Why Do People Especially Prefer Hand-Sewn Products?

This is not a harsh look at machine sewn leather products. Machine sewn has a very clear place and it is all about the final customer’s wishes. Maybe it is a bit passive aggressive. But let’s dig in and see the differences.

1. SEWING MACHINE

Machine sewing is not bad. In fact, machine sewing has a huge advantage over hand sewing, which is the advantage of speed, which is hundreds of times faster. Therefore, sewing machines are used by default in leather production, especially in workshops with large production volumes. Choosing machine sewing means sacrificing some quality factors for the sake of speed. Machine sewing often uses thinner and cheaper threads, which can lead to a product that is less durable. Even when high-quality threads are used, machine sewing still depends on the pin stitch. The pin stitch is also known as the last 2-3 stitches repeated at the end of a seam. When the needle is lifted to move to another seam, the thread is left somewhere between the layers of leather.

Sewing machines are now widely used. Machine sewing is often used for large items such as handbags, but sometimes for small items such as wallets. Machines can perform the same task over and over again hundreds of times faster than any skilled worker. If quality is the primary concern, the issue is not how fast the machine can sew, but how it can be done.

2. HAND SEWING

Machine sewing is hundreds of times faster but lacks the dexterity of a craftsman with a needle in hand.

What is saddle stitching?

Saddle stitching is a form of hand sewing in which both ends of a length of thread are passed through each stitching hole, crisscrossing back and forth along the entire length of the piece. The term saddle stitching originated with the saddle makers who used this technique, although the practice dates back much further. Saddlemakers needed a way to sew together thick pieces of leather. Saddles had to endure a great deal of wear and tear. For much of the history of saddle making, sewing machines were not used. To this day, the best saddles are still hand stitched.

Difference in durability

Hand stitching provides the most strength and security when joining leather pieces together. Look at the stitching in the picture. With hand stitching (saddle stitching), you will see 2 colors of thread alternating on both sides of the leather. When one of the 2 threads breaks, the remaining stitches will not come undone.

Machine sewing is different. Instead of alternating colors of thread on both sides in hand sewing, you see one orange side and one blue side. It looks safe until one of the threads breaks. The little loops next to the break will start to unravel and it will be a matter of time before the entire seam unravels.

3. VISUAL CHARACTERISTICS

Seam

Machine stitching is a straight line of stitches. Hand stitching, on the other hand, has a pleasant overlap that creates diagonal lines along the edge of the stitch that come from the delicate twists as one thread passes over another to change stitches.

Stitching hole

The size, shape and angle of hand stitch holes vary greatly. The most traditional tool for hand stitching leather is the awl, which creates diamond shaped holes. There are awls that punch several holes at a time. Both come in different sizes and styles depending on the product and the thread size that will be used, but they all create stitch holes which are narrow slits in the leather.

*Article collected from Leather handmade - Toan Da Cooperative