How do you make this stitch

[Mike Lyons]

How is this stitch made on this bag?  Il

[thecapgunkid]

More than adequate and good looking.  What kind of thread is it?

[mark esterly]

looks like a normal saddle stitch to me which is made with 2 needles   

[Mike Lyons]

looks like a normal saddle stitch to me which is made with 2 needles

I should have been more specific.  I’m referring to the stitch on the bag,  not the flap. I think it’s called a welt but if you watch YouTube videos on welts,  they are nothing like that.  Welts on there and everywhere I look are the seams going down the leg of your jeans with two ugly rows of stitching.  You can’t see the stitching on that bag.   

[Marcruger]

That rolled welt is a doubled-over strip of leather trapped between the front and back pieces of the body.  This is all stitched together inside-out (rough side out), and then turned inside-out so the finished side is out.  I hope this helps and makes sense.  God Bless,   Marc

[KC]

I’m no expert but for the few welts I’ve tried like that, I stitched the bag inside out with the welt in place between the front and back pieces for the bag and used a saddle stitch. When done stitching the seam, I turned the bag inside out again so the finished sides were on the outside. T.C Albert’s book is very helpful for getting started. I’ve done two decent bags from the instructions in his book. Judging from how you’ve done with gun building, I’m sure you’ll have no problem stitching a kick-ass welted shooting bag. 
K.C.

[KC]

Even better if you can get advice from guys like Marcruger or James Rodgers who know what they’re doing with leather. The amount of skilled people here willing to help boggles the mind.

[Marcruger]

"Even better if you can get advice from guys like Marcruger or James Rodgers who know what they’re doing with leather."

Oh no!  Never put me in the same category with James Rogers.  I have only been doing this a year, and am learning all the time.  James is a real master. 

I will point out two things that I think are important:

1) Know what a good product looks like, and don't stop trying until you get there.  I have the advantage of having sold nice leatherwork with my dad for over 30 years before I tried making my own.  I may not be able to make "fine leather", but I know what it looks like.

2) Attention to detail.  That 10% of detail carries 90% of the look (in my opinion).  Edges are especially important.  Stitching quality.  Finishes too.   

I am still striving to make decent leather pieces.  I do admire those who have talent and have put in the time and hard work to get the needed skills. 

Best wishes, and God Bless,   Marc

[Marcruger]

Afghanvet, I would also add that thin, flexible (even stretchy) leather sure helps for welt material.  Stiff or thick leather in this application is problematic. 

Also, thank you for your service that keeps us all safe and free. 

God Bless, Marc

[Mike Lyons]

Thank you for the advice.  I’ve seen some beautiful work on here.  The bag I currently have is primitive.  I’d like to jump ahead a few steps and make one with some “class” if that makes sense.   I know what I like from pictures and I think I can reproduce those images but doing it the correct way is my biggest problem.  Someone knowing what they are looking at will be able to tell that it is not like the pictures at all. Haha.  I like the decorative lines, stamps and cool seams. I bought a 3-4 oz hide,  so it already looks like I’ve made a mistake for what I’m after. 

[James Rogers]

Can't really add anything to what Mark posted. You see this rolled welt or piping in English saddlery works. You can also fill it in with some manner of cordage and stitch it in.
 

[James Rogers]

If your 3-4 oz hide is vegetable tanned you are good to go for the body. It would be easiest for you to split down a welt if you had a thicker strap, say  7-8 oz. and pull it thru so as to remove a thin layer with the grain side, 1-2 oz.  Of course then you need a splitter for that. If you can't afford a splitting machine, keep an eye out for a saddler's spokeshave ( wooden body, sometimes only one handle, thumbs crew adjustments and a flat blade.)

[Mike Lyons]

Thanks James.  It is vegetable tanned from Tandy leather.  I won’t be starting on this project for a month or so.  I’m now trying to learn the basics.

[ChipK]

it's an easy seam to create.  You turn the bag inside out and add in an extra layer of leather between the front and back flaps.  Use a stapler to hold the leather together, don't worry as the staple holes will disappear when you dye the bag, and stitch it up.  Then when you turn the bag right side out take a small pair of scissors and trim off the extra leather to make the accent you see here.  I generally make the extra piece of leather, or welting as its called, about 1/2 inch wide and line it up with the edges of the bag when it is inside out and being stitched.  That leaves me with enough leather to hang onto when doing the trimming.  This is a nice touch and adds a bit of fancy to your bag as well as making the seam much stronger.

[Huntschool]

Sent you a PM

[dogcatcher]

It is also called "piping" here is an example using a sewing machine, by hand I would rubber cement the piping, and then sew the 3 pieces together.   http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/sewing-2/piping-tips/   

[James Rogers]

it's an easy seam to create.  You turn the bag inside out and add in an extra layer of leather between the front and back flaps.  Use a stapler to hold the leather together, don't worry as the staple holes will disappear when you dye the bag, and stitch it up.  Then when you turn the bag right side out take a small pair of scissors and trim off the extra leather to make the accent you see here.  I generally make the extra piece of leather, or welting as its called, about 1/2 inch wide and line it up with the edges of the bag when it is inside out and being stitched.  That leaves me with enough leather to hang onto when doing the trimming.  This is a nice touch and adds a bit of fancy to your bag as well as making the seam much stronger.

This rolled welt is not done in that manner. When turned right side out, there will be a roll with no edges on the welt.

[James Rogers]

It is also called "piping" here is an example using a sewing machine, by hand I would rubber cement the piping, and then sew the 3 pieces together.   http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/sewing-2/piping-tips/

You see this rolled welt or piping in English saddlery works.

If you cement the piping, I would think you shouldn't get it below the stitch line or it will be visible when you turn it. One can whip in the welt to one piece and then sew all pieces together or devise a means to clamp everything while stitching.

[dogcatcher]

If you cement the piping, I would think you shouldn't get it below the stitch line or it will be visible when you turn it. One can whip in the welt to one piece and then sew all pieces together or devise a means to clamp everything while stitching.

I would use the rubber cement to keep the cord/piping in place.  I have done similar using an awl and a stitching pony, I found the rubber cement would keep the 2 edges of the piping material together, plus the 2 pieces of the pouch better organized. 

[Gulf state gaurd]

I have used a thin leather that they make just for piping.  Comes in rolls but I have also taken deer hide for this purpose.  Then   Used leather adhesive on the back, you let it get a touch tacky, then lay the size cording (Fatter or thinner depending on how big you want the piping to be) you want down the center line of the leather.  Fold the thin leather over it and use a tool to press the leather to itself as well as run the edge of the cording to push it tight against the cording.  Aligning the thread perfectly down the center can be challenging, usually clamping both ends of the strip of leather for the piping, ends stretched out, finished side down to your bench for glueing then take your cordage, string twine and stretch it taught and carefully push it down onto the tacky glue.  Then finish making the piping as said above.

For stitchwork to get the bag together you can try to glue your seams but that can have some downsides of glue slop showing as well as gumming up your stitchwork.  I keep about 6 hemostats (surgical clamps) that work excellent for holding the leather while I stitch, some are straight type others angle off to one side in a radius.  You have to be concious that the teeth/serrations of the clamps will leave marks on the leather, so keep that in mind while clamping so you do not accidently. emboss leather that will be visible when assembled.

One last thing with the piping.  after its all stitched and you are happy you can trim any excess on the inside of bag if need be.  I usually avoid that unless it is needed for fear of creating a weak area by trimming too close.  If I think it does need trimming it is only to the seam allowance of the sides of the bag.

One other thing of note, look at original bag example how the flap is one color and bag and seam the other.  By dying your piping a different color than the bag you can really make it offset and that detail stand out.  The piping done in red or black would look real good.  If you want it to be a period backwoods thing you could look at staining with walnuts for a richer dark, or even make a stain from pokeberries for a purplish hue.  then try waxing or oiiling over the leather once the stain is dry.

[Craig Wilcox]

I  am like Afghanvet in that I learn all sorts of interesting things on this forum.  Many, many folks willing to share their skills and knowledge.

It is possible to get hemostats with no gripping teeth.  I have a couple, and use them frequently.  I think it might also be possible to grind or file off those teeth, but have not tried that.

I got my smooth hemostats years ago.  Working in the ER of a large hospital, I assisted a plastic surgeon when he stitched up a patient's face.  I remarked on the smooth jaws of some of the hemostats, and when we were done, he handed me three of them and told me to just put them in my pocket.  Felt weird, but I did it anyway!

My son does all my needed leatherwork now, as he makes rifle slings and sell them on ebay.

[Mike Lyons]

I  am like Afghanvet in that I learn all sorts of interesting things on this forum.  Many, many folks willing to share their skills and knowledge.

I've given up on trying to stick with one thing.  It's been finding bin numbers of parts as small as springs from the Govt. for WWII rifles trying to make them completely correct to collecting all sorts of everything.  It seems I stick with historical items.  I just go with the flow. Looks likes bags, horns and knives is in my future and not necessarily in that order.

[Greg Pennell]

Mike, it’s called Adult Attention Deficit Disorder...I’ve had it for most of my life  .  I bounce around from primitive/traditional archery, taxidermy, smithing 19th century single shot rifles, fly rod building, fly tying, building longrifles, leather crafts, hornmaking, trying to learn blacksmithing, and restoring a 1963 C10 pickup. My wife has promised to leave me if I bring home any more stray hobbies...

Greg

[JohnnyFM]

The welt with a rolled edge is made from a thin strip of leather and folded over lengthwise roughside out or, to put it another way, finished side to the inside.  This welt is then placed on the edge of the bag leather pieces with the open edge out.  The bag is sewn inside out with a back stitch usually.  Not a saddle stitch.  When sewing is complete, the bag is usually soaked in water and then turned finished side out and shaped to dry.

[Craig Wilcox]

A bit of a by-product of PTSD, turning in many directions, learning all sorts of new things.  Having many, many jobs.  I have done boat repair, and commercial fishing.  Professional hunter, LEO in several places. All over the Western hemisphere as a biologist.  Newspaper reporter/photographer. Professional diver.  And gone through several wives.  But, as Popeye sez, I yam what I yam!  I do thoroughly enjoy the shooting sports, and have since the age of 11 - it has been the one mainstay in my life.  A constant that I can enjoy and live with, and appreciate each and every one of you on the forum.

But yes, AADD is real.  Surprised I never started drinking or doing drugs!

And, Afghan, I learned to sew with two needles, you can also.  Easier to do than describe.  If my son would buy something other than his darned 9 oz leather, I'd send you some scraps to practice on.  I think I have some heavy suede if you want to try that.  And that stitching pony will help a whole bunch.