Leather working tools and HELP!

[AJB]

Hi,

I apologise if this is long and convoluted, but I don’t really know what I’m talking about!

I’ve just bought, courtesy of Bent-Stick’s group-buy, some leather. I’ve not got it with me so I can’t say exactly what thickness it is, but 3.5mm seems about right.

I need to make something with it, but it’s all Greek to me.

Helpful people on Big Daddy Merc’s current thread (sorry if I am kind of high jacking your thread Merc) suggested the following equipment lists…

Shing
Vegetable tanned shoulder leather 3.5mm thick
Linen thread
2/0 saddlery needles
awl to make holes
Stitich wheel to mark the holes for the awl
Edger to round of the leather edge for a nicer finish but you can also use fine sandpaper
Adjustable groover to make a groove for the stitches to be recessed in.
Contact adhesive
Leather dye
Neats foot compound
Beeswax

Longstrider
A "Stanley" type knife,
A Steel rule,
Good cutting board (doing leather work on an unprotected dining table tends to lead to problems with SWMBO)
Waxed thread,
Suitable needles (Leatherwork needles are NOT sharply pointed like sewing needles but are more like a "bodkin" type as you are effectively only using them to pass through holes already made)
A #2 Edging tool (best all-round size to have)
An Awl,
A stitching wheel,
Adjustable stitch groover.
A piece of bone or plastic for burnishing edges with,
fine Wet-n-dry paper for sanding and smoothing edges prior to burnishing.

And from leprevo.co.uk
A basic kit would be…
an awl blade 2” (T11 @ £1.80),
a sewing awl handle (T10 @ 64p),
a packet of needles no 2 or 3 (T26 @ 96p),
a reel of 18/3 linen thread (TR3 @ £1.98),
a block of beeswax (C10 @ 60p).
To this could be added an overstitch wheel 6 to 1”(T47 @ £4.30)
and then a pricking iron 1” 6 to 1” (T134 @ £29.50).

My assumptions about what you do are…

You use the awl blade, in its handle, to make holes in the leather as distributed by the overstitch wheel, which roles along making equidistant marks on the hide (the pricking iron is used to hammer, in this case, 6 holes per inch removing the need for the awl, and the overstitch wheel?).

You then use the needle and thread (lubricated with the beeswax) to sew (what stitch) up the pre-prepared holes.

This kit totals (excluding the unnecessary? pricking iron) - £10.28

Am I right in thinking you use the adjustable groover to produce a rebate in the hide which you then run your overstitch wheel along, so you recess the stitching? And an edging tool rounds of the exposed edges?


So I think what I need to start (and still be able to do a relatively good job) is…

an awl blade 2” (T11 @ £1.80),
a sewing awl handle (T10 @ 64p),
a packet of needles no 2 or 3 (T26 @ 96p),
a reel of 18/3 linen thread (TR3 @ £1.98),
a block of beeswax (C10 @ 60p).
an overstitch wheel 6 to 1”(T47 @ £4.30)
an adjustable groover
and
an edging tool

Please could you boffins out there tell me if I am along the right lines and what stitching I should use.

Thanks for not giving up!

Andy

 

[nooky]

Hi Andy,
That sounds about right to get you started stitching the leather. Though you would use the stanley knife, steel ruler and cutting board to cut your leather to shape before stitching it. You stitch using two needles on one piece of thread. You push the needle through the the first hole and pull the thread so it is halfway through. Then use push one needle through the second hole from one direction then you push the second needle through the same hole from the other direction. you repeat this for all the stitches.
I hope this is understandable and helps.
Andrew.

 

[AJB]

Hi Andy,
That sounds about right to get you started stitching the leather. Though you would use the stanley knife, steel ruler and cutting board to cut your leather to shape before stitching it. You stitch using two needles on one piece of thread. You push the needle through the the first hole and pull the thread so it is halfway through. Then use push one needle through the second hole from one direction then you push the second needle through the same hole from the other direction. you repeat this for all the stitches.
I hope this is understandable and helps.
Andrew.

Hi Nooky,

Yep the knife n stuff I have, as to the stitching - I'll get my coat!

Do you - nope, I thought I'd figered it out but I'm lost!

Thanks for trying anyway!

Andy

 

[chas brookes]

Hi Andy
if you are placing an order with le prevo
Good beginners guides which were recommended at the Bushmoot are
The Art of Hand Sewing Leather by Al Stohlman which covers most the basics including lots about stitching
Making Leather Cases Vol.1 by Al Stohlman which goes into more detail about sheath making and wet forming cases
as a company they are very helpfull
also this thread is very usefull
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=9693
Chas

 

[AJB]

Oh, I think I get it.

From leprevo.co.uk…

“One needle and the awl are held in the right hand and the other needle is held in the left hand. The first hole is pierced with the awl and one of the needles is pushed through up to half the length of the thread. The second hole is now pierced and the left hand needle pushed through. The thread is pulled down to the end of the slot cut by the pricking iron. The needle in the right hand is now pushed through above the first thread and both threads are pulled tight. This process is continued to the end of the seam and then backstitched a few stitches to finish.”

So you pull half the thread through your first hole, giving you equal amounts of thread on both sides of your work piece with a needle on each end. Then you pass each needle through each hole once but from opposite sides.

So looking from the edge, you make a kind of running figure of eight pattern.

Is that right?

Andy

 

[AJB]

Hi Andy
if you are placing an order with le prevo
Good beginners guides which were recommended at the Bushmoot are
The Art of Hand Sewing Leather by Al Stohlman which covers most the basics including lots about stitching
Making Leather Cases Vol.1 by Al Stohlman which goes into more detail about sheath making and wet forming cases
as a company they are very helpfull
also this thread is very usefull
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=9693
Chas

Thanks Chas

 

[ESpy]

Pricking irons are not a substitute for awls... They are to mark the leather (as with an overstitch wheel) , not to punch through it. (they're also too expensive to do that to them!)

You're right about the groover & edger; you can use a pricking iron with a groover, but I don't bother. Biggest differences are that a pricking iron will help you keep your awl at a consistent angle, whilst an overstitch wheel can be used to burnish the stitches down (equivalent operation after using a pricking iron is to tap with a saddler's hammer).

http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/_leatherstitch.html is a really good sewing tutorial.

 

[AJB]

also this thread is very usefull
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=9693
Chas

Might have known Rapidboy could help - he always has the answer!

Andy

 

[nooky]

Oh, I think I get it.

From leprevo.co.uk…

“One needle and the awl are held in the right hand and the other needle is held in the left hand. The first hole is pierced with the awl and one of the needles is pushed through up to half the length of the thread. The second hole is now pierced and the left hand needle pushed through. The thread is pulled down to the end of the slot cut by the pricking iron. The needle in the right hand is now pushed through above the first thread and both threads are pulled tight. This process is continued to the end of the seam and then backstitched a few stitches to finish.”

So you pull half the thread through your first hole, giving you equal amounts of thread on both sides of your work piece with a needle on each end. Then you pass each needle through each hole once but from opposite sides.

So looking from the edge, you make a kind of running figure of eight pattern.

Is that right?

Andy

Hi Andy,
Thats what I was trying to say could see it in my mind but could not describe it in words.
Andrew.

 

[ika a Whiro]

you could always use a backstitch bro.

 

[Eric_Methven]

When using the overstitch wheel, dampen your leather first. You'll get a decent impression of where the holes need to be made then.

Eric