How to Hand Stitch Leather - Saddle Stitch - Modern Style - Tutorial Part 2 

Everything you have ever taught us about stitch, in three fantastic videos. Required viewing for any budding leather worker!

How can I give this video a million thumbs up?!? I had sooooo many questions that have been answered between Part 1 and 2 already. I'm going right on to watch Part 3

It’s truly amazing how the color pops in the thread when you hammer it down.

Absolute masterclass

Absolutely fantastic tutorials. ❤Thank you so much.

Thank you for making stitching so much clearer.

Thanks for the app. Very useful. And thanks for the updated FREE lessons.

Great video!!!

I learned more in 2 vids than years of bad video examples but I've been a old school lace person thread stiching is kinda new for me an enjoy it more😢

EXTREMELY GOOD tutorial! Great info, great video angles and also for speaking clearly so it's easy to understand! Thank you for including all the small details and all important things! I really appreciate that you brought up what happens if you have an angle of the thread when tensioning. Thank you alot! You have my respect and my subscription! :) Have a great day and keep up the good work! Thank you!

Thank you so much for that informative and detailed tutorial👍. Liked and subscribed. Greetings from Germany👋

I started my leather work recently and I’ve seen many tutorials, but nothing like this! Most of the materials I’ve seen in the past are tips, but what you’re giving here is definitely lessons! Thank you so much!

Just like many if not all the others that have commented at this point in time I appreciate the detailed walkthrough. I have seen many demonstrate doing the same things you are without explaining the reasons why as you said. Because of this video I have changed my mind and now realize that I need a stitching pony. Not that I don’t do well without one but I now see that consistency comes from consistency. The consistency of the grip from the pony frees up both hands to work equally. Thank you.

Absolutely the best instruction on stitching leather! You’ve answered so many questions. I can’t wait to put these to use. The calculator is brilliant. Wow, it’s these small things that inspire. I appreciate it immensely.

Thank you, this has been very helpful. Im just starting out. I had to repair the stitching on a knife sheath and think I've caught the "bug"!

Hi Nigel, Just been watching your tutorial on the modern saddle stitch episode 2 and just want to point out that the way you are using the pricking iron on the 2 pieces of leather will cause a problem because when you stitch the 2 pieces together , the stitching holes now create an X and are not either a forward / or a back /. This X will cause the needle to punch through leather fibre that has not been pricked with the iron. Other than that I have learned an immense amout fron your tutelage ! Thanx Russell

Thank you for an amazingly informative video. I'm just starting leatherwork and have watched dozens of videos on saddle stitching that mostly say, "do it this way." Your explanation of WHY to do it "this way" is the best information I've received yet.

Thank you so much! Well worth the time. Everything you said makes so much sense and now I know why. Much appreciated!

Thank you for clarifying the thread length, I still measure by hand much of my stuff and I write it down on projects I already know that take that length. But you have given me a better explanation of how this tried and true process works so I can teach this to my students.

Thanks Nigel ! Now I know why I was piercing thread regularly......😊

What type of punching pad is for your chisel? Do you have a link?

Good info on Tandy (no idea it was that old) and on stitch groove. Of course that was a tool I first thought I had to have.

Thank you again

If, as you say, a stitch groove allows water ingress, then surely punching holes in it also allows water in? Or am I missing something?

I’ll still use a stitch groover for certain things like knife sheaths, etc. if they’ve been cases. Also like to do it on the suede side of things where there will be any of rubbing like card pockets in soft wallets, etc but it isn’t necessary in most applications

@ArmitageLeather, thanks so much for this very detailed teaching on saddle stitching. It's finally making sense to me! LoL. Question. What about when you have three layers of thick leather (e.g., 3 layers of 7-9 oz) such as for some knife sheaths? What's the correct way to punch your stitch holes through then? I'm a beginner, and I'm afraid I just pounded that chisel down until it got through. But the holes on the back were tiny and hard to get through with the needle. And, from your video I now know I was damaging my face side by pounding the chisel in so hard. Can you please explain how to do this properly?? Thanks!

You’ve probably forgotten more about leather working than I have learned. I quit using a stitch groomer early on and I just use my dividers.

At the 15" mark you are right hand casting so is that also the face of the work piece? Would you always want to cast on the face side? Might have missed that in first video.

Sir, thank you very much for this complete course. Your videos about saddle stitch are amazing (the others are too), so detailed, a first I think, RU-vid wise... Nonetheless, I still have one question... I watched a lot of videos about saddle stich over the years, from various crafters around the world, some more amateur than others, but I noticed that almost all of them keep stitching left handed (left hand priority), with the leather (grain side/face side) facing right. They also keep casting on the left side (flesh side, back of the piece). I used to stitch like that, but I find that the right handed technique and casting on the rightside helps making the face stitch crispier, more detailed. Any thoughts/explanation about this left handed habit? They could be all left handed (XD), but in that case, they would have the face side of the leather facing left... Thank you!

Great leatherwork! But I have to say the lighting, focus, angle of the camera work is just as meticulous. I am thankful for that because I can now see exactly what’s being done many of these tutorials have a camera halfway across the room.

Hi Nigel Thanks for this! Just one question. What about the thickness of the thread? Doesn’t it interfere in the length. For example I mostly use 3mm pricking iron, with 0.45mm or 0.35mm...wouldn’t i need more or less depending on the thickness of the thread?

Where do you buy the pounding mat for your pricking irons shown e.g. at 33:39 ? Thanks

I don't agree about the tension angles. There are more situations where the thread have to be tensioned at an angle, with very thin leather, for example a watch strap around 2mm in thickness, it will be impossible (at least with a lot of leather types) to get a nice slant on both sides unless the thread is tensioned at an angle. (And of course it's stitched with a cast) And yes I can stitch with good consistent results.

I disagree with the angle tensions being used to suggest you know what you're doing...that's a ridiculous hypothesis. Hermes bag makers for example use many different types of leather and all use this angled.approach to tension when stitching . I've visited the Hermes studios several times in Pantin Paris and examined work close up, and there was no evidence of elongated stitching holes back or front, unevenness or irregular stitch length