Journal
Why we saddle stitch instead of using a sewing machine
A sewing machine uses a lockstitch: one thread on top, one below, looped together. If the thread breaks at any point, the stitch can unravel along the seam. A saddle stitch uses one thread with a needle on each end, passed through each hole from both sides.
If a saddle-stitched thread breaks, the stitches on either side of it stay locked. The seam holds. This is why saddlery, where a failure is dangerous, has always used it.
It is also slow. A wallet takes about two hours of stitching, a bag most of a day. We think that is time well spent, and we will keep doing it this way.
