How to Hand Stitch Leather! (With Bonus Tips and Tricks!)

In this video, I show you the basics of hand stitching leather (“Saddle stitching”). For the sake of any brevity I could find, this video is by no means all inclusive.

Topics not included here are:
* Use of an awl - That topic deserves its own video.

* Overstitch wheel - I do not use an overstitch wheel for marking stitch holes because I use multiple teeth chisels that punch through the leather. The overstitch wheel has somewhat fallen out of favor and use over the last few decades. Particularly due to the ease of creating straighter stitch lines with chisels.

* Stitch groover - Same as overstitch wheel.

* Mention of “Holes” instead of slits - Many crafters use holes instead of slits in their leather items. I do not prefer this method simply because it “removes leather” (the hole plugs). I prefer to keep all leather intact whenever possible.

* Hammering stitches after stitching is done - Again, this is something I prefer not to do for a number of reasons. Mainly due to aesthetics. I prefer how the Tiger thread appears as it lays. I also like the items to naturally do whatever they will in the wild.

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GRAPHIC WARNING! If you’re squeamish, skip this section!

I’m often asked about the scar on my left hand (back of thumb and hand). Seen clearly in the thumbnail photo and throughout this video.

This is a great time to reveal its origins. When I was making my second stitching pony (the first with foot pedals shown in this video), I had an accident with the mitre saw, and I nearly murdered my left thumb. The saw blade grabbed the wood I was holding (Cherry limb), yanking it and my hand toward the spinning teeth. The saw blade then sank down through my hand and cut a valley down the rear of the thumb bone, just before I snatched it back and out of the saw.

That little mishap required emergency hand surgery, obviously. Oddly, the pony was already complete at the time and I was adding a couple of cherry wood accents, purely for aesthetics.
Yep, I nearly chopped my thumb off trying to make my stitching pony look “good”.

Nevertheless, I never did add any aesthetic accents to that stitching pony. It was used “as is” thereafter.

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Shop Anvil:
https://zeebeeleather.com/tool-shop/s...

Stitching chisels:
https://amzn.to/3wXNoO4

Needles:
https://amzn.to/3qlQhWG

Mauls (Barry King):
https://amzn.to/3brqvZf

Ritza Tiger Thread, 1.0 mm:
https://amzn.to/2SF4i15

Mascon Forge Instagram page:
  / mascon_forge  

Video - “Bump Jigs - Change Your Leather Crafting Forever!”:
   • 11 Simple Tricks That Will Change You...  

Kevin lee (large chisels):
  / kevinlee4426  

Romanov pony:
  / romanovtool  


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Direct links to tools, gear and “stuff”:

Direct to Amazon storefront - https://www.amazon.com/shop/masconlea...

Or:

Cordless Dremel – https://amzn.to/2UARMRe
 
Yellow rulers (my favorite!) - https://amzn.to/2xlXJtz
 
Hand clamps (stitching) - https://amzn.to/2Ufp2hX
 
Glue Pot - https://amzn.to/2wdqJD9
 
Leather Glue (Barge) – https://amzn.to/37talvb
 
Leather Glue thinner (Barge) - https://amzn.to/2UTBrJi
 
Thread (Ritza Tiger, 1.0 mm) - https://amzn.to/2SF4i15
 
Knife - https://amzn.to/2SNmx4v
 
Knife (2) - https://amzn.to/2SwZWui
 
Stitching Needles (John James) -  https://amzn.to/38nIRZ3
 
Corner punches (Semi-arc) - https://amzn.to/3bveP7G
 
Rivet Nippers (Knipex) - https://amzn.to/2Siykc1
 
Hole Punch (Herm Sprenger) - https://amzn.to/39qYOhh
 
Mauls (Barry King) - https://amzn.to/3brqvZf
 
Pony Clamp (Pony Jorgenson) - https://amzn.to/37lAGvd
 
Leather Dye (Feibings) - https://amzn.to/39sKd4T
 
Cutting mats (Alvin) - https://amzn.to/2UVGMjo
 
Professional scissors - https://amzn.to/385H0XP

(Disclaimer: Some of the items here are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you purchase an item with the provided links, I get a small commission of the sale, at no added cost to you, which helps to keep this channel up and running.  Thanks for the support!)

If you have a question about any tools or supplies not listed here, please leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to direct you accordingly.

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Follow me:
 
Instagram:
  / masconleather  
 
Facebook:
  / masconleather  
 
Website:
https://www.masconleather.com/

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If you have any questions, please post them directly below in the comments. Yes, I read them all and reply (as long I see them).

Foreign (not English) language comments: Youtube still won’t allow “copy and paste” on comments, therefore, any comments written in any foreign language (not English), if I can’t translate, I may request a translation.

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For sponsorship information, please contact me directly.

Business inquiries ONLY:
[email protected]

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Mascon Leather