Thank you for this video. And while I am at it, thank you for NOT adding crappy, annoying music. And also NOT adding long dribble drabble commentary . Straight and to the point. Awsome.
I'm like you.... I don't like a bunch of talk and I don't need to be entertained while I'm learning something......... HOWEVER, I'm finding out that the younger generation wants it, so I have a mix of techniques in all my videos. Thanks for the feedback! Glad you liked my video!
I will be watching more of your videos. I am just now getting back into leather crafting as a hobby after over 30 years of not doing it. I'm glad people like you are willing to share their expertise. Thank you.
What kind of stitching is this called? It's almost like saddle stitching but instead of the thread passing from one side to the other each strand stays on it's respective side.
Not sure of the name of this technique. It is one that I learned years ago.....probably off of some old instructions out of a sewing awl box. It's a great basic stitch that I never stray from. Hope someone can help you out with the name.
it won't be the last time you poke yourself. I can't do anything in the shop without hurting myself. Thanks for the comment. Be sure to keep plenty of bandaids on hand!
+george scarlett YES! I believe I have a scar from every project that I have ever done! I was going to re-do the video after I saw the wounds, but I thought it would be entertaining to keep the original. My wife and I still watch it and laugh about it. Thanks for the comment/feedback! Enjoy sticking yourself!
Phil Crockett I just repaired the fingers on leather gloves I was about to throw away. I feel confident enough to repair the "rag top" cover on my Jeep..
Just some things I've changed in experimenting with my sewing awl... 1. Removed the big fat needle and replaced it with a standard sewing machine needle, which fits very nicely into the chuck... make sure to orient the groove in the sewing machine needle the same way as the original needle. 2. Use upholstery thread which is very strong yet fine enough for almost any sewing project. 3. When sewing, form a loop near the material with the "non-needle" thread and push this loop through the loop formed at the needle instead of looking for the end each time.
Hey Jones, So glad you liked this. You wouldn't believe how much I use this awl. Not as a hobby, but to repair things to make them last longer. Just overhauled my leather belt, and my kids' backpack recently. You're going to love having one. Thanks for the great feedback!
Excellent workable and easy to follow directions. Too bad the awl I have had for decades must have been written Chinese because I never could figure them out. Thanks a lot.
+Merlin Cat So glad this video helped! I just used mine last night to repair a strap. This skill has saved me all kinds of coin over the years. Thanks for the positive comment!
patched a nasty tear in my truck seat today with this guy.really pushing this awl to the limits.i notice a few aditional issues with the speedy stitcher.the needle wont clamp tight enough and going through tough material i saw the needle spins in the jaws.
Thank you. I hadn't used my awl in 40 years and drew a blank when I got it out to stitch a seam on my car's upholstery. Now I feel confident to gitterdone . Again ....Thanks a bunch !!!
yep i got the speedy stitch.right out the box i didnt like the end cap.and it dont feed line well.beyond that this is a good tool.i hunt and camp more than im at home and something like this but of beter quality will be a life saver
I found that the enclosed spool would unravel and string would get caught inside. I was constantly having to pry the cap off and unwind... plus..... I couldn't control the spool by hand. I like being able to put drag on an open spool, as well as rewind now and again with my thumb.
worked out fantastic actually.needle was a snug fit but a needle file will smoot it out in a few minutes.its fine for me.stitched a ripped seam in my sweat pants today useing el cheapo thread and hit no issues.at this point im deffanatly inveasting in the awl shown here.its to multi purpose to settle for sub par.sewing machine needle worked exactly the same as the original.no modification was needed.
Thanks for a quick, no-frills lesson on using my new awl. Bought it yesterday to make an emergency repair on camping gear, and our video showed me exactly what I needed to know. Great job.
+Hasottee I use my awl a lot!. Most of my stitching has been on hunting and camping equipment, but lately I've been stitching up my kids' school-backpacks. Love knowing that I can get more life out of the things I buy. THANKS for the great comment. I love knowing that I helped someone!
its deffenatly a beast tool.i mended my backpack strap with it today and it was very easy and no issues at all.wanted to ask if there was any other stitches this can do,or is the basic lockstitch its only one?
I'm not an expert on stitches. I just use this one because it's easy, it's strong, and it works. If you ever get a chance to go to a Tandy Leather store, I'd recommend it. There are a lot of resources there, that will take you to the next level.
If you didn't get my message,can you please make a video on how to use the awl in a Swiss Army Knife to sew the same stitch,there is only one video on how to do it,and it is terrible.
I go slow in the video in order to teach how to do it. You can go quite a bit faster once you get good at it. If you go too fast, you can get sloppy and stab your finger like I did! My wife and I thought it would be funny to keep the bandage and wounds in the video. Glad you liked it!
did notice how strong this stitch is.i stitched a practice peice together and couldnt rip the stitch by pulling it apart.my thread blows but i can fix that.also considering a seeing machine needle for it to run normal thread for small jobs.if anybody has tried this let me know how it worked
Thanks so much for this post. A friend picked up an awl for me at a flea market but it didn't have instructions. I'm trying to mend the strap on my daughter's leather tote bag, so now I know what to do. Fingers crossed I can fix it without puncturing myself!
Glad I could help! I have another video on sewing with a Swiss Army knife awl/reamer, that u might like. Check it out! Thanks for the positive comment, Gene!
+John Peak You're welcome! I remember the struggle I had when I bought my first sewing awl. I took me a while to figure it out because the instructions were horrible. I now use it mainly to repair things. I love it! Thanks for the positive feedback John!
+Lewis Wray Lewis, thanks for the positive comment! You have now entered a lifetime of repairing that will save you tons of coin! Thanks for the positive comment!
+Jim Steel Jim, look up "Tandy Leather" on-line. You may even be lucky enough to find a Tandy store in your region. I would also look on Amazon. Thanks for the question...... I enjoy the feedback!
THANK YOUR. I borrowed my father's Awl . Looks like it's from the 1940's!! Says "Hong Kong" on the box. Can't understand the written or picture instructions . You video solved the mystery .
Very clear! One question, how does one finish it off? Does one simply tie a knot? Or is there some special technique. I've never used one of these before, and know little about sewing awls.
+Bevin Chu I always finish by tying it off with a knot. I then sear the ends with a lighter so the thread doesn't unravel, and in some situations, I will add a drop of material glue, if I really want to overkill it.
as a note on the snug fit,im useing a five doller speedy stitcher from harbor frieght.machine work on this awl was very sloppy and rough and the whole unit has areas that can rip the thread or string being used.the sewing awl in this video may be much better quality and the sewing machine needle may be just perfect.i do not know the specs on the lockstitch awl.the snug fit does not bug me so i wont bother adjusting it.
got my lockstitch in and its awsome.i noticed that the needles between the two modles are diferent as well as the chuck that mounts them.sewing machine needles wont work in the lockstich awl.
I can't remember where I bought it, however, it is a Tandy Leather Factory Lock Stitch Sewing Awl. If you type that in Amazon.com, than you should be able to find it. I have another one called the Speedy Stitch, and I hate it. definitely get the Tandy. Try craft stores too, if you don't like buying on-line.
Richard Peterson: I don't know where you live, so I'll offer this info in the hope that it helps you: I live in Canada, and here, we have a truly useful & high-quality store called Lee Valley, which sells a particularly well-made one, and also carries waxed twines (getting harder to find these days!) in a variety of sizes. We also have Princess Auto, which also carries awl kits, but without the range of twines and needles. Tandy stores are also a super source of anything to do with leatherworking here, and sometimes local 'general stores' carry them in small & more remote places. :)
hmmmm........ thought I showed the granny knot..... probably wasn't very clear. I show it in my other awl video. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-V2UPOmhnwQA.html
I don't do a lot of leather work, so you could probably teach me a few things. The only stitch I'm very well proficient at, is the one in my video. I've never broke a stitch with this simple method, so I just keep using it. I'm going to make a knife sheath soon using this. I hope to have a video out on it as well.
you don't need a vice. I just used it to hold my material so my hands wouldn't get in the way of the camera. However..... a vice does make it a lot easier. I get a lot of comments about people not having various tools. I have a few welding videos, and have had people say "Yeah, everyone has a welder at home". Tools are a great investment. Eventually they will pay for themselves as you use them. People that buy tools are people that don't like to rely on others to do their work, and want to save money by DIY. Buy tools.... you won't be sorry. Thanks for watching. BTW... I like your name.
I love the wax thread. It's my favorite. The only thing I don't like about it, is the fact that it can gum up the eye of the needle..... but still worth using.
+Cyndi Grajeda There are other needles sold that fit this awl. I would stick to the ones that are made for this. Not sure about size differences.....however, I understand what you mean. Sometimes I have lighter material and dont want big holes in my material. Check out "Tandy" leather works.
I also ordered one of those AWL's . I had gotten one from harbor freight and it was off or out of line . The slot for the thread as it approaches the needle was to the left of the holes in the handle .
Buying anything from harbor freight is a gamble. I love that store, but at some point you will have a bad purchase. I think some of that crap is being put together in the dark with their teeth.
Yes I agree . If I would have spent more than 4.50 I would have worried about it . And I will say it is a decent way to introduce one to a plethora of tasks or hobbies. Like awl , Welding , & metal work .
+steve bashiri glad you liked it! It is such a useful tool.... I have a couple boys that always need their duffle bags, backpacks, etc.... repaired. Thank you for the positive feedback brother!
i purchased the exact same Awl,at a flea market for $5 unopened in the box,so i thought "bargain" well its no a bargain if you cant use it,i a several other's tried to make sense of the instructions,with no luck,within 30 seconds of the video,i understood what to do,and understood,id over thought it,,so if your still about,cheers Phil,much appreciated
Phil great video, I needed a refresher coarse so I jumped on your video. I seen where you stuck your finger and I read in the comments below where you said that in just about every project you end up sticking yourself. Well that sure sounds like me and sheet metal. I don't think I have ever messed with a piece of sheet metal that I didn't put a cut on my finger! And yes folks when I wear gloves it doesn't happen. ( That's for all the Safety Sallys that might read this! LOL! Thanks again Phil! Take care!
I have 2. I keep one in my shop, and one in my camping trunk. Really comes in handy when you need it. It also saves me money by repairing things to get a little more life out of them...... Mainly: kids backpacks, wife's purse, my belts, shoes, etc....
Great demonstration. Sympathize about the blood spot. I have purple swollen spots on some fingers from piercing my fingers while hand stitching layers of dense fabric to make Covid-19 face masks for my family. I'm looking for an alternative solution to the Singer Hand Needles and Double Duty Thread. Switched to Repair Needles yesterday which is easier. Good to see other methods since it looks like I'll be making masks for some time to come. Appreciate your teaching method.
what am I doing wrong after initial stich the needle will lock uponly go in half way, tried twice and same results, hopefully don't have to wait two years for a response as the last one was posted
I would love to help you, but I don't know what you mean by "lock uponly". Back when I was learning how to do this, I had 2 problems. 1) I didn't thread the needle correctly and 2) I didn't run my stitch correctly (which is what this video should show). The instructions that come with the awl should show how to thread properly. start with that first.
after a couple of stiches it seemslike the thread is tied in a knot and the needle will not work in properly and then if you keep going there is a trailing thread on the out side also. does it make a difference which side of the needle the loop is threaded @@PhilCrockett
+steve bashiri I had a comment from a person that said they use regular sewing needles in theirs. I haven't tried this, but I probably will in the future. Sounds like it might work
Now you will be stitching up all kinds of stuff. I find myself fixing a lot of strap material more than anything. back packs, wife's purse, duffle bags....etc.. Thanks for the great feedback.
