Best thread for sewing leather?

[Theyoungkiltman]

i use embroidery floss coated with wax. inexpensive and effective

[artificer]

Nylon thread is generally preferred over polyester for leather work. I think the stretch of the thread better matches the leather. Poly is pretty immortal, though. Nylon will get destroyed by UV (which is usually not a concern with clothing.) Either are much cheaper than linen.

Oops- I misspoke, you're correct, it's nylon that I generally use, not poly. :blush:

I don't know what the deal is with the rotting linen, but it's three local pieces. So maybe the maker had a bad batch.

ith:

[MNlad]

I've also turned to nylon for all my leather work unless I'm doing a period-type piece where I want sinew.

[Tarheel]

As a semi-retired and independently impoverished tinkerer, I have used waxed dental floss and chord for compound bows as stitching for leather items that will be used for out of doors and/or durable wear. However, my grandmother taught me so tat and sew using a hidden seam. She always found a use for things at hand when the necessity arose.

[Blupiper]

One other option that is out there: bagpipe hemp. The commercially available products out there are generally synthetics (I have heard it's polyester) and it comes in black and yellow. It also comes waxed, which is nice for providing an easy (well, easier) glide of the thread through the piece of leather. You look at any of the sites that supply pipers and waxed hemp is readily available, not too expensive and will hold up well. For those who don't know, hemp is used for the places in a bagpipe where two parts come together, for instance, where the chanter plugs into the stock. Windings of hemp provide a fitted joint between the two parts. I have used hemp in a couple of leather projects and found it worked fine. In fact, I started because I put some hemp next to some waxed artificial sinew from Tandy and couldn't tell one from the other the next day. Good tensile strength and water and rot resistance.

JMB

[scottmphoto]

I don't know just what it's made of but, back in my Buckskinning days, I used (and still use) the artificial sinew that is sold around.

Something like this:

http://www.crazycrow.com/artificial-sinew

[Kayne792]

I've had good luck with Coats and Clark's Super Strong Upholstery thread for both hand and machine stitching. I also agree with the synthetic sinew, really great for a rustic look to visible stitching. It was the go-to for leatherwork projects in my Boy Scouts/OA time.