Whereas in the past, stitching was simply a matter of maintenance, today it is no longer simply a guarantee of the correct assembly of leather parts, but plays a key role in the visual appearance of the finished product. The leather stitching items selected have an impact on the quality and aesthetics of the leather goods produced, so it’s important to choose the right needle for the stitches you want to sew on the leather. Let’s take a look at the different types of leather needles to help you select the one best suited to your projects.
There are many different types of sewing needles for leather. If the type of leather is a determining factor in the choice of quilting tools, so too is the way in which leather pieces are assembled. If you opt for hand stitching – which requires two needles and an awl to perforate the leather – then the leather needles you choose will not be the same as if you were using a sewing machine. Flat-heeled needles are used more for hand sewing, while round-heeled needles are only used on industrial sewing machines. Also, manual stitching on leather often requires a curved needle, which makes it easier to get the needle into hard-to-reach corners.
A leather needle is characterized not only by its size in diameter, but also by its type of point, which has a direct influence on the aesthetics of the leather piece. As each needle point corresponds to a specific threading direction, the appearance of the seam will differ according to the type of needle you choose.
The most common needle tip for decorative stitching on all types of leather is the LR, also known as RTW. It’s a diamond-shaped point reminiscent of saddle stitch, with a slightly protruding seam sloping to the right.
R-point needles are also widely used in leather goods, but unlike LR needles, they are almost exclusively used on soft leathers. These tips come in a standard round shape. They don’t have a sharp edge, so they can be slipped between the leather fibers without risk of tearing. They give a rather irregular straight seam appearance.
Also, S or NRC needle tips are quite democratized, as they are suitable for sewing all types of leather in various fields of application. These spade-tipped needles enable the thread to be firmly inserted into the leather, with the incision parallel to the direction of sewing. S-point needles give a very straight seam appearance, which explains why they are mainly used for large seams.
But the variety of needle tips is huge. These include the VR tip, the LL, the D, the DH and the PCR.
If you’d like to find out more about the different types of leather needle tips and identify them easily, please take a look at our leatherworking products catalog.
