The Sewing Palm

You can't sew sails without a sewing palm, I guarantee it. Emiliano Marino, writer of the Sailmaker's Apprentice says you can't do it without two palms, a seaming palm, and for tougher work, a roping palm.

Years ago I took a crack a making my own palm. Emiliano had said that a palm made specifically for the sewer's hand was the best way to go. And since they were pretty expensive to buy, I figured what the hell. I understood the concept, and using some pictures as a starting point I created the following palm. The leather was crappy. I used a piece of iron for the eye, unfortunately iron rusts. I used a piece of boot leather under the eye as a stiffener, but it made it too stiff. I thought I would make it adjustable by using velcro, but it really didn't work, except to add weight and bulk. I drilled the dimples in the eye too large, and they wouldn't hold the end of the needle efficiently. And the worst thing was that it just didn't fit all that well, and was a little rough. The type of leather it was made of didn't allow for good breaking in and softning. So, although not a total fail, because it worked, but not a tool I would want to use for a long period of time. It was probably close to what I would have gotten in the store.

So, now it comes time to sew the new mainsail and staysail for Vita. I was not going to use that original palm, my hand would be raw from all that hand stitching. It was only a poor excuse for a seaming palm, and not at all usefull as a roping palm.

I bought some leather in Toronto when we went to the boat show. At the Tandy Leather Factory, the store clerk was really good, and was able to figure out what kind of leather I was looking for, because I didn't have a clue, and I came home with seven and a half square feet of 1/16" thick tooling leather. Way more than I needed, but I wanted some for some other projects I am working on.

I started by identifying what I didn't like about my current palm. Then I cut a bunch of 1/2" wide strips of canvas to start making a pattern. This was the biggest pain in my @$$. If I had had one or two more hands, no problem, but being handicapped by only two, and one of those being the model. Oh did I curse.... I did eventually get it just right, and used it to make a pattern.

Long story shorter, I managed to get the seaming palm made, and it fit like a glove. I didn't have the proper conditioner for the leather, and the clerk at the store told me just to use any nature oil, even olive oil. I wasn't sure about that, but I did have some dubbin around for waterproofing and conditioning my hiking boots. Made sense to me. I rubbed in 4 liberal coats, and worked the palm for about 4 hours. Then I used it make the roping palm, which has really seemed to loosen it up and make it that much more comfortable. Its ironic, but the one essential tool you need when making a palm,,, is a palm. I used a sewing awl on my first palm, and that was part of the problem. Luckily I had that palm to make this one. Sounds like the chicken and the egg story, yet again.

For the eye, I wanted to use a metal that wouldn't corode. I had read recommendations on the internet to use a penny. But, the penny is rather small and thin, plus, it is apparently illegal to destroy money. So I eventally found some small round pieces of metal to use for the eye. They are made of a metal that doesn't corode, and is thick enough that a needle won't push through them. Of course I doubled them up on the roping palm to be sure. And, luckily, they only cost five cents each.

The finished palms up against the picture in Emiliano's book, the Sailmakers Apprentice. The roping palm is a little lighter in color than the seaming palm, but that is because it has less coats of dubbin, and is a day newer.

So now I have two nice palms. They both fit like they were custom made, ha ha. It will take a little time for them to really break in. I plan to complete a few projects before I get to the sails, so they should be ready for that heavy work. By the time I am finished all the sewing they will hopefully be like a part of my hand. Which is nice. The old one is literally part of my hand as I slipped making the seaming palm and drove the needle quite deeply into the meaty part below my thumb. Can you say ouch.

Anyway, tomorrow I start the dity bag in Emiliano's book. I made one before, years ago, but I didn't have the right materials, and it didn't come out as I had hoped. I gave it away to a guy I worked with. This time I have all the right stuff, and a nice palm to do all the sewing. I'll post a pick when its finished.

Cheers.

Rob:-)