Hand stitching question

[brenn]

I'm pretty new at making leather stuff and I hand stitch everything, using a saddle stitch.  

Al Stohlman's book, the Art of Han Sewing Leather shows ending the stitching by just backstitching a couple of holes and cutting off the thread.  That just doesn't seem very sturdy to me.

At the end of my stitching, I backstitch a hole or two, then either ties s square knot between the layers of leather (backstitch, angle my needles through one side and out the edge, then tie a knit so it pulls in between the layers) or I tie a square knot on the back side of things like single layer belts.  I have had a couple of my knots untie, after I cut the thread too short to tie them back, so I have started putting a drop of super glue on each knot.

Anybody see a problem with using superglue to hold the knots or have a better idea?

[Camano Ridge]

On waxed linen thread I have never done anything except back stitch. On Nylon thread I back stitch then cut off thread on back side of item and melt end with a lighter. I have been doing my stitching that way for 40 years. I warranty my stitching for life and have never had to restitch one of my holsters or belts.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

I back stich three holes and cut off excess, I have never had a problem with my stitch coming undone or loose…..

tEN wOLVES 

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[Red Cent]

Camano, does this apply to the saddle stitch only or would it be enough for a machine lock stitch?

[Litl Red]

I'm pretty new at making leather stuff and I hand stitch everything, using a saddle stitch.  

Al Stohlman's book, the Art of Han Sewing Leather shows ending the stitching by just backstitching a couple of holes and cutting off the thread.  That just doesn't seem very sturdy to me.

.......

Stohlman really is telling the truth.  And so is Camano.   

If you're insecure about your thread holding, you might be reacting correctly to the thread itself.   It might be too light a thread for the holes you're punching or you might be making too big a hole.   Your judgement could be right.   

Some years back I got a big spool of artificial sinew from Zack Whites.  It looked to be maybe 1/2 again as thick as the usual thread I'd been buying and was very well waxed.   It worked as easily as the thinner thread and looked a lot more authentic, whatever that is.   

I've never had to restitch anything either.  And never used any lighter thread since. 

I've often backstitched 1 and a half on lighter jobs for looks and never seen that let go.   The saddle stitch came about because of it's excellent strength.  A lot of the old ways are better than the new.  This is one of them.   

[Camano Ridge]

Red, I only hand stitch, have never had a machine. So I can't honestly answer that other then to say I own items that have been machine stitched and back stitched only and never had a problem with them.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

At the saddle shop, we used to back stitch 3 holes and on the last pull, pass the needle through the loop once on one side before pulling it tight to bury a half knot in the hole. Since then, I seldom do more than simply back stitch three holes and cut off the excess. Nothing has come apart doing it that way.

[brenn]

OK, on my next project, I'll try just backstitching.  My holes are tight enough that I sometimes have to use pliers to pull the eye end of the needle through, so they should be tight enough to hold.

I think my next project is to add stitching along the edges of my wife's gun belt.  It isn't lined, but I made it to match her Alfonso's holsters, because the Alfonso's belt was too big.  It needs a white stitch along the edges to really match.