Leather working questions 3 & 4

[Spotted Bull]

3. When laying out your stitching, do you use a groover or calipers or some such tool to make an incised line to lay out your stitches, or do you freehand it?
4. Do you use an overstitch or pricking wheel, or chisels with various numbers of points or what? And how many stitches per inch do you normally use?

Here are my answers.
3. I use a Pro Groover from Tandy Leather to make a nice groove around the edge of the leather. That allows the stitches to kinda lay down in the groove and avoid being rubbed during use. And it keeps them all straight looking too.
4. I normally use a 6-stitch-per-inch pricking wheel to mark out my holes. I use a small diamond shaped awl to punch my holes at a 45 degree angle to the edge. I have overstitch wheels in 5,6,7,8,10,12, and 14 stitches per inch. I’ve never used the 14, but the 10 and 12 I’ve used once each. They both took a looong time to sew up!

[Darren Haverstick]

I sew chrome tanned leather almost exclusively so I never use a stitching wheel to space my stitching. I use a ruler, a leather marker, a old cobbler's awl, and lots of patience.

Darren

[BEAVERMAN]

I lay out my stitch pattern on the actual pattern of the item, then transfer with a round needle point antique saddlers punch then sew it up!

[rollingb]

I mainly work with,.... brain tan (when I can get it), or german tan (when I can't get brain tan), and rawhide,.... while doing my best to (mostly) steer away from making things that look like they could have been bought "commercially" during the early 1800's.

So,.... no patterns, or, stichin' wheels, and etc. for me.   

[Bigsmoke]

I can not actually remember the last time I hand stitched anything.  Them darn walking foot Juki sewing machines really spoil a person.

[Spotted Bull]

I can not actually remember the last time I hand stitched anything.  Them darn walking foot Juki sewing machines really spoil a person.

I've thought of getting a machine for my items that aren't related to this hobby.

[Winter Hawk]

I don't do all that much with leather, just when i need something.  My sewing is freehand (and shows it) with a Speedy Stitcher (?) awl with the thread on a spool in the handle.  It seems to hold up just fine for what i use it for.  I have an open top case for a Trapper type pocket knife I made in '76 which has seen daily wear on my belt since then and has held out just fine.  That one I sewed up with carpet thread vice Speedy Stitcher.

~Kees~
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