Wet leather soles

[HarryHeffernan]

I've seen a few people wet the leather soles before grooving and stitching them and am just curious to why? Does anyone on here do that and does it make a difference?

[Flash]

Old school process, was routine practice when leather was leather. Not necessary with the modern tanned leather.

[mathews]

I think the process went along the lines of glue the soles. Then when dry soak the soles in water. Then take out and let the glue side of soles dry. Glue them up again. Let glue dry, headlamp, bench, groove and stitch all while soles are wet.

[HarryHeffernan]

Oh right. Does it make a difference to grooving or stitching though?

 

Thanks for your replies

[Count Muppet]

Stitcher goes through with less of a "punch".

Leaves your stitcher with less dust on it from the soles

[HarryHeffernan]

ah okay that makes sense 👍

[x minit uk]

Also made it easier to hand channel before ' groovers ' came out.

[Lee]

I run my soles under a tap after I've stitched them as it helps soften the surface to iron the grove flat and add details to the soles.

[Tom D]

I always wet my soles with a spray bottle also  I spray the welt  after 20yrs with a Pederson 309  it made life easier now ive got 3 goodyears I still do force of habit   makes finishing the groove easier and  patterning the sole as well

[HarryHeffernan]

Nice one thanks guys

[elfman]

strange no one mentioned that it makes for a tighter stitch,the theory is that whist the sole is wet it allows the stitch to squeeze the leather like a sponge and as the leather dries and swells it pulls the stitch tighter ,as it does when to stitch welts on  

[petercoulson]

What Elfman says, i always say to people to wet the soles after grooving or at least the groove with a small brush. It makes for a much nicer stitch and a lot easier for your stitcher to work plus when you bang the stitc hing down the groove closes up a little more and looks better imo.

[k4mrc]

we after stitching wet the soles, then with non marking hammer lightly tap the channel thus tightening up the channel almost making the stitching track tight to make the stitching look great when job finished

[Perplexus]

My father – many years ago – used to soak leather soles overnight in a bucket of something called ‘mulling liquid’ before attaching. I’ve no idea what it was, but it seemed to make the soles more flexible. He used a row of tingles to fasten the waist of the sole, and a single tingle to keep the toe end in place. The sole was then stitched round, and the toe-end tingle removed.

 

The channel was glued (with latex) and tapped down, completely covering the stitches. I guess there are not many repairers who take so much trouble today (or am I wrong?)!

[Tom D]

the old chestnut with "blind stitching" has always been  with the customer "you've just glued them on" & once the edge  has worn "you did these they  are coming away?"   always taught  fix it the way the maker made it