Flat or round?

[toxo]

23 minutes ago, zuludog said:

AAHHH..... aahhhhh..... So you're not using flat thread, you're using artificial sinew. It would have helped if you'd said that in the first place!

Months ago I was chatting to the staff in the Tandy shop in Manchester before it closed. They said they wouldn't recommend artificial sinew for general sewing of leather, as it is too thick and tends to separate and fray into fibres - which just about sums up what you've found

So get some proper thread, linen or synthetic, about 0,6 to 0,8mm dia and you should see an improvement;  if you want thicker thread, Search for 1mm

If you want flat try Ritza/Tiger thread

Well that's interesting! I understood "artificial sinew" to be a colour. I bought it as flat waxed polyester which it is. I wonder what makes it different? And I wonder why they sell the stuff at all without making that clear.

I should add that I bought it as 1.2 mm. The problems I mentioned in the first post was getting two needles through the hole at the same time as per recommended by Atkinson, Armitage etc.Not because the thread was too thick. I quite like the thread except for the splitting of the strands after a long length of stitching which I'm hoping extra wax will help with. I'm certainly not gonna toss it. I've got one and a half rolls of the stuff.

Edited October 12, 2019 by toxo

[wizard of tragacanth]

Confession time: I always sew one-needle-at-a-time.

I guess that is kinda amateurish and I may be the only one doing it but it works for me and I doubt that I will change.

However, I am open to constructive criticism.

nick

[toxo]

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one. I think the others are using smaller needles than JJ#2s. Two 1.4 needles going through a 1.5 hole has gotta be atight fit. I'm gonna get me some of those #1s

[wizard of tragacanth]

I use Tandy Harness Needles, Size 0 (zero). Mine measure an average of 1.09

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/harness-needles-10-pk

nick