Sewing!

[kalivor]

At practice last night, my opponent's tip got tangled in the little FIE badge on my jacket (and I'm more than a little amused by it ... the badge indicating that my jacket meets safety standards turned out to be a danger itself).

Anyways ... I don't have a sewing kit (nor have I really done much sewing since 8th grade Home Economics), so I'll be buying one this afternoon to sew the badge back up with.

My question is: Any advice on needles to use (or sewing technique!) on an 800 N jacket?

[suregrip]

Once, I had to put a new zipper in my jacket. I found that by using a needle for sewing leather, I didn't have to exert much force by powering the needle through the fabric. A needle designed to sew leather will glide right through the layers of your jacket. It will glide right through the tip of your finger as well if you're not careful.

[great bowyer]

yes, i have found that normal needles do not cut it, i went through several while sewing new velcro on my fie knickers.

[pacer]

I've done a fair number of repairs -seam repairs, new zippers and new velcro, etc - on uniforms for my club. I've never had a problem . I don't use a leather needle in my sewing maching, but i do use a heavy duty jeans/canvas needle - a 100/16 HJ or 110/18 HJ size. A leather needle is a cutting needle - that means rather than being designed to "push apart" or separate the fibers, its wedge shape will cut through the material. This cutting point it is great on vinyl or leather which has no weave.... A needle with a slightly rounded tip will separate the threads and pierce the the fabric rather than actually cut the threads. - However if you are hand sewing, you may need a glover's hand needle that does have a wedge shaped tip.

[great bowyer]

yes, i was hand sewing. i do not know how to use my ancient sewing machine enough to get the tensions set right for fencing uniforms, or anything for that matter. what i did do with my machine, a normal heavy needle worked fine.