Stitching Materials?!?

[SpottedBull]

Ok. Gentlemen, I want to start another thread to dig into your knowledge banks and pull out more gold.

What is your favorite thread and needle combination and why?

I personally prefer waxed linen. While I haven't tried any but what is available in "craft" stores, I do want to try some of the other linens mentioned in other threads. I also prefer to use a 000 harness needles. The eye is just large enough to get the linen through but not so big they break like the stitching needles that Tandy sells. Plus they are long for my fat fingers to grab and pull easily.

 

[LaBonte]

I get most/all my hand sewing needs, including thread, needles, awls, etc from Campbell-Bosworth
I mostly use unwaxed linen - 5 cord (left or right hand twist - doesn't matter for handsewing) is a good all purpose thread for heavier gear such as sheaths and holster on up to light saddles. 3 cord I generally use for lighter goods, especially leather clothes, or when I do higher stitches per inch as 10-12 on pouches and such. On the other hand 4 cord is good all purpose size for both and especially if you use a higher stitch per inch such as 8 or more to the inch which is more typical of fine period work anyway.
Campbell- Bosworth: http://campbell-bosworth.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.... - I have not used the less expensive Hungarian thread myself so cannot offer an opinion whereas I have used the Barbour's for close to 50 years. The Barbour's may sound expensive up front, but overall the cost is MUCH cheaper than buying the small rolls from other sources.
For needles when doing the saddle stitch I use Osborne egg eye needles in sizes to match my thread:
5 cord size 0
4 & 3 cord size 1 or 2 depending on stitches per inch.
For sewing clothes not using the saddle stitch I generally use a number 8 glover's needle.

When threading the needle you should taper your thread - hard to describe how-to. Al Stohlman's book The Art of Handsewing Leather shows how-to and IMO that book should be a must for anyone interested in leather sewing.

Because I'm an old timer I also keep some linen and hemp single cord thread around to make up my own threads with any number of cords I want - again Al's book shows how-to.
I often use a simple rolled double cord to sew around inlays and for other decorative work at a high stitch count of 10-15 per inch. Shoemakers suppliers usually keep such threads in stock as well as some of the re-enactor supply shops - also on Ebay.

All threads are unwaxed - IMO the commercial waxed threads are way too heavily waxed.
I use a simplified variation on the time honored coad aka hand wax rather than plain beeswax - I use a simple pine rosin and bees wax mix of 40% rosin and 60% beeswax. This makes the threads a bit stickier than plain wax helping to lock the threads as you pull them up snug and the rosin also adds anti-microbial/fungal properties to the thread.
I collect my own rosin these days, but myself and others have successfully used brewer's pitch, violin rosin, and bull rider's rosin - all available from various online vendors.

 

[necchi]

I've got an awfull lot done with Artificail Sinew and needles from Joanns. :wink:
But the waxed linen does have a place too, esp when stitching is a visable aspect of the project.

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Ditto Chuck's post on all aspects down to the prewaxed thread being to heavily coated (with the wrong wax consistency IMHO).

Get the Stohlman handsewing book and it will answer a lot of questions. It is cheap enough and you will find yourself going back to it later for reference.

 

[BrownBear]

I'm real fond of this linen thread for all but the biggest jobs. It's a little finer than lots of folks use, but it's ideal for small stitches and plenty strong for big job. I've tugged real hard on it in tightening a seam and never manged to break it. And as noted by LaBonte and others, I hate thread that's overwaxed, and this stuff isn't.

Because it's smaller, I can get away with Size 0 harness needles too. I keep the bigger needles and threads around and use them when I have to, but the smaller stuff is sure a lot easier to drag through awl holes when dealing with multiple layers.

And I agree about Al Stohlman's The Art of Hand Sewing Leather. More good info in there than you can shake a stick at, and going way beyond techniques you'll need for muzzleloading gear. It led me into sewing round and square stuff out of 8-9 oz leather, which is a sincere hoot even if it doesn't belong on this site.

BTW- That link to Campbell-Bosworth is dead. Hopefully this one loads right.

Edit- I just doublechecked my link to C-B, and it works.

 

[codymobley]

I like to use 4 or 5 strand left twist Irish linen cord, sometimes I use linen bookbinding cord for the 12+ spi. I kit it up with a mixture of beeswax, pine pitch, and pine tar to help weather proof it and to really glue the stitches together when pulled tight using the lock stitch or backstitch by hand.

For the needles it all depends on what I'm sewing on. For cordwaining I use boar's hair bristles I saved from the last time we butchered hogs....I've got a full bag and am set for life! For most other things I use egg eye harness needles sized to the wt. of the leather and stitches per inch.

 

[SpottedBull]

OK. This waxing your own thread has me interested...How do you go about waxing the thread? Do you just pull it through the mixture and then cut to length and sew?

 

[crockett]

I probably do it the wrong way but I had a tube of wax for a bowstring and I put my thumb over the linen thread- held against the wax and pull the thread through.
I usually don't wax but without wax some very long threads will eventually become frayed from being run in and out all the holes. I may be wrong but I also feel the wax may help prevent line twist in the thread.

 

[LaBonte]

OK. This waxing your own thread has me interested...How do you go about waxing the thread? Do you just pull it through the mixture and then cut to length and sew?

1) Get Al's book
2) Cut to length, taper the ends, and then wax by pulling it through your ball of wax/coad/whatever.....
3) If you choose to color the thread cut to length, taper the ends, dye with the same dye you plan on for the leather, and then wax. FYI period thread was never dyed, but sometimes color was added via the wax - some waxes included a blackening agent such as tar....

Waxing not only helps keep the thread from wearing/untwisting as you sew, but also strengthens it - IMO if you're doing "white man" period gear wax your thread...i.e. when I make my own thread such as two cord if not waxed (actually using the coad variation I described above) the thread has maybe half the strength of the waxed thread...

 

[JamesG]

For me case I like to use a wax cord that i get at a the leather store .The thread used for sewing for boots,And i get the needls same place.