Hand Sewing Leather - Part Two

Considering the last post, I feel it is necessary to let you know that it is not necessary to purchase all of the tools and equipment that you will be seeing in this series of posts. You will want to purchase some saddle-stitching needles, an awl of some kind to poke holes through the leather, and maybe some needle nose pliers to help pull and push the needles through the holes. The pliers will save you some time and some very sore fingers.

One of the first considerations when you are going to hand sew a project is that you will need to purchase thread to complete the task. The example thread that I used for these posts is strong enough that it will probably hold up my almost 200-pound body with one strand. It is a heavily waxed thread made of nylon, which is the reason for the strength. I would not recommend this heavy of thread for a wallet or even a purse. The wax makes it a little easier on the hands when pulling the stitches snug, but waxing the thread is unnecessary. This particular thread is almost as large as some leather lacing that I have used in the past.

It is not necessary to use wax on your thread when sewing leather these days, that is, unless you plan to use a heavy linen thread. A saddle maker told me twenty years ago that historically, threads were waxed so that they would last longer when exposed to the elements. Those elements were not only everyday weather, but also those that come with using your saddle and other gear on a horse to herd cattle. Threads were also waxed to make them easier to pull through the thick layers of leather, such as those that might be found on saddle skirts. The saddle skirting that I am most familiar with are made from sixteen ounce leather for the primary layer, the plugs, which are an additional layer of leather added between the primary layer, and the sheepskin liner. All of this leather adds up to a half-inch of leather or a little more. That is a lot of leather to sew through, especially if you are doing it by hand.

Threads of today are very stout compared to what craftsmen used for horse gear and shoes. The modern man-made fibers last a long time and it is very seldom that it will rot out. It does not take a heavy thread to sew a most of the items that the everyday hobbyist will be making. The biggest problem that I see with these threads that they are so strong that they can be pulled through some leathers when snugging up the stitches. I have done that several times, never intentionally, but it did happen. This is one area where stitch length is important because the shorter the stitch the easier it is to pull through the leather. Keep in mind that when holes are punched or poked with a stitching awl that these holes are larger than the needle and thread diameters.

The photo below shows two different sizes of needles that can be used when sewing leather. I do not remember what size they are but the one with the larger diameter is more difficult to sew with than the smaller one. The challenge with the smaller needles is the size of the eye and the size of the threads. Heavier threads are more difficult to feed through the eye of the smaller needles. The other disadvantage with the thinner needle is that they can bend easier. That should not make any difference when sewing most projects but I suppose that it could be a challenge to make sure that a bent needle hit the right spot. I can promise that sewing with the smaller needle is much easier and quicker when using the smaller needle. (Do not try to use regular sewing needles because the sharp point can become stuck in the leather.)

Two hand-stitching or hand-sewing needles

One of the most important tools used in hand sewing is the stitching awl. You will find that using a hand-stitching awl is very similar to cutting leather with a knife. The sharper and smoother the edges, the better it will be for making the holes. Awls come in various sizes and method of delivery. The size of the awl is not that important as long as you do not get one that is not too large and you do not poke the holes too close together. Keep in mind that when forming your stitches that you have to put two needles through each hole. Getting the first needle through the hole will generally be a breeze. Getting the second needle through the same whole can more of a challenge because you have the thickness of the thread, which was already pulled through to deal with.

The photos below show the saddle-stitching awl that I use most frequently. I have been using it since about 1993 and I did break it off once. I filed it down so that it would have a good point on it and I polished it with white jeweler’s rouge to make it smoother. A polished awl will not be as hard to push through the leather and it may save you a lot of time as well as give you more control over your awl when making holes. One of the tricks I use when pushing the awl through the leather is to make sure that I have it held perpendicular to the surface all the way around.

Hand-stitching awl with handle

The first saddle-stitching awl I purchased was not of great quality. It had the awl placed in a wooden handle. I had broken the tip off once or twice and the awl shaft was actually pushing back into the wood, and I thought that it might split out the handle if I kept using it. The photo above shows a saddle stitching awl that is mounted on a wooden handle but is held in place by a clamp. The nut on the end of the awl handle is hand tightened and holds the awl firmly in place. The handle for this awl is a much better fit for my hands than the small handle that my first awl had.

The photo below is an attempt to show what the awl pictured above and how it looks when viewed from the top down. Although the tip looks as if it might be rounded, it really is not as round as it may look in this photo. The point on this awl is blunter than on the other awl that I use from time to time but I like it this way. My other awl is longer and much thinner towards the end and it has a sharper point than this one. The longer shafted awl is great for stitching up the cantle on a saddle because it is made up of multiple layers of leather. The longer length of the awl is great in this application but it offers up a different type of challenge for the user. It is much easier to break the tip off the awl when stitching multiple layers of leather.

Top-down view of awl

If I did not mention it before, a stitching awl needs to be very sharp to assist you in punching the holes in the leather. Polishing it will make it easier to push through the leather because it will cut down the friction drag between the awl blade and the leather. Here in lies the danger. First,you have a saddle-stitching awl that is sharp and has been well polished. Second, you use one hand to hold the awl and you will need to hold the leather with you other hand to get the awl to go through straight. Third, you run a good chance of poking a hole in the fingers of hand with which you are holding the leather!

Hand sewing leather probably just got a little less desirable, did it not? It is not any fun when you push an awl through the leather only to have it poke a nice little hole in one of the fingers on the other hand. Not only will you have holes poked in your finger, it is possible that the awl might go clear into the bone. Believe it or not, I have poked myself, clear to the bone, with my awl a bunch of times over the years. The best thing you can do is say, “Ow!!!” and “Oh shucky darn!” and go on about your business. If you notice that it your finger has sprung a leak, plug the hole with a band aid.

Finally, you will notice that the awl has two flat sides that are visible from the angle that the photo was taken. Looking down at the base of the awl shaft you can see the clampling jaws that grip the shaft of the awl. This type of handle allows the user to change out the awls more quickly. If I would have been able to take a decent photo looking straight down at the point of the awl you would see that the blade is diamond shaped. This shape is to help in the forming of the good stitches. I always try to keep the leading edge of awl with the flat portion of it going straight with the ede of the project being sewn. The process is a little difficult to describe, but you will understand it more when you are actually sewing a project and punching your own holes.

I will have another post on hand sewing leather in a few more days that will give you a few more detail on this task. I hope that you do not get too bored.

As before, if you have any questions or comments let me know because there are no secretes in this business. It is just that some of us have had more experience and know what not to do when working with the beautiful product we call leather.

Have fun!