alexitbe

Well, I am going to give it another go this year after last year's disasters.... Someone has taken the time to upload this information from a long out-of-print glove making book from the 30's... Have a look here... and let us know how you get on... http://livingstonjewelers.com/gloves.html Cheers Alex

Hello YinTx, You certainly do some neat and careful work, which is a joy to look at. I have never seen such polished tools, and I guess they help you. Can you remember where you bought them from? Cheers Alex

As Constabulary said, its very close to a Claes. The arm looks to be the same in shape and form. Check out the very early Claes machines... Its seems to be somewhere between them and the later CLaes RPX. However, the take-up lever with its spring system is different to what I have seen. ALthough i have not really researched it.. Cheers Alex

This sounds the most sensible and easiest thing to do. The grinder/sander is something that almost everyone will have access to Cheers Alex

After removing the teeth, why not simply sandblast the base to make rough and then polish by hand to the smoothnes you wish?

Hi Glenn, Thanks for the info. I am just waiting for an invoice.... I am glad to hear the modern feet will fit the patcher... Cheers ALex

Hi shoepatcher, I am in Germany, so maybe your guy would not be willing to send here... Its funny how you can find the presserfoot for the patcher, there but I cannot here... I have found something new about the CLaes 214-1. The foot can either be fixed or move with the leather, in the same way as the Adler 105-8. My feeddogs are a little sharp so I will blunt them with some 1000 grit sandpaper

Hi Constab, Yes it was a good find... I must say I am very pleased with it and the fact that it does not seem to mark the leather too much. This time I made sure that I got all the extras with it... It took me a while to realise that these can be as expensive as the machine itself... Funily enough I bought two Claes machines in a matter of two weeks... My Singer Patcher was stolen about 6 months ago from the Keller Taush and I have been scouring the internet for a replacement since then. The Claes Patcher is simply superior in every way... Accept I cannot get presser feet...Yet.. It does have a reverse, as you suggest. I wonder why it would have a wider feed dog... more surface are to grip, but for what? Thanks for the offer of the manuals... I'll pm you shortly. Cheers Alex

Well Gentlemen, I got myself a Claes 214 at the weekend.... It was a bit of a chore, but finally got it home... I have posted pics of it in the "leather machinary" section by mistake.... Have not yet managed to move it here... Thank you all very much for so willingly giving up some of your knowledge to help a fellow sewer. Cheers Akex

Hi Lumpendoodle2, Yes, I walked it part way home.... But I really had to have it... I have been cleaning it this last few nights, but these are the photos I took before then. I thought the logo on the key and the other "thing" was a little Mackintosh in style.. .I wonder if it is of that period. The take up spring on the side is more than simply a spring. This contrasts to the Claes 214-7 I have seen. There is also an extra metal stop that stops the take-up spring dropping lower and this isn't found o the 214-7 that I have seen (The only one I have seen)

The extra feet that came with are shown below... And a few pics of the machine, including incredibly dirty hook with thread stuck behind... I will leave that alone since it sews well for now... For some reason the rest of my pics won't load...I will sort out tmrw.. Sorry Alex

So now for some pictures... I had read that these type of machine can badly mark the underside of the leather... So I put the grain side (4.5mm Veg Tan) on the bottom to see what the feed dogs will do... As you can see, the marks are not too bad and might eve be able to be hammered out. No adjustment of the machine had been made by me at all..

I have just arrived in from a very long day, including a 30 km walk with a hand wagon, but I had to let you guys know my happiness... I will take pics tmrw, but just to wet your appetite, its came with 6 intersting feet... And a fewf other stuff I don't know what they do... I am not sure how old the machine is, but they guy I bought from was about 55 and it belongued to his grandfather who was a shoemaker... I had several presses, which I would have bought, but I knew I had a very long walk ahead of me and couldn't manage anymore.. The chap also had a Claes RPX 3 Patcher, which goes through about 12mm of leather... Pics tmrw.. Alex

Hi Ralf, Thanks for your reply... I have booked to see the Claes, but if it turns out to be a sack sewing machine with no feed, I will be in contact with you with regard to your Adler 5. Cheers Alex

Gentlemen, Thank you very much for your detailed and comprehensive help. I could never have found all of that out alone, with my shaky German. I will contact the guy about the Kohler, but I think it will be missing the presser feet, etc, so will probably give it a miss... I will have a look at the Nechi... I think that is closer to what I would like... What about a Claes 214?... I think I might be able to get my hands on one... However, parts seem very expensinve... Anyway, thank you All, once again... Enjoy the remains of the weekend... Alex PS I am in Mitteldeutschland

Hi Ferg, Thanks for your help... I thought, that even back then, it was quite common for companies to copy each other's designs... I was hoping that this was maybe a copy of a Singer or Adler... A more common company, which I could get more information about than Kohler... Anyway, thanks for taking a look Cheers Alex

I am wondering if you could help me... I have found this old Kohler for sale and cannot work out what it may be capable of. The owner does not know and its too far away to pop down for a quick look. I want to be quite sure before I make the Journey. Here are a few pics... The presser foot area looks interesting.. There is a 3rd bar coming down with nothing attached... What do you think? I would like to sew up to 1/2 " of leather.... If I can find out what its a clone of, then maybe I can gain some idea of its performance.. Cheers Alex

Thanks David... I have wondered about this for some time... Its a good question and you were kind enough to provide the answer you found. Cheers Alex

To be honest, I really struggle with sharpening my tools... Well, the v-groover arrived today and I am surprised at the poor quality of the blade... I thought buying American, would mean better quality... In this case, I think not... Should have gotten the IVAN, which is 10 euros cheaper. I have a lot of work to do, getting this Osbourne v-gouger sharp. Cheers Alex

Real craftsmanship...Superb... And as someone else noted, suprised that 6 Oz (2mm) leather works so well... Thanks for posting Alex

Hi Thor, I will buy from them again, without doubt. Although I think their hand stitching thread is expensive, since it comes from the Ivan brand and is 5-6 euro for 23 m. I can find 100 m roll for that. I shall take your advice and spend some time sharpening first. I have found a good video, which suggests, first gouging some leather, apply polishing rouge to this trench and then stropping on that. Its a really good idea, since you now have an exact copy of the surface you wish to polish... I cannot believe I hadn't thought of that.. Cheers Alex

That's a pretty damning indictment...

Really good service, they sent it out today aswell... I am very pleased... Cheers Alex