Hand Stitched vs. Machine Stitched

I am often asked why hand stitched leather products are more expensive than machine stitched and there are several answers to these questions and I will try to explain.
First, hand stitched products take significantly more time to make than machine stitched products. This equates to higher labour costs as the maker needs to hand punch holes in the leather and then stitch it together. Done correctly hand stitching looks incredible and is not easily distinguished from machine stitching.
Second, hand stitching uses a single thread with a needle on each end that is essentially woven through the leather in one continuous stitch. Each punched hole has two pieces of thread that run through it. This creates a much stronger stitch than machine stitching and allows for thicker, stronger threads to be used.
Machines use two threads that are looped together and join inside the leather to create the stitch line you see. Do you remember your parents telling you not to pull threads out of your clothing? That's because when you pull the thread, the thread on the other side is no longer connected to anything and will come out with a small amount of pressure.
You know how when you get a bag of potatoes and you pull a single thread to open it (which never works for me) and the top of the bag is wide open? This is a machine stitch and by nature does this. Pull one thread and the entire line comes out.
With hand stitching, you won't be able to pull a thread because it is still connected on the other end to the rest of the thread in that stitch line. This is why hand stitching is significantly stronger than machine stitching.
At Expedition Leather we only use a bonded nylon thread from Japan that has a proven track record for strength, abrasion resistance and longevity giving you even more assurance that your new leather product will last your lifetime and then some.