Making Leather Pouches

[Realbark]

Excellent bag. Very interesting step by step post - cheers. What sort of needle did you use?

[Fletching]

Excellent bag. Very interesting step by step post - cheers. What sort of needle did you use?

Erm, not sure exactly what type it is as this one came with my leatherworking kit. It's big and not sharp which is important as it's intended to go through pre-awled holes and not make its own holes.

[Realbark]

I took a flyer and ordered No3 harness leather needles and an awl along with some 1mm and 2mm waxed cotton thread/string. Ive got a couple of old jackets to play with when the tools arrive. I didnt order a stitching spacer - do i need one or is it just aesthetically pleasing re spacing or does it give the bag strength with even spacing (and it was £17.00).

[Fletching]

Personally, I think the stitching spacer is indispensable. For me, it ensures that the holes I make with the awl match on all the pieces I'll be joining together. It's more than an aesthetic detail.

I'm pretty sure you'll find a cheaper one on ebay (try the US site).

[CanadianMike]

Here's one I just started to make to hold a ziploc bag full of premixed bannock ingredients (just add water), about 5.5" diameter to deal with sewing, 8" high and 16" long piece. Is thin supple sheepskin I bought today, this should go quick. Oh, my new tool in the pic is a 4x leather punch, spaced 1/4" apart. Am such a lazy bugger!

[leon-1]

Ive got a couple of old jackets to play with when the tools arrive. I didnt order a stitching spacer - do i need one or is it just aesthetically pleasing re spacing or does it give the bag strength with even spacing (and it was £17.00).

Stitch spacing is quite important, too few holes with a lite threadcould mean your thread pulling through the bag. The eveness of the stitching works towards strength and aesthetics.

There are a couple of things meant for stitch spacing, the first is a pricking wheel, the second is a pricking iron. Both are quite expensive, an alternative would be to use an over stitch wheel. Not quite as accurate, but they do quite a good job.

Here's one I just started to make to hold a ziploc bag full of premixed bannock ingredients (just add water), about 5.5" diameter to deal with sewing, 8" high and 16" long piece. Is thin supple sheepskin I bought today, this should go quick. Oh, my new tool in the pic is a 4x leather punch, spaced 1/4" apart. Am such a lazy bugger!

Hey Mike, that looks like a lacing or thonging iron or punch, are the teeth set at an angle or straight?

[CanadianMike]

They are actually replacable hole punches. Just found it today while at the Tandy store, looked perfect for use on the thin sheepskin I had in my hand at the time. Pulled each one out, put in my drill at work and spun the edge on a diamond stone to sharpen up. Doesn't take much pressure to cut now.