Should I be worried about broken stitching on the cuff of a leather jacket?

[mippo]

I just bought a used leather jacket which was in good condition overall. After receiving it I noticed there was one broken stitching at the cuff. Now I'm worried that the rest of the stitching will start unraveling. Has anyone here ever had this type of broken stitching on their leather jackets? How did it turn out over time? Here's a picture:
View attachment Broken Stitching.jpg

 

[zebedee]

No, probably not - one broken outer stitch on mid- to high-priced leather jackets won't cause a problem. I have three jackets with a broken stitch and none has ever unravelled or lead to any deterioration at all. This is mainly due to the fact that there is internal stitching, too.

 

[newtojackets]

No, probably not - one broken outer stitch on mid- to high-priced leather jackets won't cause a problem. I have three jackets with a broken stitch and none has ever unravelled or lead to any deterioration at all. This is mainly due to the fact that there is internal stitching, too.

^

 

[photo2u]

I just bought a used leather jacket which was in good condition overall. After receiving it I noticed there was one broken stitching at the cuff. Now I'm worried that the rest of the stitching will start unraveling. Has anyone here ever had this type of broken stitching on their leather jackets? How did it turn out over time? Here's a picture:
View attachment 686448

With a needle and a little bit of leather glue or crazy glue, push the thread into the leather's perforation whole. This will give you a better solution for the prevention of the tread to get worse. Thread in that location is under a little tension, and sometimes the tension forces the thread to come out of the leather.
Here is an image of how two threads are holding each other in most leather.

 

[mippo]

With a needle and a little bit of leather glue or crazy glue, push the thread into the leather's perforation whole. This will give you a better solution for the prevention of the tread to get worse. Thread in that location is under a little tension, and sometimes the tension forces the thread to come out of the leather.
Here is an image of how two threads are holding each other in most leather.

View attachment 689723 View attachment 689724 View attachment 689725

If I use glue on the leather now, would that make it more difficult to get it fixed by a professional leather worker in the future? A few years down the line I might need to get the zipper professionally replaced because of fraying. I intend to ask for the cuff stitching to be fixed also. Would the glue cause problems if I use it now?

 

[zebedee]

If I use glue on the leather now, would that make it more difficult to get it fixed by a professional leather worker in the future? A few years down the line I might need to get the zipper professionally replaced because of fraying. I intend to ask for the cuff stitching to be fixed also. Would the glue cause problems if I use it now?

The zipper MUST be professionally replaced.

Leave the cuff alone or seek the services of a professional leather worker. This kind of thing can be done by most tailors - they'll use the original holes because the leather will be too thick for their needles. They'll use heavy thread, too.

Don't start throwing glue around on what is better handled professionally - if it even needs fixing.

I've had busted threads and not one - not one - has ever unravelled.

 

[photo2u]

The glue will not pose problems to future repair. This is a technique I used when repair leather garments for several aviation museums I volunteer for years ago. Glue is good when properly used. However, you can always send it to a repair person, who will most likely will not have a matching thread. If you have a question about zipper choices, I would go with a military zips, NOS in my view are excellent choices.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Monitor]

Wouldn't a wood / carpenter glue sort of thing be better than quick bonding glue? Leather tends to react differently to adhesives, especially fast acting ones and I never used any kind of quick polymerization glue that didn't harden the leather, turning it brittle.

Even just a little bit will permanently affect the area it has been applied to while wood glue can even be relatively easily rubbed off leather surface.

If I use glue on the leather now, would that make it more difficult to get it fixed by a professional leather worker in the future? A few years down the line I might need to get the zipper professionally replaced because of fraying. I intend to ask for the cuff stitching to be fixed also. Would the glue cause problems if I use it now?

@photo2u's suggestion would require you to micro-dose the glue, no more than what the point of a needle can hold so no, it wouldn't pose a problem for later alterations - But - you need to be very precise and careful.

The broken thread probably won't start unraveling... But it might.
My suggestion is that you simply restitch the area with the same/similar thread. Reinforce it two or two stitch-holes back and forth & try to make a full circle. Start on the inside of the sleeve, of course & you're good. New stitch will barely be visible - Besides, doubling or tripling the thread at the edges of the seam is how many tailors will reinforce the stitching anyway so it won't look out of place anyway.

 

[Pkshfo74036]

I use a very small amount of leather/ rubber glue on broken stitches to hold them down. The glue can easily be pealed off later, but it stops the thread from pulling or moving.

 

[Carlos840]

That stitch has 0 structural function, all it is doing is holding the folded over leather on the inside of the sleeve.

I would leave it alone.

 

[Vincent_rock]

That stitch has 0 structural function, all it is doing is holding the folded over leather on the inside of the sleeve.

I would leave it alone.

Exactly. That thread is only relevant along the sleeve (left to right in the picture) but has zero function on the cuff (up and down)
If it keeps fraying or whatnot, I guess a liny drop of glue is in order. A proper leather works person can peel that off in no time. (Tiny meaning the tip of a toothpick)