Leather stitching

[Moosedog]

What weight leather are you stitching? I mostly do stuff heavier than garment leather. What helps me most is the preparation...like scribing lines and either marking with an overstitch wheel to make sure I'm punching evenly or using a mutiple-pronged punch.

I have a hard time making consistent holes just punching through using my hand awl...the size might be the same but the angle different, for instance, which will make the finished product a little uneven. So I try to make sure everything lines up, punch carefully on the bench, then I sit down to stitch. Also using a diamond-shaped punch looks a little neater to me.

Moosedog

[berserkbishop]

I do a wide variety of leather. My most recent was upholstry weight leather but I will be making some saddle bags soon from a much heavier type. I do use an overstitch wheel but i guess it is the angles thing that is getting me. Oh another question, I am full of these, for heavy leather what do you leatherworkers find is the best tool for cutting. I got sold a $40 pair of sheers that wont cut a straight line and have damaged some nice leather in the process. I would like some advice from someone who has used a knife or tool day in and day out as opposed to some stupid saleswoman who hasnt sewn a piece of leather in her life. Thanks for all the comments.

Bishop

[Joel]

I do a lot of leatherwork, too...making gun hosters, belts, scabbards, etc. I always use a tin punch to make my holes. It's basicly a small nail in a wooden handle. But it makes nice lil' holes. So, if you could find one, it'd be very nice addition to your leather tools.

[Tartan Hiker]

For cutting, I use a utility knife with replaceable blades and a straight edge. For curves, I use a small surgical scalpel. Works for me.

If you want really even stitches you'll have to use a star wheel tool. You just run the little wheel along the leather and it leaves little dimples showing you where to punch the holes. Nothing short of a machine will produce such even stitching. If yoiu're stitching along the edge of thicker (5+ ounce) leather, then use a groover first. That way your stitches are always the same distance from the edge and the threads end up below the surface level of the leather, so that they don't wear as quickly.

The Tandy company offers a beginners kit with these tools, awl, thread, and the book I mentioned in my earlier post. I think I remember that it cots about $30 when I got mine a few years back.