In this video we are taking a close up look at hand stitching leather with the saddle stitch. I show you three different stitches which are your basic every day stitch as well as two alternatives which you may need from time to time. Please see the description for full details!

You're a natural teacher, Ian

I have worked in a busy shoe repairer kiosk for many years . One of the tricks we used to use was if we had articles (shoes, handbags, wallet) of a different colour then we simply use oil pastels or coloured pencils to colour the white thread to match the colour of the article. This technique was very effective because we were only using short lengths of thread, so it was easier to colour the thread than keep changing the bobbins to match the colour. of the original thread.

Its nice to see you're back.

Thank you, Ian! Glad that you are still in the leathercraft!

I must have viewed a dozen or more saddle stitch videos many times and though many are quite good, none come close to this one for including all the details required to master the saddle stitch. Thank you, Mr. Atkinson.

I stitch without a pony, managed to figure out how to do casting in a way that didn't add much time thanks to the great presentation. Thanks!

Back again, two years later for a refresher

BEST explanations I have ever found!

Thank you for this innovative approach to teaching. It all now makes sense!

One, if not the best video on saddle stitching. Thank you.

Thank you. You are a wonderful teacher.

Hey Ian, just dropping by to say thanks for all the info you give us. I remember the first time i came across your work in 2010 and 10 years later im finally starting leather work of my own. Thanks for being a great teacher.

Ian, this video is so good, so helpful, so straightforward, I'll recommend it to every leather working neophyte I encounter. And of course, I'm here to still improve my saddle stitching, after all these years. But I remember when you were really into your channel, and you were getting so many more views. The contemporary YT algo has really f'ed up the best channels, imo as a rep of a certain demographic, channels with actual high value information content, videos that can change the direction and the quality of lifes simply through new knowledge, or in your case, practicable professional information to begin a new career. Instead the algo favors semi-pron girlfriend prank videos pitched at 12 year olds, and 3 identical videos a week from the same channel... those channels can fall off the continents into the seas and we'd all be better off, especially the poor 12yo's who don't even know how badly their brains, and therefore minds (let alone spirit) are being damaged by these videos. Anyway, long winded way of saying your channel has always been excellent, thank you very much for your profound contribution to western society, and perhaps eastern and southern with some translations! BUT, (here we go) YOU are the one who got me into actually trying leather work. I'd had a lifelong interest, but never pursued it, it was just a Vague Wish, one of thousands that are most often not pursued in a lifetime for the lack of time (life is short, and work is toilsome). I grew up in the era before the internets, so had very little access to information - lived in a remote area, and even worse, I was shy then so didn't engage with many people. BUT YOU! You very clearly, and simply showed me how to build a knife sheath, you showed me that I could build a knife sheath. We had previously purchased a few outdoors knives, some came with sheaths, aka Moras, most others did not. So, I figured we'd actually save money by buying leather and some simple tools and making our own sheaths, rather than buying aftermarket sheaths for our knives... BOY was I wrong. I started with Tandys, of course, God bless them. Got a cheap plated manager's special double shoulder that was more sponge than leather and started making lighter holders, belts and sheaths. I was horrible, I have, since day one, really struggled with leather work. In an earlier career, I was a carpenter in the film industry in So Cal, and later a special effects artist similar to the work Adam Savage did, in fact, I worked in the same shops he did, usually just after he moved on to the next project. So, I'm just saying I have a lot of experience building things, working with tools, power and hand and working with my hands themselves. As far as my brain goes, I was adept at thinking, designing in two, three, and even four dimensions. All that is for naught with leather working! Leather working is HARD! I think it is the leather itself, it is so damn hard to work with, clay, wood, steel, Bondo, code, it is all so easy to work with. Leather is tough and resists cutting, but it is soft and bends and pulls when cut or glued or pressed or anything is done to it! Then, leather is like memory device, it holds the indelible marks of everything that touched it, tools, surfaces, fingers... Man, it is hard to make a small leather good that just looks *bling* perfect. You sort of mentioned it in this video, but there is STILL some voodoo, hoodoo, woowoo, to saddle stitching, for all of us, and certainly me! I'd like to reduce that as much as possible, so really understand the stitch itself, which still, after years of stitching, it's still mysterious to me. Sometimes a stitch will just go bad, lose its shape, and I cannot work out what is making it go bad... or sometimes a whole stitch line won't look good, after just doing a prior stitch line on the same piece of leather and it looked fine... WTF! LEATHER! Maybe #WTFLEATHER

Excellent, Ian..Thank you for such a clear demonstration.

excellent, very informative. You would make a great teacher.

Awesome to see the cast and no-cast versions of stitching in the same video. Very well demonstrated, and the differences well explained. Thank you much for this video, as it really clarified why stitching the right way is important.

Thank you Ian for all your years of teaching us. I have been watching you and learning since 2013. It's getting hard for me to work on my leather craft. I had an infection which went to severe septic shock. It left me with macular degeneration and it's very hard for me to walk now. I also have an LVAD now. I hope to keep watching you and being able to do the small projects that I am able to do.

Very informative and well explained. After watching tutorial videos for three days thanks to you I finally see the light and it is so simple. Thanks again.

Glad to see you Ian. Many other leaher workers with channels, but I always enjoy your content, projects, and results!

What a fantastic video. Best video I've found on hand stitching, and I've looked a lot!

Hello from Easton Maryland US Ian, thank you for sharing your expert craft skills, I learned a lot just with this video. God bless you and be safe👍🏻

Ian thank you for this video. This was one of the best videos on stitching I've seen yet.

Brilliant tutorial. Very detailed and clear explainations and filming. I really enjoyed this and will refer back to it until I've mastered these steps. Thanks for sharing with us.

Thanks Ian for your clear and detailed teaching

Thanks Ian, for this video, saving me from my nasty looking stitches as a beginner in Leather Craft 🙏🙏🙏

I miss your posts Ian. Hope to see more posts from you. I learned so much from your videos.

Thanks for this video. It is good to see from both angles. Makes a little bit of sense now.

Thanks for sharing Ian great video,so the cast is straightening the thread up each time in conjunction with the angle of pull,always learn new ways from your videos buddy,keep them coming. Regards Davy

Your videos are wonderful! I am inspired to learn more about leather craft. Just getting started. Thank you.

Very nice video!

i wondered what i was doing wrong when trying to do the nice saddle stitch because all my stiches looked like the first one. now i know, thanks for the explanation.

Brilliant video! Thanks a lot for a thorough walkthrough explaining the different stitches. 👍🏽

Great to see you posting your informative videos. thank you.

Thanks Ian, excellent explanation. Has helped me tidy up my stitching no end.

I was just thinking of this type of stitch yesterday. thank you for helping out with this video!

Damn good* way to start my day! Thank you.

benn missing you man. great video. I always wondered how to get the back looking like the front. thank you.

Excellent video Ian. This will definitely help me improve my stitching. Thank you sir!

Excellent. So much detail. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Great job Ian. Hope soon I start working with leather again.

Awesome video!

Great video! When I started out, I experimented with the type of cast and I've settled into doing example #2. I hope you're doing well! Take care.

Thanks for the detailed instructions. A very useful and informative video! I like it!

Great video, Thank you.

Ian, just left a long comment to ask a question, but no one reads long comments, so I'll ask it here, as this is really vexing me, and I CANNOT figure out what is going on: I've watched your and Nigel's and many more demos of saddle stitching, I use the same tools, roughly the same leather (we're all from different geo locations), same needles, same thread, same size of all the above, but still, when I go to pass my FIRST needle through my stitch hole, made with various stitching irons, all featured in your, Nigel's, or other vids, and I can have a hard time getting even the first needle through the empty hole. It almost always hangs up at the eye of the needle. And then when the second needle passes through, for sure it is going to be a fight. And assuming I don't need a pair of pliers to get the eye of the needle through, lets say I manage to grip the needle with my fingers, it is like the eye, and the two trailing threads sort of damage the hole because they need to be ripped through. I thread the needle the same as everyone, thread through the eye, then the thread pierced by the needle and pulled through. Again, John James, #4 needles with various popular, though affordable stitching irons (which are supposed to leave excessively large stitching holes, right!), with 0.8 Ritza, or .65 poly from Amy Roke, even .55 from others, and I still have a battle on every single stitch. And in re-watching this video, I saw what I'd forgotten, the way you cross the second needle below the first, and pull it through the hole, and then swing and place the second needle through the hole... I used to try to do that, LONG AGO, but I've since abandoned it, because I can almost never pull the first needle's eye through while forming the needle cross. So, my process is just get that damn needle through by using both hands, whatever, however I can pinch it and bring it through. And that definitely leads to thread confusion, I'm not doing repeatable stitches, with the threads and needles passing in exactly the same way. SO, WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON! I see you and all y'alls effortlessly pull your needle and thread through your holes with no difficulty whatsoever! I'm 6 foot 2, I have some physical problems, especially with my hands, but I can still give you an iron fisted hand shake, I can juice a lemon with one hand, I'm just trying to say I'm not some effete little lady. I'm a beast of a man... and still can't pull a needle through a stitching hole! WTH! Seriously, need some help!

Very good stuff

Wow...very nice and informative video. I want to create my own creationd and it will be very helpful. Thank you very much for your work.

Exelent video. Thanks for teaching. I'm starting with leathercraft and this is very helpfull

No other video shows the casting so Idiot-propd clearly. Thank you.

Great video, which spacing size hole punch would you recommend when stitching in 3mm leather Using 1mm thread, thanks for the helpful videos.

Thanks for sharing this very informative video. Very useful 👍🏼

Well done demonstration - thanks!

Thank you! I finally got the cast. I still struggle with the back stitching at the end to secure the threads.

It all makes sense now! Thank you so much

Excellent video, as always.

Very good video, tyvm!

Thanks so much for another great upload!

Ian, re: "Stitch number 2" - You refer to it as the "Standard"/"Rearcast"/Backcast" - isn't it a normal "Saddle Stitch"? Great video, as always

Thanks 🙏. Any video on "How can stitch neatly on round hole"?

Thanks for this and all your in depth videos, they’ve been my go-to resource for leatherwork over the years. Your technique in this is slightly different to your older video (in terms of the direction you pull the thread out of the way for the second needle’s pass, front to back). This makes the cast feel different, and for some reason, much easier to me - I’m no longer getting confused with loops. Wondering what made you change/refine the technique?

Very informative! Thank you, Ian!

wonderful!

You did so good! I got it!

Thanks Ian, Much appreciated!

Greatly appreciated video could you give examples of thread and needle combinations I have only seen 0 needles and .06 or .08 could you give your view Thanks Patrick

I also pinch the excess thread toward me to preclude the right-hand needle from piercing the thread and insert the right-hand needle toward the top of the slant, with the left-hand thread closest to me, which is what you also do. I am beginning to wonder, though, if this is the best method. I watched Nigel's video again, paying closer attention. It seems that he is inserting the "T" needle into the bottom of the hole closest to him. He is not pinching excess thread towards him but away. Then he casts and gets a consistently repeatable stitch. I need to try this today.

If you don’t get it with this video, you might need to try another hobby. Epic as always.

thank you!

Dear Ian, by mistake, I did the holes with a reverse pricking iron on the upper stitch of a wallet, and now I really son't know how to stitch correctly, could you please give me same tip in order to do it. By the way thanks for this great video.

Hi Ian. I have some John James needles 001, 002, 003, and 004. The 1,2, and 3 all seem to be same length and diameter. Am I missing something?

May I know what is the biggest difference between 2&3?

Ian, can you take a quick moment to describe how to backstitch to line up with method #2? Thank you!

Thank you very much,i think the last one calling the classic saddle stitch 🤔 There is big different if i will use round thread or flat?

Excelente 👍

Definitely one of the most helpful videos I've seen on stitching! Thanks Ian. As I don't have a stitching pony, do you have any recommendations on using these methods without?

What type and size of thread do you use?

Great video as always Ian. What do you actualy call the no 3 stitch? I usualy refere to it as the lock saddle stitch. And i push both needles through the hole at the same time to avoid thread splitting.

I’ve been saddle stitching for a while and always hate how the stitches look on the back

Tarea 4

Hey bud, where is part 2 of the drill bit tray.?

Do you ship to the US?

I stitch as per #1.... I tried 2 and 3 but wasnt working for me. I'm using French Pricking Irons though..... 3.5mm leather with 0.6mm braided thread.... I always thought you need thickness in the leather to allow the thread to retwist itself....

YOu look like Ironman