Anyone else have sore raw fingertips

[barracudadave67]

Most thimbles are too small to fit on my fingers. I just use needle nose pliers. it works for me.

Dave

 

[earlwb]

I use those sail makers palms too. They sell them Tandy too. I also use a pair of needle nose pliers or pliers too. It can be hard to pull a needle through even with a hole poked through,

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Seems every single leather project I've ever done has to have some bloodletting.....

Indeed, IF I was ever to become "famous" or perhaps even "infamous" and bag or knife sheath projects of mine became somewhat valuable due to my celebrity..., they could be authenticated by a DNA test for they would all have my blood on them somewhere

LD

 

[garypl]

I have a heavy duty stitcher that I have used to sew holsters up to 3/4" thick, but most of the leather stitching I do using harness needles, marking punches to mark the hole pattern and a very sharp leather awl to open the holes. I wear a cheap pair of mechanic gloves to get a good hold on the needles - if you twist the awl to open the holes the needles will pass through very easily and you have a good grip with the gloves. After you finish stitching you can take a smooth faced hammer and tap the stitches to close up the holes to where you hardly see them. Drilling works but you are removing leather and the holes remain visible unless you fill them with some type of wax. I think the most important thing is have a highly polished, very sharp awl blade that you touch up regularly on a strop and I rub the blade with beeswax to help it to easily glide through leather.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Sail makers palm.
https://www.amazon.com/sailmakers-palm/s?k=sailmakers+palm

I still have mine that I brought home from the Navy in '69 and I use it a lot. I can't think of anyone I've shown it to over the years who had any idea of what it is.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

You need a sharp stitching awl and harness needles. I can stitch a thick modern holster with same. No need for modern Asian punch thru chisels or the like. Drilling removes leather and creates non-closable holes. Sometimes you may need a pair of pliers with smooth jaws to pull a needle on exceptionally thick material or especially if your awl, needles and thread are not mated correctly.
Doing one awl hole and stitch at a time instead of prepunching all holes and just lacing the thread keeps the holes from closing up so much.

 

[B P Arn]

Give your Significant other the upholstery needles and buy some harness needles; they have rounded points and won't go through the other thread in a saddle stitch. Ditch the speedy stitcher awl and learn how to sew leather without it. You won't need near as many band aids and the work will go much smoother and faster.

That right there!

Do not use sharp needles! Use the right tools for the job. Get some round tipped needles made specifically for saddle stitching leather. Pre drill the holes. No more bleeding fingers!

No, there will be no visible holes afterward.

 

[Century to late]

My wife won't let me get a new one with better eyes and tougher fingers. January is typically when I work on sewing projects. Yes the fingers take a beating got a buckskin jacket on to do the list.

 

[Mad L]

Sail makers palm.
https://www.amazon.com/sailmakers-palm/s?k=sailmakers+palm

Sail makers palm are great, I got an old vintage Navy issue from...somewhere?...the leather was all dried put and leather lace rotted; soaked it with Montana Pitch leather rejuvinator and a new stich and now its GREAT for pushing those larger needles through

 

[Hermit Tim]

Yep. I use pliers also. On thick holster leather I lay out the hole location with an over stitch wheel and then drill through the leather with a 1'16" bit.

I use a compass to draw my line and then use a little two hole punch and hammer to make the holes. Then use pliers to pull the needle through on the thick stuff.