Kate

reopening a pretty old thread, as I cannot remember didley from one year to the next if I am not USING it constantly.... I found a really REALLY good tutorial video on lacing up saddle skirts, from Don Gonzales Saddlery. This is only a couple months old, and is about as clear a description as I have ever seen. Hopefully this will be of help to someone.

Weaver Leather sells them new - not cheap, but also supposed to be made in USA, not china

Steve, it's a Landis #1, not a Landis 3 - but thanks for buying it anyhow! I'm sure that you will enjoy this great old machine. MISTER Landis still pulls a fine tight stitch in heavy skirting leather, hard to beat the quality. I appreciate your interest - and folks, to everyone else, THE LANDIS #1 IS SOLD!!!

Logan, I am not super interested in the skiver - Had one, been there and sold that. Would really prefer to sell the Landis outright, though, as my finances are pretty tough right now. THanks for your intereest, Kate

As of today, June 25, 2013, yes, the Landis is still here. I get a few requests now and then - mostly trying to beat me down on price. After they find out that it costs actual money to ship a palletized machine across the country they just fade away. If you are interested, my bottom dollar is $950 PLUS SHIPPING for the whole lot - all the spares, the bobbin winder and manual, etc. I wil not charge anything to palletize this machine for shipment - that right there is a significant outlay for materials and work. I am getting quotes in the $280=$400 neighbohood, depending on how far across the country you are from my NW Washington State location. Thanks for your interest, sorry I did not pick this up sooner. Kate

The base isn't an issue, it's the table top that you have to have - bigger opening than a standard home machine, you will want a regular industrial type table top (or make one from 1-1/8 heavy plywood), and since mine is a fiddleback base, it won't fit "down and in" to a recess - just parks on top. I blocked the legs into the table opening to steady things up. you "could" also set it up on a box "portable" base for tabletop use, and put an electric motor on it with regular foot control.

I still have it - though it's stuck up in shop "attic" and I'd have to go find it again and make sure all the pieces are still there How about we take this to PM and I'll let you know when i know if it's still all there after near three years ?

Hey Mike! Glad to hear you got something out of your Landis. You should be happy with your new Cobra - I'm kinda kicking myself for not getting the longer arm on mine (I have the Cobra class 3) as I did a rifle boot the other day and REALLY wanted more deck space On the whole, though, for 95% of my work, the Class 3 is making me pretty happy. I keep it set up for medium to light weight work and just use the Landis for BIG stuff - but my shop is so packed now I can hardly turn around so I'd really love to find MISTER Landis a new home. Here's to happy stitching! Kate

More likely mid-fifties. I had one VERY similar, same tree (it's a 15 inch seat, BTW) and border rollstamp pattern, but mine had one-piece fenders and was double rigged - still the 3/4 plate in front. Mine was in pretty pristine condition compared to this one, which is fairly used up and showing a lot of crazing damage to the leather. Value will suffer accordingly sorry 'bout that. Mine went for a bit over $700 to a collector, about ten years ago - prices have slipped down since then, people just don't have money for toys any more. If it fits your horse (it will most likely be a semi-QH tree, too narrow for bigger horses) it is a good saddle to ride - real comfy seat on these. An all-day working saddle.

I am selling my wonderful old Landis stitcher. Loads of photos on the web page linked here. I've had this machine for over a decade, it runs well, makes a great tight beautiful stitch. Including a bunch of needles, two shuttles, bushings, bobbins, a few oddball spares, COMPLETE original operator's manual, and the bobbin winding machine. Will throw in big roll of heavy thread with it - this machine was set up to not need to change the foot to change stitch length (toe ground off - makes it easier to see what you are doing, too), and the wax boiler was removed (before I met it) so as to run modern threads. I have the stand set up on heavy casters so I can move it around my shop - but I'm out of space and not using it that much any longer, doing lighter work. I can crate the head and smalls and palletize the stand for shipping, but would prefer pick up - it's big, and heavy. I am located in NW Washington state, north of Seattle and east of Everett, close to US Hwy 2. Asking $950 plus shipping (I have $1200 in it before I shipped it from FLORIDA to me) - might consider trading for equal value bench machinery? PM with ideas, please.

Man, I found the makers some years back (after a long search). Gal who runs Black Horse Leather had some, and I finally got an answer from her on the supplier, who are a family-owned firm (Spanish name) in California. Third generation silversmiths. NOT cheap. The minimum order was way out of my range. I'll try to think of the name and get back.

I'd also love to see pics of your stripped trees - I've repaired a few, but sidesaddle trees are so much different than Astride saddles, it's always good to learn more about how they were put together "back then". Kate

Among the Old Sewing Machine folk, it's common name is a Puzzle Box - sue to the way it unfolds. You got a VERY good buy on that, usually if they are complete, and the attachments inside are bright and clean as yours look to be, they go for a good bit more than five bucks. You can check into the Treadleon group (fun bunch of people who USE their antique machines) or try to find out through the Needlebar site - I haven't had any luck there in years, but a newbie might. Lovely piece, enjoy it!

What Wiz said. In my experience, any machine that can handle multiple layers of even light leather (and not mess it up) is going to weigh in the neighborhood of 65 pounds and up. Anything less will not handle the work. Lifting these "portables" up and onto a work table (which has to be heavy-duty enough for it!) is a real chore. Portability is always a trade-off on a working machine.

My apologies in advance to the Mods, I don't know where to post this other than the forum a certain person found me at. Preface with the simple fact that I believe strongly that what goes around, comes around, for good or bad. I try real hard to believe in the intrinsic goodness of "most" people and always try to help out someone if I can. I have an old Landis #1 harness stitcher, and the original complete manual for the machine. Over the years, I have made copies or sent scans of pages for others who have gotten an old Landis machine, and needed help. I usually ask for ten bucks to cover my postage and the CD that I burn for them - and have always felt pretty good about it. Well, up until Today, that is. Looked at my checking account and found a debit for ten bucks, PLUS a $12 returned item charge. Had the bank look it up for me, and it was that guy from Marion, Texas who I sent the CD a couple of months ago. I figured since he sent the check about 6 weeks after I sent the CD, that I was out the postage - no biggie, really. BUT when his wife (not him!) finally sent the check, it bounced - AND I got the fee too. So, I'm kinda ticked off. No, I am REALLY ticked off! Now if I find him posting copies of the manual to ebay or something, I'm going to have to show up on his doorstep with a horsewhip and improve his manners. So, do we upstanding people in this community have anything like a Wall of Shame to out the dirtballs who lie, cheat, steal or just in general contribute negatively to our craft and art? Thanks for letting me let off steam, boy this has got me fuming...

Just used my Cobra class 3 on a holster - first one I have ever not hand sewn. The trick is in using one foot (needle closer to exposed on one side of the stitch line) and in planning out the order of sewing assembly. That, and having things glued up correctly in advance of stitching My Cobra did a great job - heck of a lot better looking than some of the mass produced stuff I see advertised - on two layers of 8-9 horsehide. I see more machine sewing in my future!

What Sim said! in spades....

For Chainftw and Campbellrandall = today (two days AHEAD of scheduled arrival) the Peerless Perforator that I bought from CampbellRandall showed up in the driveway. BIG ol thing.... NOw to get a table set up for it and get to figuring it out. A nicely photocopied manual was included, and WAY in the back back pages there are promotional images of a few other Peerless machines of the era. Chainftw, one of them is YOURs... but it's not a perforator, it's an automatic eyelet setter, "The Rapid Eyeletter, Model A". The photos you so kindly shared with me months ago show that you have the bare bones hole-punching machine, the eyelet feeder side and the clincher side are missing. Or maybe you just have them in a box someplace.... Whatever, maybe now you can find a little more about it, having the correct name? Thanks, many thanks, to CampbellRandall for his patience and assistance in getting me an operational machine from his scrap heap - I am REALLY impressed. For Chainftw and Campbellrandall = today (two days AHEAD of scheduled arrival) the Peerless Perforator that I bought from CampbellRandall showed up in the driveway. BIG ol thing.... NOw to get a table set up for it and get to figuring it out. A nicely photocopied manual was included, and WAY in the back back pages there are promotional images of a few other Peerless machines of the era. Chainftw, one of them is YOURs... but it's not a perforator, it's an automatic eyelet setter, "The Rapid Eyeletter, Model A". The photos you so kindly shared with me months ago show that you have the bare bones hole-punching machine, the eyelet feeder side and the clincher side are missing. Or maybe you just have them in a box someplace.... Whatever, maybe now you can find a little more about it, having the correct name? Thanks, many thanks, to CampbellRandall for his patience and assistance in getting me an operational machine from his scrap heap - I am REALLY impressed.

Interesting. Well I guess that explains the decline in overall quality I had observed in the BC saddles of recent years when compared to the earlier ones. I will cherish my Rogers saddle as long as I am around to do so - he was a genuinely NICE man when I finally got hold of him. His wife is selling the last of his stock stuff on ebay now - mostly small goods, notebooks, guitar straps etc. Thanks for that info, I appreciate it.

It does look like my faithful old 31-20, and it's pretty doggone CLEAN, very good looking setup - that clutch and motor are gorgeous. Nothing wrong with having it in the shop, there are a lot of uses for a good 31 class - especially if you can get a nice roller foot and dog for it. Mine does mostly light leather, heavy clothing and horse blankets - it is fantastic for a lot of things - zipper replacement, fer instance. But, it's not a heavy stitcher, and I'd purely hate to try to build a holster with it I went from all hand stitched straight to my wonderful Cobra class 3 - (thanks Steve!) for heavier stitching.

July, at Christie's in NY.... Auction Page They are selling the whole shebang, including Trigger, Buttermilk, Bullet and the Jeep............. I think I'm sad about this - I kinda miss Roy and Dale, and those better days.