Stitching: Tips and Techniques

Joined
Feb 12, 2007
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Ok guys, if there's one thing that I struggle with, it's stitching. I'd love to own a sewing machine but just can't justify it with the small number of sheaths I turn out which leaves me with my drill press, lacing punches and awl.

I've seen some beautiful sheaths on BF so I know there are plenty of you out there who have mastered stitching and I'm hoping you'll share your secrets, tips and techniques; pictures and tutorials would be extremely welcome.

I'm thinking this could become a sticky if we can get enough participation here and would no doubt be a popular thread for a long time to come.

So, what do you say?
 
Thanks for the link Chuck! I have your dvd and while it is absolutely jammed with great information and the foundation of my sheath making education, it hasn't made me any better at stitching. lol I still have to find my way through each sheath. I tend to struggle with an awl-- the blade tends to jam up and come out of the handle on mine, even with a beeswax coating. Maybe I need better tools? Do you have a recommendation?

I've seen plenty of guys who use drills (Dave Kelly comes to mind) with fantastic results but I've been less than pleased with my results with this approach and would love some pointers.
 
Ima drill guy too. Dave Cole uses a nifty set up on his, might see if he still does. Some drill bits just want to shred a stitching hole huh.
 
Slim, I have used both the awl and the drill press and still prefer the drill press for most of my work. First, I dont drill my sheaths but punch them. I sharpen the shank side of various size drill bits and chuck them in reversed. I then punch my holes while the press is running.I find this makes cleaner holes.For keeping them straight I built a small table for my drill press vise and covered it with UHMW. I then notched some 1"x4" pieces. see below
sheathjig1.jpg


The notch helps with clearance for the belt loops and the UHMW helps the wood slide easier.This especially helps when doing the style of lacing I use because I use larger bit progressively for the size lace.

On sewing machines, Artisan makes about the best and have excellant customer service. With that said used machines can be found until you can afford new.Many are around $500 or less. I just purchased a Singer 31-15 vintage 1918 with a new motor and table for $50.00.I am in the process of getting it setup and running. It will do some of my lighter work like inlays, belts and rifle slings, but that will be a big help. I hope this helps my friend. Dave:)
 
HAHA, I guess we were typing at the same time Dwayne. I thought my ears were burning:D. Dave:)
 
Thanks for the link Chuck! I have your dvd and while it is absolutely jammed with great information and the foundation of my sheath making education, it hasn't made me any better at stitching. lol I still have to find my way through each sheath. I tend to struggle with an awl-- the blade tends to jam up and come out of the handle on mine, even with a beeswax coating. Maybe I need better tools? Do you have a recommendation?
I've seen plenty of guys who use drills (Dave Kelly comes to mind) with fantastic results but I've been less than pleased with my results with this approach and would love some pointers.

1) when using the awl I punch the front side and welt first, then glue the back - that way you only have one layer to go through rather than 3 or more...

2) When that happens with awl blades - I just epoxy them in place - 5 minute works fine and is easy to break free with a bit of heat if you need to replace the blade...also polish the awl blade.......I haven't changed out an awl blade in 5 years.......

Sewing whether hand or machine is a learned skill and takes time and practice - a machine is NOT a panacea for bad stitching it just makes things go faster and while there are times that I wish I had one the type I need (using linen or hemp thread) is just not cost effective especially since I do so much historical work which market often requires hand sewn, but it's lucrative enough to make it worthwhile so.....

as for guys complaining about hand sewing - the set below was done all by hand - the belt and holster are fully lined - the belt alone is about 40" overall and 2.5" wide so at 6 SPI that's about 510 stitches - you can see why I chuckle when I read guys complaining about sewing up a sheath.........:D ;) :D

cr-21-tighe-rig-003.jpg
 
For me the sewing is not the hard part, but the hole punching. It's tricky to get the hole straight. It'd be a lot easier if I had access to a drill press, but I don't. If you're having problems with your awl sticking in the leather, are you twisting it before you pull it out? Done properly this will also make the holes more uniform within the groove.
 
I use an awl and handstitch only.
Saddle stitch..
..endlessly
I think it's a great thing to do though. It gives me peace of mind on certain moments, when everything else fails..

I'm in no hurry whatsoever.

I also think (very humble) that it's a good thing to have the holes as small as possible. It should take some effort to pull the needle through, and I certainly need pliers doing just that. The effect after waxing (and brushing away the excess wax) is that it's very hard for water or dirt to enter and accumulate the hole, thus extending the servicetime of your sheath.

I reason
Stitching is puncturing the skin, and the layer that protects it. So in order to make the sheath as durable as possible I believe one should limit the amount of stitching to the minimum.

But I'm talking extremely durable now..
that's a personal thing..:jerkit:

Just like I will avoid making sheaths where the sheathed blade makes contact with any stitching at all.
Is that insane or what .?.:eek:

I love it!:p



Best regards,
martin
-loves this forum!
 
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