today. 

It works well (at least to a beginner like me).  I can already see some slight improvement in my stitching even though I'm still learning the ins and outs of the tool.  I used 0.6 mm tiger thread and that size is too small for the holes.  I'll try some 0.8 that I have and see if it helps, if not, the next time I put in an order  I'll have to get some 1mm.  Other than the thread size issue it should be a good tool and was worth the money and wait. 

[johnv474]

I have owned several chisels.  The ones that created the best stitches were not always the ones that were the most durable.  Of the less expensive ones, Tandy's Craftool have been the most durable.  GoodsJapan were also durable but eventually I lost a few prongs from the smaller sizes (8 spi).  The GoodsJapan definitely gave a nicer looking stitch.

[Mattsbagger]

Technique is more important than chisel I saw a video where Nigel Armitage stitched with drilled holes and got good looking stitching. (If I remember right it was a year and a half ago)

[chrisash]

Quote

If you are doing walking sticks, Then the steering wheel type stitches may be a neater solution on round items, where you have a machine stitch along the sewing edge and then lace with normal thread between the two machine lines. It gives a very professional and uniformed join

 

[rodneywt1180b]

Mattsbagger that's good to know.  I have a project coming up where I will most likely be drilling the holes. 

Thanks Chris.  I like the look but for now I think I'll stick with a baseball stitch.  My handles are all a little different from one another.  I haven't had much success-at least not yet- in being able to make a pattern then cutting the leather and having it fit correctly.  I end up gluing the leather on a little at a time and trimming it in place.  That doesn't lend itself well to taking the leather back off to machine stitch it then put it back on.  I don't think I would be able to get the leather back on correctly. 

I'm still working out my methods.  The stitching chisel does help but I find myself using it more as a pricking iron for laying out the holes instead of punching clear through.   For baseball and X stitches a round or square diamond shaped hole seems better than the elongated diamonds used for saddle stitching that this chisel makes.

Edited April 29, 2018 by rodneywt1180b
grammar

[KingsCountyLeather]

43 minutes ago, rodneywt1180b said:

Mattsbagger that's good to know.  I have a project coming up where I will most likely be drilling the holes. 

Thanks Chris.  I like the look but for now I think I'll stick with a baseball stitch.  My handles are all a little different from one another.  I haven't had much success-at least not yet- in being able to make a pattern then cutting the leather and having it fit correctly.  I end up gluing the leather on a little at a time and trimming it in place.  That doesn't lend itself well to taking the leather back off to machine stitch it then put it back on.  I don't think I would be able to get the leather back on correctly. 

I'm still working out my methods.  The stitching chisel does help but I find myself using it more as a pricking iron for laying out the holes instead of punching clear through.   For baseball and X stitches a round or square diamond shaped hole seems better than the elongated diamonds used for saddle stitching that this chisel makes.

Because the sticks you use are all different... have you tried wrapping the part you want with masking tape to the full thickness of  your leather and then cutting it off where your seam would be? Then you have your pattern. You could use cheap masking tape and you wouldn’t mind wasting it.

Also, I have a few stitching chisels but I often use them only for marking the holes and using a sharp awl to push through before putting the into my clam (Or in your case - stick) I find I have more control at keeping the holes straight with awkward pieces.

[rodneywt1180b]

I tried masking tape but not to full thickness.  I also tried upholstery vinyl.  The vinyl gets me kind of close but not quite there.  I'm sure a lot of it is just practice.  As I go along I'm slowly learning what works best for me.