Does anyone have any experience with a good jerk awl/needle for hand lock stitching outsoles? I got some of the #6 needles from Lisa, but I just could not get them to function properly on my test boot. Even with sharpening, they made gigantic holes, felt real sketchy to use, and the hook seemed to continuously catch on the return pull. I broke two of them just trying to figure it out.
I am fairly certain I will have to lock stitch, as the honey Vibram 100 sole will not keep a hole open to be able to saddle stitch them. And since I am using a leather midsole, I would very much prefer to have a mechanical means of binding the soles on as well.
I guess I am not yet sold on a specific direction, but that’s what I am thinking so far.
The American Straight needles are among the more resilient jerk needle blades I’ve tried. But I’ve primarily used them for inseaming, not outseaming, and never for rubber outsoles.
Vibram 100s are pretty thick, dense slabs. The curve-needle machines typically used to stitch them use thicker, curved, square-shanked awls to do the piercing, not thin, round-shank needles.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/286151514021
Makers absolutely hand stitch Vibram-style rubber. But it takes serious force, which only a thicker awl blade can withstand.
I suspect makers DIY blades for this from whole awls, using fine files or abrasive cords to grind out the hooks.
Hmm, okay. That’s food for thought for sure. At least I have not put on any midsoles yet. I can still do a 7500 midsole and just rely on the cement bond to hold it together. It’s not absolutely ideal, but it could work just fine. My worry with a cement-only bond between a leather midsole and the vibram outsole is the edge peeling.
Shanks are wrapped and glue, and shank covers are on. I am going to throw a leather half-midsole over the shank cover, meeting up with the welt. I will peg that midsole, intending to catch the shank cover as well. I am then intending to just do the other half, the welted area, as a 7500 midsole. I have zero desire to futz with hand lock-stitching through ~15mm of leather and vibram rubber. And I trust that rubber/rubber cemented bond better than rubber/leather.
Then the vibram 100 outsole is cemetented on, with the rear part likely intended to be trapped by the heel. I am not sold on that part yet though. Could be more cumbersome than I’d like.
I would, too. Especially if you get some pressure on it.
