JLSleather

I already commented, but having viewed it again, I must now say that I still like it

Here's my thing, Doug and all ... if you can buy a decent machine that does what you need it to at a bargain price, then do it. ONCE in the last year I paid more than I needed to ... couple of boys were gonna go clear the sidewalks at a freind's house I didn't have time to get to (she's 60-something, and stubborn, and WILL go shovel herself if you let her). Boys gave me a price that was HALF of reasonable, and I paid them the going rate anyway ... cuz they were kids and would later realize their price was WAY too cheap). I recommend that you insist on seeing it work and getting the manual. Many of the ads I see proclaim how you can download the manual, or it's "easy to get". Fine ... then let them download it or "get" it, and produce it with the machine. If you're buying a used vehicle, it's not the salesman's job to teach you to drive. But you'd still test drive it. You might even take it to a mechanic who knows more than you, and has all those fancy tools to diagnose it. I DON'T own the bigger boat my wife said we need (she's right) because the guy looked all offended that I wanted to put it on the lake and SEE it work. Sorry ... fancy signs and shiny web sites don't mean anything here.

I use Cobbler's Choice Cement, which I buy from S-T Leather. 20 years ago, it was half the price of the Barge's and worked well. Now it's about the same cost (at $13.95/qt) but I trust it so I still use it. Somebody said you could tear the leather trying to pull it apart, so I had to try .... they were right, you WON'T get it apart. And since I order other stuff there, it saves me time, trouble and shipping charges. S-T Leather Co P.O. Box 78188 St. Louis, MO 63178-8188 Phone: 314-241-6009 Fax: 314-241-8428

I must be the middle of the road guy, Doug. Maybe that's the same as being the odd man out, which wouldn't be new either Here's a couple thoughts, though... I still don't see the point of $5k (or even $3k) for a shiny new machine unless you're "all in" and know what you're getting is going to do what it's for (meaning you have to start with knowing what it's for). On the other hand, you can't learn the RIGHT way with the WRONG tools. When my biggest baby boy wanted to learn to play the guitar, I told him he'd need a Martin, or at least an Ovation. You can save money with the Walmart version, but you will get USED TO HEARING THE WRONG SOUND. When you hear the RIGHT one, you won't recognize it. I could rotate my tires with a jack and a vise-grip pliers, but chances are I'd have ruined lug nuts (and since the whole thing could slip, maybe the other nuts broken too). Sure, I'd "appreciate" the jack stands and impact wrench later, but I could have appreciated it NOW, and been done sooner and safer and with better results. Finally, speaking as a relatively old guy, I remember computers with 4k of Ram and 200 Mb disks. While I CAN appreciate this one (which is not state of the art by any means), sure woulda been nice to have this "back when". And I can't imagine trying to enter this long-winded musing with a machine that needs "adjusting" every time I start a new line. I could go on, but the truth is I'm not trying to talk anyone into or out of anything. Just some thoughts I've had. I personally was uninformed enough to put a few hundred $$ into an old Singer machine that does SOME stuff. I'm only getting my money out of it by sheer stubbornness. If I had it to do again, I would pass on buying it, just because it takes too long and uses too much space. Meanwhile, I'm still researching what machine I will buy ... and I been thinking about a bigger boat anchor anyway.

Clean without being "plain". Nice job, I like it.

I do find people are making their own gifts. Translation: not ordering them from me. I really don't know what you DO about it, but people really are concerned more about price than value. At a recent fair, my wife was directly across from a couple girls selling fabric handbags. 4 to 1 they went to look "over there", and of those 'over here" sometimes left upon hearing the price. Granted, couple of them girls WANTED a fabric bag, but most interested in just buying something without putting out much money. This guy I know sells walleye fishing tackle. Nobody buying the $50 tackle box, but a few bought $50 worth of smaller items (long as the bag was full for the $$). I see crafters (not all of us) who in my opinion have reacted to "tighter" customers by reducing quality, and thus reducing costs. Less quality for the same price. On the other end, I see this with suppliers as well. I don't currently own a decent sewing awl. I ordered one from 3 different suppliers (at more $$ than a good one should cost) and got 3 "bad" tools -- two dull and one was actually dented. I'm driving this weekend to the Tandy (which is closest for me) and I'm gonna wanna TEST an awl. THis is pathetic and should be unnecessary, but if they aren't willing to do it, or the awl won' t cut effortlessly, then I'm not buying it. While it may be more information than necessary for this forum, I'm DOWN about $3800 for 2010. Not cause for panic, but I'm always aware of where I'm at. I'm "making it" because my sweetie has a good job And I aim at the humorous side of it, but that's the truth of it. The lady who got the Mothers' Day handbag I posted was thrilled, and I'm sure I could have charged more than I did (her daughter paid). But, I don't "scrimp" or "cut corners" that shouldn't be cut, and I don't charge more "because I can". Somewhere in there it becomes a matter of personal integrity -- which you either have or you don't. This, perhaps, is all anyone can "DO" about it ... "police" yourself. If every one of us (crafters) rigidly adhered to superior quality and reasonable price, there would still be those shopping at the discount mall.

I used Neat-Lac a bit about 20 years ago, but found that it wasn't flexible. Tends to crack and "spiderweb" when flexed - even when thinned. I DO use the Saddle-Lac, though, not quite as high-sheen as the Neat-Lac, as it seems to flex well.

Very nice! This is NEW and DIFFERENT. Did I mention that we LIKE new and different? Suueee -- weeet! Wife snooping over my shoulder, she likes it too. I'm from here, and she's one o them Kiwis, so fans from 2 continents.

Simple Google search returned this ... Singer 97-10 Many agree that the 97-10 is the best threaded needle stitcher ever built. This will sew an honest 1" of leather. The presser foot lifts to 1 1/4" high. The machine also features a 10" throat. The 97-10 has a needle feed with a jump foot like the FERDINAND BULL. This extremely heavy duty machine is on a cast ion standing work height stand so you can get large goods into it.. 'Course, that don't say anything about the condition of the one you're looking at ...

Was gonna stick in the link, but by the time I go through that I might as well just copy the photos here! This the right one???

I s'pose customers are a necessary irritation ...

Girl wants a handbag for her Mom for Mother's Day. "Deciding" for about a month. Now wants this fairly simple bag, standard design, and she's ALMOST sure of the color she wants the orchids painted on the bag. Still wants it by Saturday, though... I'm reminded of Faye Dunaway in that movie years ago (not that in itself is bad, cuz she's STiLL SO cute) ... asks that guy if he hates people ... guy says no, he don't hate 'em, just seems to like it better when they ain't around!

I personally didn't find these as "lame" as you said. Pictures are quite large, so it took me a minute I often wonder if people realize just how many "patterns" they have. Below is an example of what I'm talking about. I rarely draw "from scratch". Exceptions have included a 12" x 18" framed picture of a steamboat on the river from a photo of the one that lady was married on, a Santa Fe locomotive engine coming out of the mountains entering a town with a sign saying "Olen" (his Dad, who retired 35 years with Santa Fe, was named Olen), and a picture of that lady's Afghan dog (which was by far the hardest, scrawny dog with long hair- that couldn't look like A dog, had to look like THAT dog). Burglary a couple years ago got those photos (I still wonder what good they were to anyone but me). Anyway, here's a couple small photos to make the point ... all from one "craftaid" in the interest of speed. One with a deer, dyed with Fiebing's "dark brown" (hence the slightly reddish tint), one with an eagle, dyed in "chocolate" brown, one with Zachary's initial done with a mix of the dark brown and chocolate.

Been a while since I ordered tooling leather from them, but ALL of my dyes, finishes, and most of my hardware comes from S-T. The KIDSKIN lining is the best I've found for the money, no contest (this stuff is thin, strong, and gorgeous). S-T Leather Co P.O. Box 78188 St. Louis, MO 63178-8188 Phone: 314-241-6009 Fax: 314-241-8428

Hi, Anne - If you have a photo, you can post it by clicking "reply", and under the message click the browse button to find your photo and - having found it - click "Attach This File". If this is a pain, you can send them to me and I'll put them in THIS thread in the morning (off to bed, age thing ). Not going to be able to make your bag in that time frame, but I can shift some colors & designs and post them for others if you like

This looks good. Attractive, functional, incorporates the advertising, relatively small investment ... nice job. Only question, then, ... what kind of feedback are you getting from the dogs about color options

How big is the fish? This one off a small wallet, using a 411 veiner (or was it 412 ... if this is the look you want I'll go check). Fish is about 3 1/2" long.

All the older patterns, including craftaids, assumed that style was 9 1/4" x 3 3/8" and used 3/4 oz leather backing (I think the 4/5 oz is considerably too thick for a wallet). Anyway, the liner was then made from 1 1/2 - 2 oz chrome tanned, usually calf or goat. No notches. The sides were made 6" x 4" and then folded in half to 3" x 4", leaving an inch between them. The 1/4" shorter made the wallet bow slightly, which keeps it from "bunching". Tough to sew on a flatbed machine, but otherwise works well.

A photo of where you're trying to go would help. USED to be, a "bill-fold" was 9 1/4" x 3 3/8" and folded in half, and a "bi-fold" was 7 1/4" x 4 1/2" and folded in half. So it obviously matters which one you're trying to make. These days, I guess folks 'er calling this a "bi-fold". This what you're trying to do?

Doesn't like to pull the lock stitch into the center. Bottom thread not pulled up far enough. NEW tension assembly didn't really make any difference. New bobbins and bobbin cases ... same thing. Thread size doesn't seem to matter. I'm using it, but the thing is so moody that I have to "organize" a bit much ... as in sew ALL of that type of leather I need sewed in the near future before changing to something else. Just too much trouble to put it back again. Here's the irritating part... really no money in this thing but I certainly wouldn't trust it to sew a project I have hours of carving/painting in. Then, I've never really minded hand sewing, but after ordering three different awls from three different places - all of which were useless until you regrind them ("sharpen" doesn't cover it) - it just added to the aggravation. I ordered leather from "40 years experience" and got a hide that I wouldn't use for a drop cloth. These and other "new" items were just waste-of-my-time irritations, but I'm unlikely to be so forgiving if I spent $2k on a new machine and got the same "service". A "guarantee" that I can return it is useless to me - just means I killed time twice. So, I'm done letting it stress me out. I could have spent the wasted time making other projects for the upcoming show and easily made more than I invested in this thing. Pro'lly just throw it in somewhere out of the way in case I ever need parts - or a place to clean some fish. Please don't invest your time in diagnosing the machine - I'm done with it. I'd sell it for what I have in it, but honestly can't be bothered to ship it. All this other stuff was just wondering out loud if anybody else is seeing the same things.

I got an issue with this 16-188 too (I THINK it's just BEFORE the 111). Killed a day picking it up, another day messing with the tension, another day ordering parts, one more day having it checked out. It works, but I can't seem to keep the tension adjusted. At this point, the time I lost is worth more to me than the money I have in it. With four days, I could have profited more at the upcoming leather sale than this cost me. Ordered several sewing awls, figured I'd get some done by hand while waiting on the machine. Wouldn't you know it, every one of them dull. What happened to the "old days", when new meant working? I spent $100 and got some dull metal. I spent several $100 and got a machine that sews OK if you have the patience (and a good bit of the same leather you're using) to set it up repeatedly. All of this has me pretty much gunshy about buying a machine. But, I NEED to have things sewn, so I'm not really sure where to go from here. In the process of calling around to get this machine serviced, I got alot of "we don't do that any more", so I assume it would be the same with the new machine.

Who carries leather needles for this Singer 16-188?

FOLD your pattern material, then cut one side of the pattern line, cutting through both layers. When you unfold it, it WILL match. NOTE: You'll want to measure/mark the INSIDE of your pattern. This will make it fit your item. The thicker the material, the farther off it will be on the outside. Think of it this way... you make a 12" x 12" x 12" box from 1/8" thick masonite. Inside of the box measures 11 7/8 x 11 7/8 x 11 7/8. Make the same size box out of 3/4" lumber, inside the box is now only 11 1/4". Leather the same way. Any type of case that is going to custom fit the item should be made with the INSIDE dimensions in mind.

Hey, Bill- If that's an "expensive' lesson, I'd say you must be living right! I can honestly say I don't make MANY mistakes, but when I make one it's usually WAY more than $35. Not that I'm proud of it, just by way of giving you an "attaboy"! Now that I'm thinking about it, the stitches in my finger are definitely NOT going to be in the $30 range. That was me, failing an idiot test Note to self: put down any knives BEFORE sorting the stuff on the table ...

Really irritated that I can't seem to find some plain english information on sewing leather. SO, I'll throw this out once, see what happens. I used to enjoy hand-sewing leather (no, really). Awl got busted up, so I ordered a new one. Came with dull blades. Too much to do at the moment to sharpen them, so I ordered more blades from a different supplier. Guess -- yeah, dull as... Ordered from yet another supplier -- the blades don't fit the haft. Ordered one of those little stitching pony things from the Tandy store down the road. This thing is ridiculous ... whole thing is so twisted that it only clamps on one corner. English doesn't have words for this situation ... NO way this should be this big a pain. Got this Singer 16-188 machine, used and [apparently] reasonable. I don't sew with a machine, so I'm assuming I'll destroy some leather, ... fine. A few new parts, under $100, and maybe $100 worth of lightweight leather. But I'm about frustrated with the whole thing. Recognizing that it's possibly operator problem, I kept trying to adjust this n that. When the thread tension is "buggered" on the bottom, is it the top tension, bobbin tension, needle, thread, ... manual is pathetic, what I could even find. Wife called a place about an hour from here, says they "service" these machines. I drove 10 miles PAST this place to pick it up. My fault, I suppose ... had I known that at the time I would have let them service it BEFORE I brought it home. In the end, I just want to sew small items -- wallets about heavy as it would get. 3/4 oz carving leather, and 3 layers of 2 oz chrome tanned lining. And my wife has purchased some garment hides her and the girls from work want purses made from. Should be simple, right??? By now I've messed with the thing enough that I'm behind on the other stuff. Knowing I could have hand-sewn some stuff with a decent awl blade has got me picturing that hammer in the cabinet. So I click, click, click through the leather machines site, and get a page that says to call us. Wow. SO -- 1.) anybody can tell me where to get a decent awl haft that comes with sharp blades? 2.) how many machines should it take to sew - say - up to 10 oz leather?