RogerF

Doug, Also make sure when you compleat your first back stitch that the theard is tight in the starting hole and has'nt pulled though eather the top or bottom.

DaveL, Try doing a lock stitch like a machine and don’t make your SPI so far apart. You'll need a hand snitcher like the one sold by Tandy catalog # 1216-00. That one is not the best, but shop around and look for one like it. Depending on the weight of your garment leather, you should be able to poke the needle/awl though with out a hole. If you’re using BT-69 weight or lighter thread, try 14 spi and see how that works for you. Roger

Cobra and Cowboy seem to be very popular on this forum probably because they advertise here. I’m sure there fine machines, but have never seen or used one. But I do read comments that are not always positive. As the owner of a busy leather production shop, down time on any machine is unacceptable. We run 3 Artisan in our shop and in 5 years have had 0 issues. The 2 Toro-4000’s run 10 hrs. a day 5 days a week and take nothing more than a few drops of oil a few times a week. If you’re looking for a sewing machine, check out Artisan. IMO you can’t go wrong for the $$ Roger Orion Equipment &Mfg.

Snpr9696, We run 2 Toro-4000 and a 3200 in our shop. The 4000's run 10 hrs. a day 5 days a week sewing 2 or 3 layers of 12 oz. They have been running now for 5 years and I have had -0- issues with them. The 3200 was bought to do wallets and is working like a charm. We use it for both the exterior and interior. For the money, you can’t go wrong with Artisan. There consumer servers is fantastic and the units are simple to use and maintain. The feed dogs on these units are smooth and won’t mar the back, so that should be a non-issue for you. I would suggest you add the flat table top as it comes in handy. That’s my $.02 for what it’s worth. Good luck Roger Orion Equipment & Mfg.

You can find the dyes with this company in Australia Shoe Shines Australia Pty. Ltd. 74/5-13 Hutchinson Street Surry Hills, N.S.W. 2010 011 612 9332 2393 in Australia (02) 9332-2393 Fax: (02) 9360-2482 Ron Butcher ssapi@zipworld.com.au