In Part 2 of my traditional pocket stringing series, I jump into the sidewall setup and the leather prep that makes (or breaks) how your classic is going to sit. I’m building this one as a six-diamond classic, so I’m aiming for about six loops (maybe seven) down the sidewall, but the exact count depends on your head and whether you’re doing a 5, 7, or 8-diamond. I show the simple sidewall loop I use all the way down—skipping holes, going into the plastic from the outside, coming up through the loop, and keeping everything consistent. Then I mirror it on the other side, but because it’s a classic, I slightly offset it so the pocket lays the way I want. After that, I finish the leather prep, including how I like to route the leathers for a little extra depth (I prefer coming from the outside and up, instead of straight down through the leather). I also give a last reminder to keep the smooth side of the leathers facing the ball. From there, I drop in a traditional “tri-tree” (or a makeshift tree) in the lower third of the head to hold everything in place while I set my channel—outer leathers lower than the centers, centers split through the inside loops to keep the middle track wide. Finally, I tie everything off tight (double knots), use any side slits your head gives you, and get it ready to sew the actual pocket.