What are the common causes for sticky harness needles? Frequently I'm finding that my harness needles are too difficult to pull through by hand, and I have to resort to pliers, which means putting down the awl. Slows down the process a bit.

What I'm using:


4-5 oz veg-tan
Size 4 harness needles (originally I was using size 0, which was even more difficult to pull through)
Size 1 Barry King Awl Blade (2.6mm width)
Waxed nylon thread (Tandy 1227-02, not sure what thickness)


I suspect that my thread is too thick, or that the wax is making my needles too sticky, but I'm not really sure.

What could be the causes of this / what can I try?
Oils in the leather can turn rancid with time, thus becoming a plastic, sticky goo that will transfer to the needle as you stitch. With new leather this is not going to be the problem .. but, just saying.

Try treating the needle and first few centimetres of the thread with teflon spray, WD-40, or neatsfoot oil .. whichever you prefer. You can also rub a bit of Ivory Soap onto the first 10 cm of the thread near the needle to have a slipperier wax on the thread.