Kevin

Depends on what you mean by moccasin weight, deerskin,no, Walter Dwyer type moccasin, yes, that weight anyway. One of the problems with these machines is they like to sew FAST, the speed is what gives them momentum, look at a Campbell and the weight of the handwheel is what gives it momentum. I'm wondering if a 3/4 horse servo motor would do the trick. Then you could go slow but still have plenty of torque supposedly.

Just looks like an old safety razor blade to me. Try the grocery store or drug store.

I think because it's too fussy to hold that many layers together at one time. You have 5 things to keep straight. Sewing it twice seems like more work, but you're not having to fight every stitch.

I just looked at your website, very nice work, very nice videos.

If I were going to spend that much money, I'd get the Campbell-Randall splitter.

Tom Taylor used to have a saddlemaking school in Pennsylvania in the '70s. The last time I heard the name he was in Texas, if it's the same person. That's all I know.

Weaver's has black in two weights.

I also have used heat shrink tubing, masking tape and once I had an extra foot, a grinder. If I have something that needs real precision, I mark the stitches with a pricking wheel and lighten the pressure and hand feed it.

What kind of a cast iron stand?

Eeel was used a lot in the '80's, but it wrecked the magnetic strip on credit cards for some reason.

On the old needle and awl machines, the manuals said to do it to pull a tighter stitch. I assume it is the same on newer machines, I do it .

You can cut the finisher down to just what you might need, I have about 8' at home and 5' at work. I had a grinder on a short leg of a finisher and I've seen work benches built on just the legs. I think I used to have a vice mounted on a leg also.

Tackle box.

I use leather dye or Ritz dye. You can tan leather without chemicals, just chop down some trees, strip off the bark, grind it up and make a liqueur and soak away.

Mostly I try not to knot. It can telegraph through and make a lump, but sometimes I do.