How to Use a Jerk Needle "Boot Stitch" Survival Gear Repair 

Yay! Found it again. Fixin to repair a six shooter holster n remembered this was the EASIEST BEST EXPLAINED TUTORIAL I'd ever seen..that looks good too! Thank you! 🐾

this is the only video i get on this stitch and needle when i search on youtube very informative

Fantastic demonstration. Just bought one and wondered how to “push” the thread through. Now everything is clear, there is no need to push ar all. Thanks Bob!

I've used these countless times when I worked as a cobbler, but I never knew what it was actually called. I bought one of those quick stitchers without really looking at it online, thinking that it was a "smarter" version of one of these. They're crap. The hook is way faster, and you can loop the hook with your hand in the toe of a shoe without looking, unlike the quick stitcher

Just wanted to say thank you for this video, even if it is several years old now. I've been looking all over for this item but didn't know what it was called. Jerk needle! Now that I know the name finding one should get a lot easier.

Thank you, Bob! I just ran across someone touting the "Speedy stitch" system, yesterday!!! To me, this tool would be one of the last tools I would want to break when it really mattered.......

Thanks man. Repairing and sealing my boots tomorrow thanks to your help.

You are a great man. You taught me a very useful stitching mechanism. Now I am planning to buy a Jerk Needle. I don't know yet where I can find one to buy. But I must have one by hook or by crook. Bob, pray to God for me so that I can become successful sewer (sewist) just like you. Bob, I believe you will go to heaven for your great help. But I really don't want you to go to heaven now. I want you to go to heaven when you become at least one hundred years old.

great job, another mystery solved

Thanks for the lesson. That's super that you have your great uncle's Bowie knife!

Nice to see self repairs like this. Thanks for sharing

I don't do a lot of leather stitching but I do have one of those easy stitch things it's very old passed down to me by my grand father many years ago, compared to this tool which I also have it is a real pain in the ass to use. The tool you are demonstrating is very easy to use and works very well. Your demonstration is excellent.

I've always wondered how one of those worked. Thanks, Bob I appreciate and enjoy all your video's!!

Fantastic! This was the stitch I was looking for. Thanks for the great demonstration!

Nice & simple presentation, Bob !

Hey thanks man. Great demonstration, just what I needed. 🙏❤️🙏

Hi Bob, I just recently happened upon your neat videos earlier today. Your "Jerk Needle" sewing tool is a term I'm not familiar with. It did, however, remind me of a hand-held antique harness sewing needle that I'm familiar with, having grown up on a 4-genertion farm my ancestors owned and worked, that was passsed down to my dad. There were scads of old horse-drawn buck-board wagons, sleds, you name, it parked in the basement of an old barn that we only used to mow hay in. Other old buildings contained a countless variety of last-century handtools, like scythes, wooden hay forks, rakes, etc.. These were used back when fields were planted and harvested by hand, with the help of work-horses. I say all this as an introduction to other hand-hend tools I became familiar with in my youth, like spoke-shaves, draw-shaves, etc. The one I wanted to mention to you was an awl (as we knew it by). It had a rounded wooden handle, made to be able to push against leather using the palm of one's hand,.as well as a metal extension with a socket and threaded nut to hold a heavy-duty needle in place. The rounded, palm-end of the wooden handle was a threaded wooden cap, that, when removed, revealed a hollowed out tube-shaped hole in the handle where other various sized needles and related tools were stored. Then, between the rounded wooden handle and the metal needle holder (collet) there was a rotating spool mounted on a little shaft. Cord was wound up on this spool, and fed down alonside the needle, and through an eye at the pointed end. Have you ever seen one of these leather awls in your travels? I think I still have at least one of them somewhere stored in my things. They were originally designed by the old-timers to repair leather goods, like shoes, saddles and harnesses, etc. Best Regards, RM

Nice Job, Bob. keepin' it simple. I ended up going to Tandy and found a number 6 Jerk needle for like 5.99!!! So I made my own fancy handle thing. Gonna use this to fix a nylon mesh strap on a Kelty backpack that I stupidly cut . I might make a sheath for my base model Moras because , as we all know the plastic ones sort of suck.

Great video. I watched a video yesterday where a guy was stitching a shoe, but there was no explanation and of course I couldn't see what he was doing on the inside of the shoe. Now I know. 😀 That needle looks like a sharpened crochet hook. Looks like it produces the same stitch as those stitching awls, but the other way around.

Great tutorial man. Thanks.

Yeah bob I agree those easy stitches are rubbish. I make knives and they require leather sheaths.I see so many people buying all these leather making tools and 3000 dollar sewing machines but I only use 2 needles similar size and saddle stitch sometimes even double stitch. I drill all my holes first. A little slower but they all turn out mint.

Thank you , your video helped me a lot 😊

Amazing job man

Thanks for the video

Yey, a new video! I have always wondered about that stitching! This was great to see! I really mean that! I will definately search for that kind of needle. Thank you so much for sharing this!

Thank you so much for the info. God bless.

Very nice video

Great video Please share where you bought it

Great detailed video mate. I have just ordered the needle, but what handle are you using please. All the best...

So informative thank you

The terms in this video are a bit non-standard. In case you want to know more... That is a McKay Stitching Needle, used in McKay sewing machines. As noted, the needle has a hook, and can be VERY difficult to remove if you stab it into yourself. The needles are sharpened, so there is no need to pre punch the holes. You may still want to mark (& pre punch) the holes to keep the stitches even, and the stitch line straight. The stitch is a "lock stitch," similar to what a sewing machine will produce. The "upper" and "lower" threads to not swap sides during the stitch (as with a saddle stitch). The needle is inserted from the "upper" side of the work. The "lower thread" is the one that forms the loop - so that thread needs to be 6-8" longer than the "upper" thread. The lock should be seated in the "middle" of the material being sewn. If the stitch is not centered, one thread will become longer than the other, you can switch the positions of the two threads, as needed. The lock stitch is a bit less durable than a saddle stitch, but is much faster to sew. When pushing the needle through the work, back it with a bit of wood on the end grain. The end grain does not allow the hook to grab onto the wood. A 1-1.5" diameter branch about 4-5" long does the trick nicely. The backer will help "catch" the needle and prevent it going into your fingers. This backer also helps to limit the amount of distortion from the pushing & twisting that happens to the leather as the needle is worked through. I keep a McKay needle in my Speedy Stitcher - since it has storage for several needles, it an OK awl handle, and also has storage for the thread or twine. This allows me to NOT carry the needle installed in the handle, and that is MUCH safer given the sharp end and hook on the McKay needle. Aside, I am not sure how I missed this video when I was looking for leather sewing advice several years ago, but the youtube algo presented me with this today...and I am glad that it did.

Thank you

I have one. Got it to make a knife sheath and then bought a sheath for less than the leather was going to cost me. I have used it to sew a phone belt pouch up it works great.

that's cool i actually do a lot of the work in my dads saddle repair shop have an old 1800s champion shoe machine for the heavy stuff i mostly stick to hand stitching tho

What thread did you use for this video? Also, where is the best place to quality leather for knife sheaths?

so how do you finish when you get to last hole , do you have to back stch or just cut it off or what.

You know it serious when a person says "I learned this in the mountains." Lol. So this is basically what a "lock stitch is" right? It looks just like it, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Interesting! This is essentially what a sewing machine does, and easier than a saddle stitch.

Very interesting and well done. New subscriber!

What size jerk needle are you using?

could you use this needle with an easy Stitch all

Hi can you make a video on how to make a jerk needle just yours? thanks

How are you finishing the stitch at the end?

I broke my first needle of my first stitch using the easy stitcher . I seen a tandy jerk needle on amazon .for 15.00 . DID you say one could make one of these . If so what would be best to make from ? I have and run across old files of different sizes . Such as chain saw files . Would you think this would be a good foundation ? I would love to see a close up of your needle .

I have a couple awls like these, but they keep ripping up my thread when pulling them out. Any idea what keeps causing this?

Where do I find an awl and needle? No luck at Tandy yet

What's the brand name of the awl you're using??

This stich duplicates a machine stitch, do you prefer this to a saddle stitch?

👏👏👏👏

I liked it but you did not show us how to terminate the stitch.

this is a 'machine stitch' style - you should address 'saddle stitching' - also easy with jerk needle

what's the name of this style of needle- is it really called a jerk needle? (with the hock rather than a closed eye)

why can't you do this with a speedy stitcher and that jerk needle?

are there any videos of how to stitch your shoes back on with just a sewing needle? like how fucking likely is it that someone can just go out and get one of these tools?

WAY too talky. Speedy Stitcher seems to be much quicker and easier.