Stitching Needles

Overview

Hand leathercraft uses harness needles, which are blunt rather than sharp. The blunt tip slides through a pre-punched hole without snagging or splitting the leather, and the oversized eye takes thick waxed thread that would never fit a sewing needle.

You need two needles for a saddle stitch, one on each end of the thread, so buy them in packs. Needle size should suit the thread: too small an eye frays the thread, too large a needle widens the hole and loosens the seam.

Choose polished steel needles that resist bending. A needle that bends will not stay aligned and will wear the hole, so replace it rather than straightening it.

Safety

How to use it well

• Use two needles, one on each end of the thread, for a true saddle stitch.
• Match the needle eye to the thread so the thread is not frayed as it passes.
• Replace any needle that bends instead of trying to straighten it.
• Keep a spare pair threaded and ready so a dropped needle does not stall the seam.

Compatible leathers and materials

Stitching Needles is suited to the following leather types. Anything outside this list is worth testing on an offcut first.

At a glance