Andrew Chee

Hi, I have a like-new Cobra Class 17 walking foot sewing machine for sale. It is set up for leather with a servo motor and a speed reducer which gives it great torque and control. It was purchased brand new from Cobra Steve about 9 months ago. I have too many sewing machines and I need to reduce my collection. Also comes with a few different presser feet (left toe, right toe, double toe, piping, etc...) as well as a custom swing away edge guide. You can read more about this machine here: http://www.leatherma...alog.php?item=3 The price is $800 and I would like to sell this to someone in the San Francisco Bay Area (I live in the East Bay) because I can't really deal with shipping this machine. Please PM me if you are interested. Thanks. Andrew

Hi BearMan. I'm interested in one of your handles. Are they designed for larger hands? I have medium sized hands and I find a lot of awls a little too long for me. Andrew

The leather is some kind of Latino so it's probably some combination chrome/veg tan. Not really sure exactly. I haven't really tried the crease line yet but paddle works fairly well. It basically helps melt the wax into the edge. I sand and re-wax between coats and can get a fairly smooth finish. If someone knows the absolute correct way to use this tools, please let me know. As for the shaft part, I don't know. I don't really want to find out if it gets too hot so I just don't touch it. Andrew

Sorry for taking so long to follow up on this. I did get this unit about a week ago but I just haven't had time to test it out yet. I've included some pictures of it. There is a standard paddle tip, an edge creaser tip (I think it's 2mm but they come in different widths), and two rounded edging tips (3mm and 5mm). I haven't really played with it too much but I tried testing it out on edging a single piece of 6oz latigo. The edge I got was using sandpaper, bees wax, and heat. Not bad but I should probably learn the correct way to use this tool so I can get even better results. Anyways, pictures are attached. Andrew

Bear in mind that if what you want primarily is a single needle machine then go buy a single needle machine. While a double needle machine can sew a single stitch by just removing one of the needles, it will not do things as well as a single needle machine. The feet you can get will be limited, you might find that some of the tighter spaces you want to sew will be more difficult because of the wider feet. Double needle machines are made for a very specific purpose and you'll find that although it can do single needle work, it will not do it as well as an actual single needle machine. Andrew

Are you sure about this? I don't see how you can have two needles feeding off the same bobbin. Do you have any pictures of such a conversion? I would be very interested in seeing one. Andrew

Those are expensive machines so 800euros is not bad. Is the new motor a servo or a clutch? Try to get them to throw in a servo if it's not already. Andrew

Also check out what used machines the forum sponsors might have as well since they will stand by what they sell new or used. I bought a used 441 clone from cobra steve and its my favorite machine now. service was great too. Andrew

One thing to bear in mind. Parts are crazy expensive for these machines. But if you get one, check out www.kwokhing.com for inexpensive accessories for those machines. Their edge guides are amazing and very well priced. Andrew

227s are cylinder bed machines. They may be better at sewing bag gussets cause you can get into some tighter spots than with a flatbed. On the other hand, they don't have the wide platform that flat beds do which is really helpful when seeing large flat pieces. Also, a 227 does not have reverse (unless it's a 227R. R for reverse). You would not be able to backtack unless you turn the whole work piece around. With that said, both are fine for what you're trying to make. As for what to check out, visually it should be clean with hopefully not too much wear or rust on it. Bring the type of material you plan to sew along with you and try it out. Make sure the stitches are evenly spaced and the tension is even (no knots poking up every few stitches). Ask the seller if they have any extra presser feet and needles with the machine. If they have a good edge guide, that's even better. Good thing about these machines though is that these parts are pretty cheap. Bear in mind that you will probably want to swap out the clutch motor with a servo and that can cost in the $150 - $200+ range so factor that cost in. Andrew

I have an 8" chase pattern splitter for sale. Bought it a few months back but I just don't use it very much since I have a crank style splitter now so it's just sitting around. It is a W.H.Horn splitter but the company stamp was removed from the blade when it was sharpened. The blade has been professionally sharpened and the splitter works just fine. You can see in one of the splitters that I split a 10oz piece of harness leather down to 4oz. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area so I would prefer to handle this locally to avoid shipping hassles. The price is $350. If I end up selling this out of the area, I will add actual shipping to the cost. Please PM me if you are interested and post any questions you might have. Thanks. Andrew

You are right about the stud. It's a Sam Browne type stud that I use there. What I didn't show is the I normally carry the laptop inside the bag inside a padded protective sleeve so that stud wouldn't be an issue. I guess it's something to keep in kind in the future if I decide to make anther one. Thanks. Andrew

Thank you. The funny thing is all I can see are the mistakes I made. Andrew

I have both machines (actually not the Yamata FY5318 but the Cobra Class 17 but both are basically the same machines). If you just want to sew soft leather wallets then the Yamata is going to be just fine. The Consew has needle feed so that will help the consistent feeding of heavier items. It can also go up to a 207 thread which is one size larger than the 138 max on the Yamata but if you're talking about wallets then I don't think you'd ever need to go over 138. I use 92 thread for interiors and 138 for the exterior of my wallets. 207 would look kinda bulky (unless that's the look you're going after). The Consew will give you more flexibility than the Yamata since it can technically go a bit heavier. But then of course there is the price difference. Where are you located? I'm thinking of selling my Cobra Class 17 now that I have the Consew. Andrew

Here's another one that I just finished. 6oz honey latigo (I think it's some combination tanned latigo). I go out a lot in sweats and clothing that don't have a lot of pockets so I wanted something that would hold my wallet, phone, and keys without looking like a murse. I styled this after some WWII ammo bandoliers that I saw online. It is meant to be worn either around the waist or across the shoulder. Andrew

Hello all. Here is a briefcase I made a while back. It is made from 5oz W&C tan skirting that I conditioned/finished myself. I basically wanted a work case so this is what I came up with. Sewing the gusset corners was a real pain and binding the liner was also painful. Turned out ok though. Andrew

I'm still waiting on it. Here's a picture that they sent me of the tool. I've also attached the PDF brochure that they sent me. Hopefully you can view it. Andrew Hot-Glazing.pdf

So a large part of the cost is definitely the handle and heat controller. The tips are under $30 each which seems pretty reasonable since they're made in-house by Campbell Randall. I suppose you can find a heating unit and handle yourselves but what you're paying for is having them put together the whole setup for you. The tips use an custom adapter that lets then screw onto the handles and such. Andrew

After many months Campbell Randall finally did make this tool. I have just purchased one with anfewmhead attachments. Came out to around $300. I expect to receive it in the next few days. I will post some pics and observations once I've had a chance to use it a bit. Andrew