thecapgunkid
40 Cal.
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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.
Inasmuch as time is money, this post is based on the little snippets here and there I have picked up that offer insight into just how quickly the trained shoemaker or harness maker worked during their livelihood. In previous posts we went over the awl and thread, prepping each to work efficiently and authentically.
A good awl provided a pathway to efficient speed, and a tapered thread end was the basis of neat and quick stitch work. Almost anybody who has done anything from painting a room to making a rifle will tell you that setting up the job is usually the best and most efficient way to work, so that is the topic of this post on Eighteenth Century Stitching.
Here’s what the previous posts worked on;
ӢEither making or procuring good, reliable awls.
ӢPrepping unwaxed thread for stitching by tapering its end.
In this post, we are going to set up our thread and needle arrangement and treat the thread with some form of wax. If you are going to stitch ( with two needles) you should have a thread length as long as both your arms extended outward, like you were going to fly. This length, across your chest, is called a “SPAN” . You use any leftover thread on smaller seams later so you don’t spend your entire youth tapering threads. If you are going to tack ( with only one needle) then your length is as long as you think you need it to do the job. This is because tacking will tend to get long threads tangled whereas stitching affords greater control. The former because it’s freehand and gets looped in the work and the latter because it is set in a clamp and inflexibly positioned. That’s why old timers preferred to stitch rather than tack or use that retail tool that combines awl and needle and thread. Eeeiuww.
I have seen references to stitching being called”¦”whipping the cat”¦” by the infrequent documents and/or once in a blue moon conversation by some of the re-creative shoemakers of today. In order to work quickly and economically, the old timers appear to have been focused on performing their stitching for speed as well as accuracy. Although you may not be so concerned, nevertheless emulating their technique will produce work that looks like their work looked.
Recall that most people living in 18th Century America were used to repair and conserving materials, so it is fairly safe to assume that most farms had a leatherworkers clamp. You can buy simple ones at retail craft stores, or you might even be brassy enough to make one yourself. I had mine made by the cabinet maker in Williamsburg and I still use it. So, get on the web and get a clamp awreddy”¦
Before you begin stitching, you have to wax or prepare your thread. Many folks use beeswax for this. When I am stitching uppers or making something where the stitches are visible, I use a compound called COAD. I think it’s pronounced CODE, or CO-ED. It is a mixture of pine resin and pitch, close to fifty-fifty, with tablespoons of oil added to it to make it pliable. You can probably find that stuff out of a naval supply store. That’s where I got mine. You will also learn to juggle the mixture to get the right consistency. Twenty years ago I did not like the thought of buying it ready made, but that was twenty years ago and I have not looked into it since being back from Cowboy Action Shooting.
Because it was so liquidy, Cordwainers would frequently keep a ball of it floating in a bucket of water. I keep mine in one of those brown cheese crocks with the wired lid on top and the genuine 18th century synthetic rubber seal. It also really gets messy, and is soluble with WD40. I dunno what they used in the old days to get this stuff off their hands, but legend has it that the first Meershaum Pipes were noticed because of the coloration it caused. Besides, it smells really good.
NOTE; Since the last post on tapering thread, a bunch of uys posted some good comments about COAD that are worth looking into.
If enough folks request it, I’ll post a more thorough post on making COAD. For this post, we are going to use beeswax. To get it to look like COAD, melt a cake or two down and add a smidge or a pinch of brown clothing dye off the grocery store shelf while it is still liquidy. Stir it up after taking it off the burner and pour it into cupcake tins. Don’t overdo the dye”¦maybe try one quarter tsp of it for two cakes of wax.
You want a light brown color and not enough dye powder to disrupt the integrity of the beeswax. Don’t burn the house down, either. Low heat melts beeswax and you wanna get it off the burner quickly. Turn the burner off, dummy.
Mount a screw-in hook on the wall of your shop. Place your tapered thread on the hook and draw the doubled up length so that both the tapered ends are held tightly between you r fingers. You want the ends separated like reins on a stage coach”¦one finger apart”¦.and taut. With your free hand, start rubbing the manure outta that thread with your cake of wax.
My Master used to pin the thread on the cake with his thumb. Don’t take any prisoners. Brisk rubbing is going to burn the wax into the thread. You want more wax in there as you get closer to the thread ends you are holding.
I like to do this twice, wax on top, thumb on bottom and then thumb on top wax on bottom.
You’ll notice that the thread starts to stiffen when loaded up with the wax. You want that, and will keep the cake handy when you actually stitch so you can add more.
When satisfied, take the thread off the hook and load up the ends with as much wax as you can. You’ll pull the tips through the wax-and-thumb-thingy for maybe ten pulls before you notice how stiff the end gets. Then pull it some more. Obviously, do both ends equally and thoroughly.
Now it’s time to engage your needles. I have posted the picture twice, here and in the previous post, because a lot of leather craftspeople already know how to lock thread on the needle and I was willing to bet that first timers trying to taper thread ends would also like to try threading needles.
I bought the graphic at a hefty price because the guy assured me that he really was Rembrandt, but I did not buy the bridge he wanted to sell me.
I did not have to pay for the "Artis Koncepts" in upcoming posts on stitching because I convinced him I was Mark Twain.
Bristles were the rule in the 18th Century. You can get wire bristles from the same dealers you get needles. The Old Timers used to use hog belly hair bristles. Ironically, they would have killed for needles because they were not yet common and we can’t get the hogs hair because they’re all in the hot dogs.
When you search for them,you’ll notice that needles are gauged between several zeroes and 1-7. You want 0,1,2 or 3 gauge for this kind of work. Them big ten penny nails you used to work with and bought off the shelf won’t get it done. Start with 2 or 3. As you get better at this, your needles will get smaller.
Look closely at your thread end. You will be able to see where the pointy end starts to show the twist in the thread. Lay the thread down on the table or bench. Lay the needle next to and parallel to the thread so that the eye is right up by the point of the thread and the needle point is pointing down the length of the thread.
Estimate the point on the thread even with about half to two thirds the length from the eye of the needle. That should be a little aft of where the twist shows up at the pointy end of the taper. You want to puncture the twists evenly. Poke the needle through the thread twice, HEADING IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE TIP OF THE THREAD.
If using a metal bristle, just poke the holes with your awl because the metal bristles are too blunt to do the job. Gently draw these two pokes up closer to the eye. Now thread the needle, pulling the point through all the way. Your arrangement at this point is a threaded needle pointing down the length of the thread and stuck through the thread twice.
The idea is to pull the thread over the eye of the needle, away from the needle point. You might have to work it a little, so be patient. When you are done, you have locked the thread behind the eye on the needle. You’ll also be flat out amazed at how you ain’t got a bulge in the thread behind the eye. That’s one of the secrets of making smaller holes in your stitches, made possible by the taper. Secure needles on both tapered ends of the thread.
Go tell your Mom what you just did. Don’t tell your father, because he’ll just make some sardonic remark about doing your homework. He tends to do this beyond the grave. On a quiet day I’d swear I can hear dad chuckle when I goof something up, but as far as I know dad remains deceased. He was an amazing guy, so I would not put it past him.
Up to now, everything in these posts ( the awl, tapered thread and this) has been a tactile thing. You’ll need a lot of patience, but when you get it right it’ll go faster every time you do it until you hit your level of speed. Wait ”˜till we get to the next post and have to stitch.
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.
Inasmuch as time is money, this post is based on the little snippets here and there I have picked up that offer insight into just how quickly the trained shoemaker or harness maker worked during their livelihood. In previous posts we went over the awl and thread, prepping each to work efficiently and authentically.
A good awl provided a pathway to efficient speed, and a tapered thread end was the basis of neat and quick stitch work. Almost anybody who has done anything from painting a room to making a rifle will tell you that setting up the job is usually the best and most efficient way to work, so that is the topic of this post on Eighteenth Century Stitching.
Here’s what the previous posts worked on;
ӢEither making or procuring good, reliable awls.
ӢPrepping unwaxed thread for stitching by tapering its end.
In this post, we are going to set up our thread and needle arrangement and treat the thread with some form of wax. If you are going to stitch ( with two needles) you should have a thread length as long as both your arms extended outward, like you were going to fly. This length, across your chest, is called a “SPAN” . You use any leftover thread on smaller seams later so you don’t spend your entire youth tapering threads. If you are going to tack ( with only one needle) then your length is as long as you think you need it to do the job. This is because tacking will tend to get long threads tangled whereas stitching affords greater control. The former because it’s freehand and gets looped in the work and the latter because it is set in a clamp and inflexibly positioned. That’s why old timers preferred to stitch rather than tack or use that retail tool that combines awl and needle and thread. Eeeiuww.
I have seen references to stitching being called”¦”whipping the cat”¦” by the infrequent documents and/or once in a blue moon conversation by some of the re-creative shoemakers of today. In order to work quickly and economically, the old timers appear to have been focused on performing their stitching for speed as well as accuracy. Although you may not be so concerned, nevertheless emulating their technique will produce work that looks like their work looked.
Recall that most people living in 18th Century America were used to repair and conserving materials, so it is fairly safe to assume that most farms had a leatherworkers clamp. You can buy simple ones at retail craft stores, or you might even be brassy enough to make one yourself. I had mine made by the cabinet maker in Williamsburg and I still use it. So, get on the web and get a clamp awreddy”¦
Before you begin stitching, you have to wax or prepare your thread. Many folks use beeswax for this. When I am stitching uppers or making something where the stitches are visible, I use a compound called COAD. I think it’s pronounced CODE, or CO-ED. It is a mixture of pine resin and pitch, close to fifty-fifty, with tablespoons of oil added to it to make it pliable. You can probably find that stuff out of a naval supply store. That’s where I got mine. You will also learn to juggle the mixture to get the right consistency. Twenty years ago I did not like the thought of buying it ready made, but that was twenty years ago and I have not looked into it since being back from Cowboy Action Shooting.
Because it was so liquidy, Cordwainers would frequently keep a ball of it floating in a bucket of water. I keep mine in one of those brown cheese crocks with the wired lid on top and the genuine 18th century synthetic rubber seal. It also really gets messy, and is soluble with WD40. I dunno what they used in the old days to get this stuff off their hands, but legend has it that the first Meershaum Pipes were noticed because of the coloration it caused. Besides, it smells really good.
NOTE; Since the last post on tapering thread, a bunch of uys posted some good comments about COAD that are worth looking into.
If enough folks request it, I’ll post a more thorough post on making COAD. For this post, we are going to use beeswax. To get it to look like COAD, melt a cake or two down and add a smidge or a pinch of brown clothing dye off the grocery store shelf while it is still liquidy. Stir it up after taking it off the burner and pour it into cupcake tins. Don’t overdo the dye”¦maybe try one quarter tsp of it for two cakes of wax.
You want a light brown color and not enough dye powder to disrupt the integrity of the beeswax. Don’t burn the house down, either. Low heat melts beeswax and you wanna get it off the burner quickly. Turn the burner off, dummy.
Mount a screw-in hook on the wall of your shop. Place your tapered thread on the hook and draw the doubled up length so that both the tapered ends are held tightly between you r fingers. You want the ends separated like reins on a stage coach”¦one finger apart”¦.and taut. With your free hand, start rubbing the manure outta that thread with your cake of wax.
My Master used to pin the thread on the cake with his thumb. Don’t take any prisoners. Brisk rubbing is going to burn the wax into the thread. You want more wax in there as you get closer to the thread ends you are holding.
I like to do this twice, wax on top, thumb on bottom and then thumb on top wax on bottom.
You’ll notice that the thread starts to stiffen when loaded up with the wax. You want that, and will keep the cake handy when you actually stitch so you can add more.
When satisfied, take the thread off the hook and load up the ends with as much wax as you can. You’ll pull the tips through the wax-and-thumb-thingy for maybe ten pulls before you notice how stiff the end gets. Then pull it some more. Obviously, do both ends equally and thoroughly.
Now it’s time to engage your needles. I have posted the picture twice, here and in the previous post, because a lot of leather craftspeople already know how to lock thread on the needle and I was willing to bet that first timers trying to taper thread ends would also like to try threading needles.
I bought the graphic at a hefty price because the guy assured me that he really was Rembrandt, but I did not buy the bridge he wanted to sell me.
I did not have to pay for the "Artis Koncepts" in upcoming posts on stitching because I convinced him I was Mark Twain.
Bristles were the rule in the 18th Century. You can get wire bristles from the same dealers you get needles. The Old Timers used to use hog belly hair bristles. Ironically, they would have killed for needles because they were not yet common and we can’t get the hogs hair because they’re all in the hot dogs.
When you search for them,you’ll notice that needles are gauged between several zeroes and 1-7. You want 0,1,2 or 3 gauge for this kind of work. Them big ten penny nails you used to work with and bought off the shelf won’t get it done. Start with 2 or 3. As you get better at this, your needles will get smaller.
Look closely at your thread end. You will be able to see where the pointy end starts to show the twist in the thread. Lay the thread down on the table or bench. Lay the needle next to and parallel to the thread so that the eye is right up by the point of the thread and the needle point is pointing down the length of the thread.
Estimate the point on the thread even with about half to two thirds the length from the eye of the needle. That should be a little aft of where the twist shows up at the pointy end of the taper. You want to puncture the twists evenly. Poke the needle through the thread twice, HEADING IN THE DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE TIP OF THE THREAD.
If using a metal bristle, just poke the holes with your awl because the metal bristles are too blunt to do the job. Gently draw these two pokes up closer to the eye. Now thread the needle, pulling the point through all the way. Your arrangement at this point is a threaded needle pointing down the length of the thread and stuck through the thread twice.
The idea is to pull the thread over the eye of the needle, away from the needle point. You might have to work it a little, so be patient. When you are done, you have locked the thread behind the eye on the needle. You’ll also be flat out amazed at how you ain’t got a bulge in the thread behind the eye. That’s one of the secrets of making smaller holes in your stitches, made possible by the taper. Secure needles on both tapered ends of the thread.
Go tell your Mom what you just did. Don’t tell your father, because he’ll just make some sardonic remark about doing your homework. He tends to do this beyond the grave. On a quiet day I’d swear I can hear dad chuckle when I goof something up, but as far as I know dad remains deceased. He was an amazing guy, so I would not put it past him.
Up to now, everything in these posts ( the awl, tapered thread and this) has been a tactile thing. You’ll need a lot of patience, but when you get it right it’ll go faster every time you do it until you hit your level of speed. Wait ”˜till we get to the next post and have to stitch.
