thecapgunkid
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EIGHTEENTH CENTURY STITCHING ”“ PART ONE Make a hole. The awl
This series of posts is to help craftsmen in making their leather stitching more authentic. The appearance of hunting bags, bullet bags, wallets , pouches, sheaths and so on will show a marked difference when this technique is used. It differs from modern leatherworking techniques in that;
Ӣ The stitches are smaller and tighter than those taught out of current craft manuals
Ӣ The holes are smaller than those made by rotary punches
Ӣ Needles, or bristles, used are considerably smaller than those used in modern stitching
Ӣ The thread is a different texture, substance and color that that used in the modern way (including artificial sinew)
Once a craftsman starts stitching in this historical technique, the work produced will have a distinctly different look. Once gotten used to as a practice, it will be hard to go back to pre-waxed thread, hole punchers and large harness needles.
A straight awl used to make holes is most often referred to as a “Stabbing” Awl in shoemaking and harness trades. You can find handle with the bottle shape and knob at the end all over, but I bought most of mine at flea markets. Chuck bits for blades are OK if you want to spend the money, but are not necessary. You can insert an awl blade in a good handle by mounting the blade point down in a vice near the base of the blade. By drilling or using a smaller hole than blade diameter, a good friction fit can be obtained. Sissies can epoxy the blades if they choose.
The idea behind most professional 18th century stitching was to use two bristles, a clamp and one of these awls which was generally not put down while finishing the stitch line to close a seam. We will use needles because bristles can be hard to find.
To get a good fit and feel with your awl wrap your ring finger around the neck formed by the button at the base of the awl and hold it in your palm while working the needles. I have always found that the best size awl is one you can determine. Lay the awl handle across your palm and wrap your ring finger around the neck. The end where you insert the blade should be either at the end of your palm between the index finger and base of your thumb or about a half inch beyond that. The former ( smaller) for stitching softer leather such as deerskin or calf or light weight cow and the latter (larger) for the harder, stiffer and thicker leather you may be working with.
I will always take a straight blade for my awls and stone it so that there is a diamond cross section shape to the entire shank, starting very delicately at the tip and gradually tapering outward to the end that is inserted into the handle. Try not to use rounded blades most often seen off the shelf at retail. If the blade you buy is diamond shaped but seems to taper or even bulge a little just aft of the tip, straighten it out so that the taper to the blade is gradual and straight. Don’t compromise here. Just do it and work patiently. Emery, stone, crocus cloth in that order.
Ideally, the point of the awl should look so fragile as to break if you look at it hard. The taper allows you to adjust the size of the hole it stabs depending on how deeply you stab the awl into the hole you are making.
No matter what you do from here, whether you read these posts or not, polish the awl blade. Take your time and make sure the blade is slick for its entire length. This will make all the difference you need to prevent having to force and muscle the hole you are stabbing. Trust me on this”¦it makes a huge difference in your finished work. You can’t work accurately if you are forcing the job.
If you are stitching in a clamp, when stabbing brace the other side of the piece with your index finger and thumb tips, staying out of the way of the sharp tip of the awl. If you’re working on your lap without a clamp, brace the opposite side of the piece with the inside pads of you index finger and middle finger, keeping both out of the way of the moving awl.
You always want to strive to stab straight in and straight out, evenly and at ninety degrees to your leather surface, without having to twist or force the awl. If you have to force the awl, your blade is wrong. When the awl glides easily in and out, you know your awl and your hand-eye are all working together.
When you stab, with or without the clamp, try to follow one rule. The cross sectioned length of your diamond shaped blade should always be at 90 degrees to the edge of the leather. If it is parallel to the edge of the leather, your stitches won’t be as tight or pleasing. You’ll see too much hole. This is a fine point and detail you have to see for yourself. We will cover it more in subsequent posts.
It is the combination of handle shape, taper and polish that turns your awl from something off the shelf to something uniquely personal in your work. You will learn to prize this tool. If I am parking it on my shoe bench, I have a drilled wood block to house it and other sharp tools and awls. If placed in my tool box or in a drawer, I block off the tip with some cork to keep it from breaking.
We’ll talk about curved awls later
IN the meantime, head over to photobucket.com and enter the http below.
This series of posts is to help craftsmen in making their leather stitching more authentic. The appearance of hunting bags, bullet bags, wallets , pouches, sheaths and so on will show a marked difference when this technique is used. It differs from modern leatherworking techniques in that;
Ӣ The stitches are smaller and tighter than those taught out of current craft manuals
Ӣ The holes are smaller than those made by rotary punches
Ӣ Needles, or bristles, used are considerably smaller than those used in modern stitching
Ӣ The thread is a different texture, substance and color that that used in the modern way (including artificial sinew)
Once a craftsman starts stitching in this historical technique, the work produced will have a distinctly different look. Once gotten used to as a practice, it will be hard to go back to pre-waxed thread, hole punchers and large harness needles.
A straight awl used to make holes is most often referred to as a “Stabbing” Awl in shoemaking and harness trades. You can find handle with the bottle shape and knob at the end all over, but I bought most of mine at flea markets. Chuck bits for blades are OK if you want to spend the money, but are not necessary. You can insert an awl blade in a good handle by mounting the blade point down in a vice near the base of the blade. By drilling or using a smaller hole than blade diameter, a good friction fit can be obtained. Sissies can epoxy the blades if they choose.
The idea behind most professional 18th century stitching was to use two bristles, a clamp and one of these awls which was generally not put down while finishing the stitch line to close a seam. We will use needles because bristles can be hard to find.
To get a good fit and feel with your awl wrap your ring finger around the neck formed by the button at the base of the awl and hold it in your palm while working the needles. I have always found that the best size awl is one you can determine. Lay the awl handle across your palm and wrap your ring finger around the neck. The end where you insert the blade should be either at the end of your palm between the index finger and base of your thumb or about a half inch beyond that. The former ( smaller) for stitching softer leather such as deerskin or calf or light weight cow and the latter (larger) for the harder, stiffer and thicker leather you may be working with.
I will always take a straight blade for my awls and stone it so that there is a diamond cross section shape to the entire shank, starting very delicately at the tip and gradually tapering outward to the end that is inserted into the handle. Try not to use rounded blades most often seen off the shelf at retail. If the blade you buy is diamond shaped but seems to taper or even bulge a little just aft of the tip, straighten it out so that the taper to the blade is gradual and straight. Don’t compromise here. Just do it and work patiently. Emery, stone, crocus cloth in that order.
Ideally, the point of the awl should look so fragile as to break if you look at it hard. The taper allows you to adjust the size of the hole it stabs depending on how deeply you stab the awl into the hole you are making.
No matter what you do from here, whether you read these posts or not, polish the awl blade. Take your time and make sure the blade is slick for its entire length. This will make all the difference you need to prevent having to force and muscle the hole you are stabbing. Trust me on this”¦it makes a huge difference in your finished work. You can’t work accurately if you are forcing the job.
If you are stitching in a clamp, when stabbing brace the other side of the piece with your index finger and thumb tips, staying out of the way of the sharp tip of the awl. If you’re working on your lap without a clamp, brace the opposite side of the piece with the inside pads of you index finger and middle finger, keeping both out of the way of the moving awl.
You always want to strive to stab straight in and straight out, evenly and at ninety degrees to your leather surface, without having to twist or force the awl. If you have to force the awl, your blade is wrong. When the awl glides easily in and out, you know your awl and your hand-eye are all working together.
When you stab, with or without the clamp, try to follow one rule. The cross sectioned length of your diamond shaped blade should always be at 90 degrees to the edge of the leather. If it is parallel to the edge of the leather, your stitches won’t be as tight or pleasing. You’ll see too much hole. This is a fine point and detail you have to see for yourself. We will cover it more in subsequent posts.
It is the combination of handle shape, taper and polish that turns your awl from something off the shelf to something uniquely personal in your work. You will learn to prize this tool. If I am parking it on my shoe bench, I have a drilled wood block to house it and other sharp tools and awls. If placed in my tool box or in a drawer, I block off the tip with some cork to keep it from breaking.
We’ll talk about curved awls later
IN the meantime, head over to photobucket.com and enter the http below.
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