Basic stitching tool related question

[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.