Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
I’ve been chasing leathers and making videos for years now… but somewhere along the way, I stopped crafting for myself. So I went back to the playground — back to stitching leather with my own two hands.
This time, I put one of my all-time favorite vegetable-tanned leathers to the test: machine-sewn vs. saddle-stitched. Same leather. Same pattern. Same finish. The only difference? The stitching.
• Machine-sewn took 7 minutes.
• Hand-stitched took 90 minutes.
Both look beautiful. Both are durable. But the feeling? That’s where things get interesting.
So now I’m curious… which one would you choose?
TITLE: Why I Returned to Saddle Stitching After Years of Machine Sewing
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CHAPTERS/TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Reconnecting with Craft
I realized I’ve been away from crafting… time to return to the playground.
0:14 - Choosing My Favorite Leather
Picked my all-time favorite vegetable-tanned leather… look, touch, smell, even sound.
0:41 - Revisiting the Travel Wallet
Applying my second-ever design, the passport wallet… tens of thousands sold, now time for an upgrade.
1:13 - Going Manual: Hand Stitching
No sewing machine in the studio… polishing saddle stitching skills… hand-stitched wallet took 1.5 hours.
1:42 - The Side-by-Side Experiment Idea
Cut two sets of leather: one machine-sewn, one saddle-stitched… same leather, pattern, burnishing. Only difference: stitching.
2:18 - Hand Stitching Process & Timing
Step-by-step hand stitching: card stops, middle separator, full-body assembly… total 1 hour 30 minutes.
3:57 - Machine Sewing Comparison
Machine-sewn wallet done in 7-8 minutes… significantly faster than saddle stitching.
4:31 - Craftsmanship and Artisan Skill
Hand-stitched wallet reflects artisan skill, mindset, and mood… showing respect for traditional leathercraft.
5:37 - Pricing & Limited Edition Experiment
Machine-sewn vs. hand-stitched cost breakdown… limited batch of 100 wallets, only 10 saddle-stitched personally.
6:08 - Audience Experiment & Closing
Curious which method you value more… machine ones ship in 30 days, hand-stitched in 8 weeks… stay leathertained!
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PRODUCTS FEATURED:
Pike Leather Passport Wallet: atelierpegai.com/pages/leather-lab
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SHOP LINK FOR MY BRAND
PEGAI (Buy our good-quality finished leather goods): pegai.com/.
- You may also buy them on Etsy: etsy.com/shop/PEGAI.
ATELIER PEGAI: atelierpegai.com
STOW LONDON: stowlondon.co.uk
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SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Follow me on my social media pages where I post content regularly.
TikTok: tiktok.com/@tanner.leatherstein
Instagram: instagram.com/tanner.leatherstein
Facebook: facebook.com/tanner.leatherstein1
---
BRAND REVIEWS PLAYLISTS
Wallet Reviews: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW8XE8IVaUjnBca6QFg1W2ZA
Bag Reviews: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW9XhH4rrAYrNorYgqKl9WwN
---
OTHER HELPFUL YOUTUBE PLAYLISTS
YouTube Shorts (Watch leather tips and tricks in less than a minute): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW_VFYDZvwatoi-Vdhc_IaKY
Leather Savvy (Learn more tips and tricks about leather to help you save money): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW-HURqFOCDWahDgIR56eedQ
20/20 of Leather Savviness (Learn more about the four phases you should consider before buying leather goods): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW-ys9p_c9CCw1btr9encOdT
Most viewed leather videos (Helpful and more entertaining content that viewers really loved): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW_FeEWPZwfFTG63_9r8cWwv
---
HOW TO CONTACT:
You may contact me on any of my social media accounts above or send me an email at tanner@pegai.com.
---
#handstitch #machinestitch #tannerleatherstein
I’ve been chasing leathers and making videos for years now… but somewhere along the way, I stopped crafting for myself. So I went back to the playground — back to stitching leather with my own two hands.
This time, I put one of my all-time favorite vegetable-tanned leathers to the test: machine-sewn vs. saddle-stitched. Same leather. Same pattern. Same finish. The only difference? The stitching.
• Machine-sewn took 7 minutes.
• Hand-stitched took 90 minutes.
Both look beautiful. Both are durable. But the feeling? That’s where things get interesting.
So now I’m curious… which one would you choose?
TITLE: Why I Returned to Saddle Stitching After Years of Machine Sewing
---
CHAPTERS/TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - Reconnecting with Craft
I realized I’ve been away from crafting… time to return to the playground.
0:14 - Choosing My Favorite Leather
Picked my all-time favorite vegetable-tanned leather… look, touch, smell, even sound.
0:41 - Revisiting the Travel Wallet
Applying my second-ever design, the passport wallet… tens of thousands sold, now time for an upgrade.
1:13 - Going Manual: Hand Stitching
No sewing machine in the studio… polishing saddle stitching skills… hand-stitched wallet took 1.5 hours.
1:42 - The Side-by-Side Experiment Idea
Cut two sets of leather: one machine-sewn, one saddle-stitched… same leather, pattern, burnishing. Only difference: stitching.
2:18 - Hand Stitching Process & Timing
Step-by-step hand stitching: card stops, middle separator, full-body assembly… total 1 hour 30 minutes.
3:57 - Machine Sewing Comparison
Machine-sewn wallet done in 7-8 minutes… significantly faster than saddle stitching.
4:31 - Craftsmanship and Artisan Skill
Hand-stitched wallet reflects artisan skill, mindset, and mood… showing respect for traditional leathercraft.
5:37 - Pricing & Limited Edition Experiment
Machine-sewn vs. hand-stitched cost breakdown… limited batch of 100 wallets, only 10 saddle-stitched personally.
6:08 - Audience Experiment & Closing
Curious which method you value more… machine ones ship in 30 days, hand-stitched in 8 weeks… stay leathertained!
---
PRODUCTS FEATURED:
Pike Leather Passport Wallet: atelierpegai.com/pages/leather-lab
---
SHOP LINK FOR MY BRAND
PEGAI (Buy our good-quality finished leather goods): pegai.com/.
- You may also buy them on Etsy: etsy.com/shop/PEGAI.
ATELIER PEGAI: atelierpegai.com
STOW LONDON: stowlondon.co.uk
---
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Follow me on my social media pages where I post content regularly.
TikTok: tiktok.com/@tanner.leatherstein
Instagram: instagram.com/tanner.leatherstein
Facebook: facebook.com/tanner.leatherstein1
---
BRAND REVIEWS PLAYLISTS
Wallet Reviews: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW8XE8IVaUjnBca6QFg1W2ZA
Bag Reviews: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW9XhH4rrAYrNorYgqKl9WwN
---
OTHER HELPFUL YOUTUBE PLAYLISTS
YouTube Shorts (Watch leather tips and tricks in less than a minute): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW_VFYDZvwatoi-Vdhc_IaKY
Leather Savvy (Learn more tips and tricks about leather to help you save money): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW-HURqFOCDWahDgIR56eedQ
20/20 of Leather Savviness (Learn more about the four phases you should consider before buying leather goods): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW-ys9p_c9CCw1btr9encOdT
Most viewed leather videos (Helpful and more entertaining content that viewers really loved): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP7Et-RLMPW_FeEWPZwfFTG63_9r8cWwv
---
HOW TO CONTACT:
You may contact me on any of my social media accounts above or send me an email at tanner@pegai.com.
---
#handstitch #machinestitch #tannerleatherstein
