Stitching Pony

Mike Martinez

Mike Martinez

Well-Known Member
So, as some of you might guess, I've been bitten by the leather bug and its not good. I'm spending more money than I'd like to buying up more leather tools and such so when I can make my own, it helps some. I've turned mallets, made awls and such and I find myself "needing," a pony. As I was a woodworker long before ever touching a 2x72, I'm rather comfortable wood working so I'd like to build my own. Can you guys suggest a good model to emulate? Any tips on what the ideal sticking pony should include or exclude?

I made an impromptu pony today but I'm not happy with it as I followed a simple design and it reflects it when trying to close the jaws. Rather than using a hinge, the piece was constructed from a solid Douglas Fir 4x4 and its too rigid. The next one will be made from some nice red oak and utilize a proper hinge but I'm still kicking around the device that will close the jaws. All suggestions would be great, and pictures much appreciated. Thanks KDs.

Regards,
Mike
 
You don't need a lot of space between the jaws. Mine only has 3/4" at the base and the gap has narrowed at the top, where the leather is held, due to use. Get some flexible 1/4" thick boards about 4" wide and 14-16" long and glue them at one end to a block of wood 3/4" wide. You might want to cut a bevel on the end of the block that goes to the inside to decrease the angle that the two boards that form the jaws have to bend over. Screw another 1/4" board to the bottom of this assembly for something to hold under your thighs as you stitch. You will want the jaw assembly centered on this board.

To close the jaws you will need a bolt long enough to pass through the jaws, three washers, one lock washer, one hex nut, and one wing nut. The boards for the jaws will need an appropriate size holes about 1/3 of the way down from the top. Insert the bolt through one board with a washer under it. One the inside of that same board place a washer, the lock washer, and the hex nut and screw the bolt in so that it will seat on the washer and extend through the hole in the other board. Then tighten up the hex nut against the lock washer This will keep the bolt from rotating in the hole as you tighten the jaws. Then slip the washer over the end of the bolt sticking through the second board and screw on the wing nut. The wing nut is use to tighten the jaws against your work.

If you go to Tandy or any of the other leather working supply houses you will find pretty much the same generic stitching pony. You can sew leather without one but a stitching pony gives you that third hand that you seem to need.

Doug
 
Doug I agree that for sheath work you don;t need a lot of thickness, but if you ever plan on doing other work like holsters the extra space is a necessity.

When building a pony I make the jaws a bit high then cobble it together without glue. I then check the height of the jaws by sitting and sewing a bit. Adjust as need by shortening the jaws to where hey are comfortable - for normal size folks I start with a height of 22" is a bit longer then shorten as needed 18" high seems to be a pretty typical finished size.
 
Thank you Mr. Burrows, I appreciate you taking the time to answer my endless string of questions. The prototype I made prior to reading your tutorial came out okay and it made my 4th sheath much easier to stitch up than the others. Hopefully the revised version will be even better.

Regards,
Mike
 
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