Are you unsure which to invest in? I discus everything you need to know in this comparison guide.
So let's jump right in with the basics and work our way up the stitching hierarchy!
What is a stitching pony?
The most common stitching aid is the ‘pony’. Usually clamped to a table, then opened and closed around your leatherwork via a rotating knob.
Originally a stitching pony would have been placed on the floor with the tips of the jaws poking up between the thighs.
The stitching pony gets its name from the much larger saddlers stitching ‘horse’. As the name suggests, it's a four legged wooden stool which is straddled for comfort during long stitching sessions with straps and belts etc.
These days, a stitching pony either clamps onto the edge of your table, or there is a base plate that goes on top of a chair underneath your thighs.
However, stitching clams to a beginner leather crafter must seem like a very confusing contraption!
Not only are there different styles, but they are used differently to a stitching pony.
What are saddler’s clams?
Saddlers clams are normally used between the legs at an angle around 45 degrees depending on preference, personal height and length of clams.
But this brings us to the main issue for many who are new to the way of the clam. How do I see the back side of my stitches as I progress along the seam? Great question!
Unless you use a mirror, you can’t see what you are doing. Stitching is done this way by feel and muscle memory - which comes with practice.
You can absolutely stitch blind on the rear side without an awl by punching through completely with your pricking irons, but the clams and the awl go together like peanut butter and jam (US: jelly;).
The awl helps you stitch by giving you a reference point on the rear side. Care must be taken to avoid pricking your finger, but you can use the needle on the rear side to touch the awl blade. So when the blade is removed, a hole is left behind and the needle falls into it. At which point you will see the needle appear through the front face side of your seam.
What’s the benefit of a saddler's clam over a stitching pony?
There are several benefits. Firstly is speed of use. A clam doesn’t need screwing or unscrewing every time you place something in the jaws, or even just to move the seam up for the next row of stitches.
Secondly, you have versatility. Stitching in the base of a large bag to a side panel wouldn’t be much fun with a standard stitching pony, but most clams have a very large throat (inside of the jaws) so that large objects can be accommodated with relative ease, as well as small items too.
Below is an example of a large piece (though feel free not to watch all 3 hours!)
Lastly we have the opening. Specifically French clams. These can open wide to accommodate large items such as boxes, tubes, cases and much more.In the video below you can see the French clams easily open up for the wooden box making jig. Good luck using English clams for that!
So what types of stitching clams are there?
The main two types are English and French. They differ by the closing mechanism.
French clams don’t close by themselves or apply any tension to hold your work. They must be used at an angle between your thighs so that the weight of one of your thighs presses the clams shut against your other thigh. In this way the work is held secure.
For this reason they can’t be used upright, unless you wrap resistance bands about ⅓ of the way up the jaws.
The benefit of this design however, is the wide jaws to accommodate larger projects. To remove your work only needs the lifting of your thigh.
English clams on the other hand, want to stay closed under tension all the time. A wing nut can reduce (but not eliminate) or increase tension depending on your project needs.
This means they can be held upright between the thighs on a high enough stool so that you can see both sides of your seam.
The downside being the reduced jaw opening which isn’t much more than your average stitching pony. So boxes are out and a briefcase handle may be all the jaws can.. handle.
Further learning:
How to set up saddlers clams and basic usage.
Clam finishing video course highlights.
English vs French clams, a breakdown.
Conclusion:
Although there is no right answer when choosing between the two (one is not better than the other) it really does come down to considering your leathercraft needs such as:
Comfort: Do you suffer with back or hip issues for example? If so, then a stitching pony may be a better fit for you in a standing position.
Style of projects: Do you prefer to create larger projects such as bags? Then a saddlers clam is definitely the more practical option.
Do you have any thoughts on stitching equipment? Tell me below what you have the most success with!
Philip