# Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog



## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

*Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*

*Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
the third arm…

I have done quite a few leather sheaths, and always been fighting with it, and looked at these ponies full of envy, so when I decided to make sheaths for all my axes I thought it was the time to make myself one of these.









This is how it works, you place the pony between the legs (don't laugh), and the fasten the leather you want to sew in the jaw and lock it there - in this way you have a third hand, and trust me it makes sewing leather so much easier (should have made one a long time ago).
(And please enjoy the wonderful body shot).









Here it is the MaFe Stitching pony.
You sit on the base and make it stabile like this.









The jaw open.









And fully open.









Bottom up.









Here I'm stitching, I use gloves since the thread cuts my fingers otherwise (it takes practice).









I added a dowel for sideways stability.









Just a simple hinge.









Ok I was a little lazy on the details… I had a through tenon and added two wedges for a tight fit.









A wing nut for fast and easy use.









And I added leather pieces for the jaws, the rough side out for a soft and good grip.

The stitching pony is a 'light' version of the stitching horse, and the difference is as I understand, that the horse also is a stool, where the pony is a 'sit on' clamp.

Here link for antique Danish version: http://lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/56258

Hope it can be to some inspiration, I can recommend making one if you are going to stitch in leather,

*Best thoughts,*

MaFe


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## AuroraWoodworks (Nov 6, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


And you can use it as a saw sharpening vise!


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## Sodabowski (Aug 23, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Okay this rocks! Really the right thing to do before any leather work!


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## tdv (Dec 29, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Mads you really explore the wierd & wonderful & come up with some real gems. Thankyou
Trevor


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


another *mads *innovation
always searching for ways to lighten and enhance our burden

you must have been one of the first
to leave the caves
and come back with fire

thanks mads


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## Bricofleur (Aug 28, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


This is great!!!!! I'm impressed. Thanks for sharing.

Best,

Serge

http://atelierdubricoleur.wordpress.com


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## Tinnocker (Mar 8, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Very nice Mads, leather is something I would like to explore someday. I already have a few ideas.


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## lanwater (May 14, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Always full of ideas Mads…

Thanks for sharing.


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## daltxguy (Sep 7, 2007)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Everyone likes ponies.
Nice traditional tool. I think I saw the horse version when I was in Hungary last.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


From time to time I think about how to build a dual purpose horse; Shaving and Stitching ;-) Haven't quite figured it out yet, but then I haven't put a lot of effort into it either. I have been thinking along the lines of interchangeable heads, not one on each end. That would be too long and cumbersome;-(


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## swirt (Apr 6, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Being that I just restored a Barton Hewing Hatchet, I am eager to see how these hatchet sheaths you are making turn out. ...and of course I want to see how you make them. Carry on.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Martin could do a leather craft forum. There isn't much on the web that I have found. Wood and leather go together well in lots of instances. I'll mention it on feedback forum.


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Mads, that's a Great Idea!! I love the portability and versatility of this…
At home, I just use my bench vise. When I made my first cell phone holster, I began by making a quick wooden form to shape the holster around…








Then clamped it in the vise, stitched one side, flipped it, and stitched the other…








I've always used leather to stitch leather… I admire you using thread!! I can well imagine the pain of doing that by hand!!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Mike, Looks like yoiu form worked out well. I got the bright idea to make western style holsters a few years ago when work was a little slow. I started to make a few wooden models of six shooters to use as forms. But, the phone rang, and that was the end of that ;-)) At the time, Tandy had a hand operated stitcher that did one stitch at a time, but it was $1200. It would have been better than sewing on my stitching pony, but too long in Yankee Green!! I looked on eBay for industrial sewing machines. I bought one for $100 without a motor or controls. I tried it just using it as a hand stitcher turning the wheel by hand. Worked great ;-))


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Mads, I just noticed that chair!! ;-(( I can't believe you would post a plastic chair on LJ. Not a WW of your caliber! I might, but I'm not of your caliber ;-))


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Thanks Bob!! Luckily, it fit all my subsequent phones too, and I haven't yet had to make a new one… I tried my hand at a pistol holster once, but I wasn't very happy with it… Even if I could find it, I'd be too embarrassed to post a picture!! LOL
I noticed Mads' chair as well…What's up with that?!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


I don't know?? Might be worthy of a couple ribbing blogs by us ;-))

I made a tooled gun belt and holster for my Ruger 22 when I was a kid. The first thing I noticed was those things you see in the westerns pinch you between it and the cantle of a saddle ;-(( All those guys in the westerns must not be spending much time on horseback!! If they were they would be wearing different style belts!! I made another plain holster to put on the saddle. That worked out a lot better.

THe hand tooled one wore out in front because the tooling weakened the leather and, of course, a kid grown up in the 50s & early 60s had to practice quick draw ;-)) I doubt if Gene, Roy and Marshall Dillon would have been proud of me, but I thought it was the thing to do at the time;-))


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


topa as I remember that isn´t plastic if its an original MYRE its made of formppressed plywood 
and I think it was the famous achitect Arne Jacobsen who designed it 
but I´m not sure about that …...so Mads help us out here ….. LOL

good job on the vice Mads

take care
Dennis


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


I'm on the run so I will answer later, this is only about the chair:
http://www.danish-furniture.com/designers/arne-jacobsen/#arne-jacobsen-ant-chair-detail
I love you guys!
Big smile,
Mads


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


I guess we should be ashamed of ourselves, eh Mike? Thinking Mads would even have a plastic chair, much less have a picture with it on LJ!! ;-)


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


I thought Mads just didn't want to scratch up one of his "good" chairs and was using this one instead…


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


I never thought of that. Maybe I should post my stitching pony? It has a carving on it. Practice for a gun stock as I recall. I shouldn't have said that, just claimed to have a fancier pony ;-))


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Wonderful save on that chair Mafe, but perhaps you could replace those metal legs with some wooden
ones???LOL. Do you have the waxed thread available over there, or what do you use? I have a wonderful
hand tooled belt and holster made in 1957 for a Colt long 45, but for some reason it no longer fits around
my waist, I guess the leather has shrunk over the years. Thank you for sharing.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Hi ho!
Tony, I was having this thought as I sew, but I think I need to make a bigger one, but I might just use the same quite simple design.
Thomas, yeaaa man! I'm in the city - espresso?
Trevor, yes nothing like a mad mafe exploration…. Christopher Comafius exploring the tools.
David, that one really made me laugh, you might have a point, but the irony is my GF call me the caveman, and I always said we need to keep a good contact with him to be a full person. Fire!!! what fire? Help.
Serge, we share the cloud.
Ted, I like a lot to work in the thick leather, especially to shape it and make it hard as wood after.

















Here leather work on some knife sheaths I have done.

Ian, my head is like a storm… It keeps me on the feed.
Steve, I live in a small apartment so I need to settle with the pony.
Topa, go to the workshop.
Swirt, I will give you a sneak peak here:








This is a quite simple sheath I made for my English hatchet.








And a more advanced version here.
I'll make a sheath blog soon, I have all the material ready.
Topa, yes leatherlumpers! lol
littlecope, yes thats a fine idea. And fine work you have done. Yes the thread is a job, but with the predrill tecnique it's not so hard at all, I'll explain in the blog.
Topa again, you sure made me laugh with the plastic chair.
Dennis you got the point.
Topa and Mike, I laugh even more thank you.
Gus, yes I use waxed thread, and also a block of wax to rewax. Yes it must be the leather schrinking… lol.
Best thoughts and thank you for the laughs and comments, I promise I will make a sheath blog soon,
Mads


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


If you want to ride… ride the white (stitching) pony… if you want to ride, ride the white (stitching) horse….


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


I've not done any leatherwork since I was in High School. Looking at your fine work has me thinking about giving it a go again. I just bought a couple of shop knives that will need sheaths. Thanks for sharing this.


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Kelly, a big hug my little poet.
Wayne, go for it!
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

mafe said:


> *Stitching pony (quick and clean) blog*
> 
> *Stitching pony (quick and clean)*
> the third arm…
> ...


Here link for antique Danish version: http://lumberjocks.com/mafe/blog/56258


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