neelsaddlery

Hello again: Watched the second video you posted.. I think it was the one entitle "Cowboy 4500......". Couple of observations: 1. When you first start sewing-- make sure the thread is through the hole in the inside presser foot before you start sewing. Again not likely to be cause of the problem but by eliminating potentially bad sewing habits you eliminate those from the list of potential problems. 2. It looked to me like perhaps the machine may have been threaded incorrectly. The way I personally set up my machines when they leave the Cowboy Distribution Warehouse is to put the thread through the eyelet above the primary thread tension, wrap the thread 1 1/2 times around the disks, then come out the same eyelet and go down through the thread take up spring and then up to the thread take up lever. In other words thread goes in eyelet above primary tension twice.....once on way in and once on way out. In doing it this way it is a lot less likely to get jammed in between the disks. 3. Make sure that the needle is shoved all way into hole in needle bar. Scarf should face to right and long groove should face to left. 4. Remember to reinstall flywheel according to my previous post. I can see for certain that flywheel is loose. It should never spin freely on shaft with machine doing nothing. Such a condition always indicates that flywheel is not tight on shaft. 5. Remember to try a bigger needle. That will help with needle deflection. 6. One last thing to try. Go get some fine grit emery cloth and cut off a very thin sliver. Remove the inside presser foot (the foot that has hole in it that needle goes up and down through) and floss the inside of the hole with the emery cloth. On rare occasions there is a small burr in the hole caused by the manufacturing process that slips by our QC staff. This can cause the thread to fray as well. Thread fraying on these machines can be a double edged sword. If the machine skips a stitch, that can cause the thread to fray, but if the thread is frayed that can cause the machine to skip!!! By installing a fresh size 26 needle and running emery cloth in inside foot you will remove two possible causes of thread fraying. Hope this helps.

I see one other thing in watching the second video you have posted. At no point should the flywheel spin and nothing on the machine moves. The flywheel screws have to be loose. Please do the following: 1. Remove the belt from machine and loosen flywheel bolts and remove flywheel. Then find the v-notch on the shaft that the flywheel goes on. 2. Align one of the two screws on flywheel with the v-notch on the shaft. When you place flywheel back on allow for 1/32 inch free space between flywheel and casting body. 3. Tighten BOTH screws securely making sure one of them is in v-notch. We will find the solution to your problem. Hope this helps.

Hello: Just a couple of things I saw from watching your video very closely: 1. Hold the top and bottom threads off to the right hand side at the 2 o'clock position when first starting to sew. This is not related to your problem but in doing so you'll be setting the thread in the right alignment for the hook to catch the first knot. 2. It looked to me in the video that the edges of the holster were not perfectly aligned. I could not tell for sure but it just looked that way. Your holster looks to be getting around 1/2 inch thick. Your machine is fraying the thread when it skips the stitch, which bigger harness stitchers tend to do. The thread fraying looks to occur every time the machine misses the stitch. 3. If the edges are uneven and you are sewing a folded item such as this, I would go up to the next bigger size needle, which is a 26 in this case. Try that and see if it helps. What you may be experiencing is needle deflection. Sometimes harder leathers will cause the needle to deflect out of the line of the hook and this will make it skip a stitch. As soon as the stitch is skipped the thread frays. 4. I would put a fresh unused needle in the machine in size 26. If the needle has a burr on the end of it that can make machine skip stitches as well as fray thread. 5. When the machine locks, check the motor and machine belts to see if they are spinning. The machine looked to be going very slow in the photos. If the belts slip then this can cause the machine to stop dead in its tracks. Check your belts for tension and bump up machine motor rpm by a couple hundred rpm. The motor will then make enough power to go through the thicker leather. 6. Its hard to tell from video but machine looks to be in time. Don't think this is the problem. 7. Make sure thread is traveling around disks of primary tension assembly. With foot down disks should spin as you pull on thread from front of thread take up lever. If thread is jammed between disks then this problem can occur. Bob has been a great seller of the Cowboy brand of machines and he has excellent customer service. He will find the solution to this problem. Please do not worry.

On the Tippmann and machines like it if the bobbin thread tension is too loose the thread can hang on the tension plate that goes on the bobbin case. I have seen this many times when tension plate us too loose. Try tightening screw a bit and see if this helps. You can alsoswitch to next size smaller thread in bobbin. This should let you tighten screw a bit more. Check to make sure top of machine is threaded right and tension disks are threaded right. This makes a huge difference.

You can also look at the Cowboy model 0797, Cobra Class 17 or Techsew 0302 machines. These machines are walking foot machines and work for exceedingly well for lightweight to medium weight materials. The price is also less than the compound feeders.

Hello: Do you need to have a cylinder arm machine for the type of work that you are doing? Flatbed machines tend to be more economical than cylinder arm machines because more are produced. You can look at the Cowboy Model 0797 machine as well as the Artisan 797 machine. These are lower priced and could still work well for sewing lightweight to medium weight leather goods. Consew also has a machine called the 205rb1 which is an economical machine for lightweight to medium weight leathers. Hope this is of some help to you.

Do you need a cylinder arm machine? You can look at the 0797 series machines for low cost flatbed machines. Artisan, Cobra, and Cowboy all have them. For cylinder arm machines I would look at a 227 machine. Will handle lighter weight thread and will work for medium leather sewing. Hope this helps.

Leightons in Canada sold a series of machines called the "Mach" series. Pretty sure from the photo that it is a Mach 2 sold by Leightons in Canada. It is a High lead Model 0618 machine. Same to Cobra Class 18 same to Artisan 618 same to Cowboy 0618. All same machines. Only thing to look for on these machines is if they have the safety clutch. Some do and some do not. Hope this is of some help to you.

Greg: Thanks for the information. I placed it under the heading you suggested. Ryan O. Neel

Hello All: I see there has been some talk on the forum about the new CB-3200 Leather Stitcher that we are offering. This machine is an excellent alternative to more expensive machines offered in the market today. The machine is the lowest priced heavy duty compound feed harness stitcher offered on the market. The operational mechanism of the machine is exactly the same as the Juki 441 machine and also all of the other 441 clones on the market. That is to say that this machine is a triple feed machine, which means that it has a needle feed, walking foot, and a feed dog. This machine uses a lot of the same parts as our Cowboy Model CB-4500 series machine (a clone of the Juki 441). This machine uses the same bobbin, shuttle hook, needle bar, needle, rock feed, presser feet, presser foot bar, as well as may other parts. This is an added advantage to the consumer in that parts on this machine will readily interchange with a lot of the other clones on the market. This machine can use any presser feet that are available on the aftermarket for any of the 441 clones as well. We stock a full array of presser feet for this model as well as our 441 machines, and also virtually any array of accessories that you may need such flip out roller guides, drop down roller guides, and different needle plates like holster, stirrup, and flat slotted needle plates. We also offer a full selection of spare parts as well. The compound feed mechanism on this machine insures perfectly even stitches over a wide variety of materials. The machine has the ability to climb over multiple layers of material and also is an excellent performer in heavy leathers. The machine will sew up to 1/2" thick with a 5/8" presser foot lift. The machine has a full 10.5 inches of sewable space to the right of the needle. This machine will work very well for all types of leathers, as well as nylon, biothane, and heavy canvas. It is an ideal machine for sewing light and heavy horse tack, saddles, knife sheaths and gun holsters, pet products, as well as ballistic nylon webbing, and nylon webbing used in the construction of horse accessories and pet products. It can also work well for sewing tow straps, parachute harness, and all manner of safety harnesses. The machine features a fully operational reverse mechanism that allows you to match the forward stitch with the reverse stitch perfectly, hole for hole. It also features all of the same operational and adjustment features as the 441, such as full thread tension adjustment, bobbin tension adjustment, presser foot tension adjustment, presser foot height adjustment, as well as a hand lifter and a foot lifter for the presser foot. This machine is an excellent choice for the leatherworker that is on a budget and in need of a machine that has all of the same abilities as the Cowboy Model CB-4500 but at a much lower price. The introductory price of this machine complete with stand with adjustable locking caster wheels, high quality plywood top with rubber edges, special variable speed dc servo motor, machine head, speed reducer, thread stand, bobbin winder, sewing light, thread, needles, an assortment of tools, and extra bobbins is $1595.00 complete!!!! The price point on this machine makes it a full $800.00 cheaper than any 441 clone on the market. Yet, the machine is able to perform all of the same operations as the 441. So far we have received an overwhelming response to these machines and those that have purchased have been very pleased with the performance of the machine and also the price point. Bob Kovar at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines is a fully stocked dealer of these machines and he has close to 50 units in stock and ready for immediate delivery, with many more on order. Our factory is working at full capacity to produce these machines and we anticipate selling a tremendous amount of them in 2014. We are also stocking this machine at the Cowboy distribution warehouse in North Lima, Ohio. If anyone should have any additional questions on the machine, please feel free to contact Bob or myself. Please see our contact information below: Bob Kovar Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines 1-866-362-7397 www.tolindsewmach.com Ryan Neel Cowboy Distribution Center (330) 692-1418 www.cowboysew.com We hope that you will discover the "Cowboy Advantage" today!!!!!

Hello All: I see there has been some talk on the forum about the new CB-3200 Leather Stitcher that we are offering. This machine is an excellent alternative to more expensive machines offered in the market today. The machine is the lowest priced heavy duty compound feed harness stitcher offered on the market. The operational mechanism of the machine is exactly the same as the Juki 441 machine and also all of the other 441 clones on the market. That is to say that this machine is a triple feed machine, which means that it has a needle feed, walking foot, and a feed dog. This machine uses a lot of the same parts as our Cowboy Model CB-4500 series machine (a clone of the Juki 441). This machine uses the same bobbin, shuttle hook, needle bar, needle, rock feed, presser feet, presser foot bar, as well as may other parts. This is an added advantage to the consumer in that parts on this machine will readily interchange with a lot of the other clones on the market. This machine can use any presser feet that are available on the aftermarket for any of the 441 clones as well. We stock a full array of presser feet for this model as well as our 441 machines, and also virtually any array of accessories that you may need such flip out roller guides, drop down roller guides, and different needle plates like holster, stirrup, and flat slotted needle plates. We also offer a full selection of spare parts as well. The compound feed mechanism on this machine insures perfectly even stitches over a wide variety of materials. The machine has the ability to climb over multiple layers of material and also is an excellent performer in heavy leathers. The machine will sew up to 1/2" thick with a 5/8" presser foot lift. The machine has a full 10.5 inches of sewable space to the right of the needle. This machine will work very well for all types of leathers, as well as nylon, biothane, and heavy canvas. It is an ideal machine for sewing light and heavy horse tack, saddles, knife sheaths and gun holsters, pet products, as well as ballistic nylon webbing, and nylon webbing used in the construction of horse accessories and pet products. It can also work well for sewing tow straps, parachute harness, and all manner of safety harnesses. The machine features a fully operational reverse mechanism that allows you to match the forward stitch with the reverse stitch perfectly, hole for hole. It also features all of the same operational and adjustment features as the 441, such as full thread tension adjustment, bobbin tension adjustment, presser foot tension adjustment, presser foot height adjustment, as well as a hand lifter and a foot lifter for the presser foot. This machine is an excellent choice for the leatherworker that is on a budget and in need of a machine that has all of the same abilities as the Cowboy Model CB-4500 but at a much lower price. The introductory price of this machine complete with stand with adjustable locking caster wheels, high quality plywood top with rubber edges, special variable speed dc servo motor, machine head, speed reducer, thread stand, bobbin winder, sewing light, thread, needles, an assortment of tools, and extra bobbins is $1595.00 complete!!!! The price point on this machine makes it a full $800.00 cheaper than any 441 clone on the market. Yet, the machine is able to perform all of the same operations as the 441. So far we have received an overwhelming response to these machines and those that have purchased have been very pleased with the performance of the machine and also the price point. Bob Kovar at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines is a fully stocked dealer of these machines and he has close to 50 units in stock and ready for immediate delivery, with many more on order. Our factory is working at full capacity to produce these machines and we anticipate selling a tremendous amount of them in 2014. We are also stocking this machine at the Cowboy distribution warehouse in North Lima, Ohio. If anyone should have any additional questions on the machine, please feel free to contact Bob or myself. Please see our contact information below: Bob Kovar Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines 1-866-362-7397 www.tolindsewmach.com Ryan Neel Cowboy Distribution Center (330) 692-1418 www.cowboysew.com We hope that you will discover the "Cowboy Advantage" today!!!!!

The Cobra Class 4 is a clone of the Juki 441 series machines. Originally made by Nakajima in Japan, and then relabelled to Juki after Juki bought out Nakajima a while back. There are a lot of sellers of these 441 clone machines out on the market now. Cowboy, Cobra, Artisan, Sew Pro, Leightons, Consew, and many others sell the machine now. The biggest difference amongst all the sellers of the machines is what they offer in the way of parts, customer service, warranty, and price. The machines are all of very good quality. You will need to call and talk with all of the major sellers of the machines to see what they offer in the way of the points I mentioned above. Hope this is of some help to you.

I think you will find that the Cowboy machines are of the highest quality and will hold up against the standards of any of the other manufacturers and dealers on this forum. Bob Kovar is one of the biggest dealers that we have, and had been selling the Cowboy line for a very long time now. Bob is also excellent regarding customer service and he does a very good job of preparing our machines for resale. Bob also has a very deep knowledge of the older machines made by the big names like Singer, Adler, and the like. He is a very good source of knowldege on these machines and what they were made for, as well as what they will do, and whether or not parts are still made for them. If you have any questions on our machines, or would like some additional info on them before making your purchase, please feel free to call or e-mail.

Juki and Consew make fine machines, there is no doubt about that. But, you may also want to consider some of the other clone machines that are out there. A new Juki 1341 will cost you around $2995-$3995 depending on who you buy it from. We sell a clone of the older version of this machine for around $1750.00 complete.. The machine is a clone of the Juki 341, the predecessor to the 1341. One other thing to remember about Juki and Consew. There are some Juki machines that are still made in Japan, but there are A LOT, and I do mean A LOT that are made in China nowadays. Juki has three assembly plants in China, and there are an overwhelming amount of Chinese vendors that supply parts to Juki. If you are buying a Juki, there is a good chance that you are buying a Chinese made machine with a Japanese name on it, and paying a Japanese price for it. The last time I was in China, I visited a factory that makes parts for all of Juki's overlock machines. The parts were spot on perfect, but nevertheless made in a Chinese factory. Juki was one of their biggest customers. My arguement with the big names that sell machines that are made in China is that you are buying a Chinese built machine, but paying a very inflated price for it. There are many factories in China that can rival those factories than manufacture for the big names in Japan and the USA, but do it for a much lower price. It is not that the big names are paying the Chinese factories any more for the machines, it is just that they are charging more for the machines when they hit the USA because you are paying for the name, and not for any increase in costs due to perceived quality differences or country of manufacture. Most of the Consew machines are made in China nowadays. The Consew 206 RB-5 is made in China. We actually buy a machine we call the 0797 HD from the same supplier that makes the 206 RB-5 and the 205 RB-1 for Consew in China. All of the labels on Consew machines say Osaka, Japan on them. This does not mean the machines were made there. Lot of people think that, and that is what they woud like you to believe. However, I have many contacts in China that work at the same factory where the 205 and 206 are made, and I can asure you, they are made in China. The other interesting point is that if you look at the packaging on all Consew machines, the name of the country of manufacture is conspicuously missing. US import laws require that the name of the country of manufacture be placed on all packaging. I do not know how they get around this, but somehow they do. Consew and Juki make fine machines, there is no doubt, but you may also want to consider some of the clone machines out there, as you can often buy a machine that is of the same quality, but of much lower price. Hope this is of some help to you.

I could be wrong, but I do not know of a larger wheel that Singer made specifically for the 3115. I have heard stories of people taking pulleys and putting them on machines (like pulleys for lawnmowers, automobiles, or industrial machinery) and using them. You could also try taking a pulley from another model altogther and either making a sleeve for it if it is too big or machining the hole out if it is too small.

Couple of things to look at: 1. You said you are using a size 18 needle -- what size thread are you using? This does not really matter much with regard to the problems you are having with the feeding, but if you are too small of a needle with too large of a thread, you can really mess up a machine in a hurry. 2. For the feed issue, I would make sure the feed dog is set at about 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch above the level of the needle plate when it is in its highest position. I would leave it there and not change it. 3. For the feeding issue, I would take a good look at the ratio of walk height between the inside and the outside presser feet. It may be fine when you are sewing over a single thin layer of material, but if you get into the heavy stuff that can cause some problems. The inside foot should lift up when the outside foot is down, and the outside foot should lift up and clear the material when the inside foot is down. The ratio of the height of walk between inside and outside feet is one of the biggest issues we see when machines of this type do not feed correctly. 4. On all compound feed machines, you will get a smaller stitch when the thickness of the material increases a great deal. I do not think this is the problem in this case, but please keep that in mind. The only machines that will not change stitch length when material thickness is increased are the jump foot needle feed machines and also needle and awl machines. 5. Please check to make sure that the feed dog is moving in unison with the inside presser foot. If it is not, then there is a feed timing issue that needs to be addressed. Hope this is of som help to you.

The stitching does not look that bad from what I see in the photo. The biggest issue that I see from what you sent in the photo is that it looks like the stitches on the back side of the material seem to be a bit zigzagged, or not in center. You may want to try switching needle points. I think you mentioned you were using an RTW, LR, or TW point. These can definitely make the stitch appear offset, or slight zigzagged. The impression that I see on the back of the leather is caused by the hole in the feed dog. Best thing to do to get rid of this is to not case the leather prior to sewing, and then back off a lot on presser foot tension. This will have the affect of not forcing the leather down into the hole. Another thing to do is to check how high the feed dog is rising above the level of the needle plate when the machine is sewing. Really should not be up above the level of the plate by more than about 1/32 to 1/16 tops. If it is more than that, I would adjust it down. For needle size, if you are using a size 138 thread, then a size 22 needle is perfect. The size 20 may be a be a bit small, and may make the thread fray a bit. Try using a 135X16 Schmetz needle in "S" point. Folks use these needles a lot if they want a perfectly straight stitch. You can also check the feed dog alignment to see if it is tracking straight in the slot of the needle plate. If it is not, then this can cause an issue with offset stitching. Another thing you might want to do is increase the top thread tension a bit. You mentioned that the thread on the backside seems to be puckering a bit. If this is the case, it could be a issue with either too little top thread tension, or too much bobbin thread tension. Hope these things are of some help to you.

Art: 1. For the sake of our readers, could you please describe in detail the nature of the license that you hold. Is it an import license? Some additional clarification would be appreciated. 2. I am sorry if I offended you, but it seems that you may be in need of some additional clarification and enlightenment regarding the import process and necessary documentation required. You mentioned in your previous post that you signed off on all of the import documents and were required to list the name of the manufacturer of the goods. I offered a counterpoint stating that US customs prohibits the importer of record from completing any such forms, and that on those forms there is no place for the manufacturer of the goods to be listed. With regard to your assertion that I had asked Steve to ask you to provide import information for me, the only thing I can think of is that when we were at a show a few years back Steve mentioned that you were using Import Genius, which is a generic software program designed to access existing US Customs databases for records of importation into the United States. This software is available to the general public and to anyone who wishes to pay the monthly subscription charge of $299.00. I remember I had asked Steve to see if you could access our import information and also that of several competitors to check the efficacy of the software. Access to such information is dependant on paying the monthly subscription fee only, and does not demonstrate any degree of knowledge with regard to importation and the associated rules and regulations, nor with regard to import policy and procedure as dictated by US Customs. 3. Art, it seems that you have some sort of fixation regarding the name of the manufacturer of our CB-4500 sewing machines. As I have stated in my previous post, all of my replys were directed towards comments that you had made regarding our theater of operations in China. They were not directed toward the OP who asked where the machines were built, and if you will scroll up, the original question asked by the OP was "Were the CB-4500 and the Cobra Class 4 made in the same factory?". The question was not, "Where is the CB-4500 made?". At the present time I cannot provide the name of the manufacturer of our CB-4500 machines, as the current market climate and nature of the the business in China would not make it a wise decision for me to do so. However, in about two months time, I will provide a free release of the name of the manufacturer of our CB-4500 machines. Not sure if you are trying to indicate that I am attempting to be deceptive, but at the present time I simply cannot release the name of our manufacturer. In any event, I fail to see the relevance of any of this as it pertains to the users of the end product. The users of the sewing machines in the USA never really seem to ask or care about the names, addresses, or locations of the manufacturers of the machines in China. The predominate question that seems to be asked is "Is X's machine made in the same factory as Y's machine". Not, "What is the name and address of the manufacturer of seller Y's machine". The observations being made by the end users of the machines are used only as a basis to compare quality, Not to know the specific name of the manufacturer of the machines. The average end user in this forum could care less where the machines are made, they only want to know how seller X's machine compares to seller Y's machine. The manufacturer of the machines is also irrelevant in that they have no control over the warranty, customer service, or level of support offered by the dealer here in the USA. They only build the machines. Nothing more. The predominant question that any buyer asks is whether or not the machine is of good quality, as well as what level of customer support and warranty they can expect, as well as price. For the most part now in China, the quality amongst the major manufacturers of the 441 clone machines pretty well matches up. There are some small differences amongst the major manufacturers, but these differences are so small that the end user would never be able to discern them. Only an importer who knows the machines very well would be able to detect these differences.

Thank you as well Johanna.

DR: One thing you may want to look for is whether or not the Weaver version will have the same array of accessories that companies like Cowboy, Cobra, and Artisan would include. This would be things like the left and right toe presser foot, double toe harness foot, material guide, and also whether or not they use a variable speed DC servo motor. From what I heard, the Artisan machine is put up on their pedestal stand, which is a better stand than what we all offer, but I also know that Weaver was using clutch motors on all of their Adlers, and so not sure if they are using them on the new machines or not. Cowboy, Artisan, and Cobra all use the same variable speed DC servo motor and ball bearig speed controller. These are very good motors that allow an infinite array of speed control possibilies. Cowboy offers the machine complete with a saddlers attachment and accessory package for $2495.00. This would include all of the items mentioned above, plus stainless steel flat slotted needle plate, holster plate, and stirrup plate, as well as the detachable work platform. All of our needle plates and presser feet are made of stainless steel. Hope this is of some help to you.

Art: I do appreciate your candid comments. However, it seems that you are are bit confused with regard to the nature of the operations and scope of business of Cowboy Sewing Machines. I would not expect you to know the details of our operations in China, since you have no affiliation with our company in any way. Please allow me to clarify on some of the points which you discussed below: 1. Art, if you will look closely at the post I made, it was in direct reply to your post, and not an attempt to answer the op's query about where the machines were made. 2. On every piece of import paperwork which I hold New Century Holding Group is listed as the Exporter/Shipper. This is because Xinyi Cowboy Sewing Machinery DOES NOT hold direct licensure to export any sewing machinery from China. As I said before, we work with an offspring company of New Century Holding Group that specializes in working for import/export companies that do not hold direct licensure to export from China. A similar scenario is such with Jennifer Wang. As I am sure you well know, Jennifer Wang is the executive officer of Hiress International Corp. Hiress International holds direct licensure with the Chinese Government to export products from China. Jennifer is also the chief buying agent for Cobra and sources machinery and equipment for Steve in China. When Steve was first looking at starting Cobra, he called me and inquired at great depth about the importing process in China and whom would be the best source to buy equipment and machinery in China. Jeniifer's name was brought up in the discussion. Jennifer used to work very closely with Jerry at Artisan and was one of his main contacts in China and worked with him for many years. That is one of the reasons why Steve chose to go with her. She already had access to all of the factories that Jerry had used, and knew many of the quality standards that were necessary for the sewing machine business in the USA. 3. Unless you are licensed US Customs broker, (I know Steve uses the services of an import broker in California) you would not fill out any paperwork for the importation of goods into the United States. US customs does allow for the informal application to be made for importation of shipments into the USA valued at less than $2000.00 USD. For shipment valued at more than $2000.00 USD formal entry must be made and the documents must be processed with US customs. US customs does allow for persons that are not licensed import brokers to do this, but the process is very long and time consuming. It states very directly on the US customs website that for formal importation of goods into the US, it is highly advised that a licenced import broker be obtained. In both cases of formal and informal entry, IT IS THE US CUSTOMS OFFICER THAT WILL FILL OUT THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK TO CLEAR THE SHIPMENT. It is the responsibility of the importer to make sure that the documents presented to the customs officer are correctly printed, but ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE PREPARED BY THE EXPORTER OF RECORD IN CHINA. I used to clear all of my shipments by myself with US Customs. However, after about the first 3 shipments, they started to red flag all of my shipments because frankly they do not want individuals to clear the goods themselves. US customs much prefers the automated interface that they have set up with licensed import brokers. This is why I know of no importer in the United States that will attempt to clear a shipment through US customs without hiring the servies of a professional and licensed import broker. 4. Nowhere on the Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, or insurance policy is it required to list the name of the MANUFACTURER OF THE GOODS. What is required is the name of the exporter and the consignee to which the goods are going, as well as the country of origin, a description of the goods as well as quantity, weights, and so forth. NOTHING ELSE. However, recent US Customs legislation requires an ISF 10+2 form to be filled out and filed with US Customs 24 hours prior to the vessel sailing. In this form the name and address of the manufacturer of the goods is required. However, it is required by law that this form be filled out by the exporter of the goods in China. The importer is not allowed to fill out the form in any manner. 5. I am also glad that you referenced the post made by Mr. Bill Jiang a few years back on the leatherworker.com. What Bill said at the time of the post was very true. At the time, Bill was the factory manager and one of the principle investors of one of our biggest suppliers of sewing machines. He worked very closely with them for a number of years, but both our relationship with this supplier and also his was dissolved a year or so ago. At the time, a large portion of the machinery which we were offering for sale was made by this factory. One of conditions of employment and investment that Bill had with this factory is that he would have exclusive control of the US and European markets. So Bill's offspring company, Cowboy Sewing Machines, did procure machinery and equipment from a factory in which he was directly employed, and also invested in. So, his statement that Cowboy Sewing Machines were made in our own factory was indeed quite true at the time. However, becuase his relationship with the factory has dissolved, we no longer purchase any of our machinery from this factory. 6. I am personally fascinated with your understanding of the inner workings of Xinyi Cowboy Sewing Machinery Company. I am impressed that you can make the statement that we have only a minimal manufacturing capacity since you have never visited our 8000 square foot factory/warehouse in China, nor seen any or our product being assembled at that factory. 7. Many of the other readers on this board have commented that it seems that you very adamently promote the Cobra line of equipment. While I can make no direct or indirect claims about any of the information or rumors that I have heard about your direct or indirect involvement as an investor in Cobra sewing machines, it is nevertheless a point of interest and also a topic of conversation which I have held with virtually every sewing machine dealer in the country. 8. Art, rather than going to great extent to attempt to dissuade buyers of sewing machinery away from other dealers which you perceive to be a threat, it would be better to stay with the facts about what each seller has to offer. I am not even sure that the the readers of this forum would care to know the names of the factories where the machinery is made. What they do want to know is that they are getting a good quality sewing machine from a dealer that has honesty and integrity. The names of the factories who make the machines are asked only as a reference point to determine how similar one dealers product is to another.

Art: I do appreciate your candid comments. However, it seems that you are are bit confused with regard to the nature of the operations and scope of business of Cowboy Sewing Machines. I would not expect you to know the details of our operations in China, since you have no affiliation with our company in any way. Please allow me to clarify on some of the points which you discussed below: 1. Art, if you will look closely at the post I made, it was in direct reply to your post, and not an attempt to answer the op's query about where the machines were made. 2. On every piece of import paperwork which I hold New Century Holding Group is listed as the Exporter/Shipper. This is because Xinyi Cowboy Sewing Machinery DOES NOT hold direct licensure to export any sewing machinery from China. As I said before, we work with an offspring company of New Century Holding Group that specializes in working for import/export companies that do not hold direct licensure to export from China. A similar scenario is such with Jennifer Wang. As I am sure you well know, Jennifer Wang is the executive officer of Hiress International Corp. Hiress International holds direct licensure with the Chinese Government to export products from China. Jennifer is also the chief buying agent for Cobra and sources machinery and equipment for Steve in China. When Steve was first looking at starting Cobra, he called me and inquired at great depth about the importing process in China and whom would be the best source to buy equipment and machinery in China. Jeniifer's name was brought up in the discussion. Jennifer used to work very closely with Jerry at Artisan and was one of his main contacts in China and worked with him for many years. That is one of the reasons why Steve chose to go with her. She already had access to all of the factories that Jerry had used, and knew many of the quality standards that were necessary for the sewing machine business in the USA. 3. Unless you are licensed US Customs broker, (I know Steve uses the services of an import broker in California) you would not fill out any paperwork for the importation of goods into the United States. US customs does allow for the informal application to be made for importation of shipments into the USA valued at less than $2000.00 USD. For shipment valued at more than $2000.00 USD formal entry must be made and the documents must be processed with US customs. US customs does allow for persons that are not licensed import brokers to do this, but the process is very long and time consuming. It states very directly on the US customs website that for formal importation of goods into the US, it is highly advised that a licenced import broker be obtained. In both cases of formal and informal entry, IT IS THE US CUSTOMS OFFICER THAT WILL FILL OUT THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK TO CLEAR THE SHIPMENT. It is the responsibility of the importer to make sure that the documents presented to the customs officer are correctly printed, but ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS ARE PREPARED BY THE EXPORTER OF RECORD IN CHINA. I used to clear all of my shipments by myself with US Customs. However, after about the first 3 shipments, they started to red flag all of my shipments because frankly they do not want individuals to clear the goods themselves. US customs much prefers the automated interface that they have set up with licensed import brokers. This is why I know of no importer in the United States that will attempt to clear a shipment through US customs without hiring the servies of a professional and licensed import broker. 4. Nowhere on the Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, or insurance policy is it required to list the name of the MANUFACTURER OF THE GOODS. What is required is the name of the exporter and the consignee to which the goods are going, as well as the country of origin, a description of the goods as well as quantity, weights, and so forth. NOTHING ELSE. However, recent US Customs legislation requires an ISF 10+2 form to be filled out and filed with US Customs 24 hours prior to the vessel sailing. In this form the name and address of the manufacturer of the goods is required. However, it is required by law that this form be filled out by the exporter of the goods in China. The importer is not allowed to fill out the form in any manner. 5. I am also glad that you referenced the post made by Mr. Bill Jiang a few years back on the leatherworker.com. What Bill said at the time of the post was very true. At the time, Bill was the factory manager and one of the principle investors of one of our biggest suppliers of sewing machines. He worked very closely with them for a number of years, but both our relationship with this supplier and also his was dissolved a year or so ago. At the time, a large portion of the machinery which we were offering for sale was made by this factory. One of conditions of employment and investment that Bill had with this factory is that he would have exclusive control of the US and European markets. So Bill's offspring company, Cowboy Sewing Machines, did procure machinery and equipment from a factory in which he was directly employed, and also invested in. So, his statement that Cowboy Sewing Machines were made in our own factory was indeed quite true at the time. However, becuase his relationship with the factory has dissolved, we no longer purchase any of our machinery from this factory. 6. I am personally fascinated with your understanding of the inner workings of Xinyi Cowboy Sewing Machinery Company. I am impressed that you can make the statement that we have only a minimal manufacturing capacity since you have never visited our 8000 square foot factory/warehouse in China, nor seen any or our product being assembled at that factory. 7. Many of the other readers on this board have commented that it seems that you very adamently promote the Cobra line of equipment. While I can make no direct or indirect claims about any of the information or rumors that I have heard about your direct or indirect involvement as an investor in Cobra sewing machines, it is nevertheless a point of interest and also a topic of conversation which I have held with virtually every sewing machine dealer in the country. 8. Art, rather than going to great extent to attempt to dissuade buyers of sewing machinery away from other dealers which you perceive to be a threat, it would be better to stay with the facts about what each seller has to offer. I am not even sure that the the readers of this forum would care to know the names of the factories where the machinery is made. What they do want to know is that they are getting a good quality sewing machine from a dealer that has honesty and integrity. The names of the factories who make the machines are asked only as a reference point to determine how similar one dealers product is to another. Ryan, You still didn't tell the op who makes the cb4500. Like I said before, Sewing machines in China are a complicated business. The Cobra 4 is made by Zhiqiang, that is what he asked about. The AK-20 is made by AnKai in Hunan province. I have to fill out the import paperwork on everything imported, I have to specify point of origin, so I have to know where it comes from. Even Highlead (Huigong No.3) doesn't make everything they sell under the Highlead name. New Century does have quite a bit of manufacturing capacity, but they are not the ones holding the export license for Cowboy, it is Xinyi Cowboy Sewing Equipment Co.,Ltd, which doesn't have more than a minimal real manufacturing capacity. Bill Jiang came on Leatherworker a few years ago and stated Cowboy used to buy rebranded from everyone, but now made everything themselves. This seems to be a different story from what you just told. I took him at his word and drew the conclusion that New Century Holding was doing the work. So, who makes the cb4500? Art

Art: Thank you for providing some additional insight to the readers about where you believe some of the sewing machine importers are purchasing their machinery in China. Your contributions to this forum have been invaluable. I wanted to provide some additional information to our readers and some clarification as to where Cowboy Sewing Machines are manufactured. Cowboy Sewing Machines are not manufactured in any way by New Century Holding Group. You are correct that New Century Holding Group is a conglomeration of companies that are into many different areas of manufacturing. The do manufacture toys, as well as many other products. One of the offspring companies of New Century Group is an import/export company that specializes in assisting companies that do not have direct licensure to export from China. This is the part of New Century Holding Group that is associated with Cowboy Sewing Machine. The import/export division of New Century Holding Group prepares the necessary documents for Cowboy to export our sewing machines to our USA division and also our satellite offices in Australia and in Europe. Cobra, Artisan, and pretty much all of the other USA manufacturers of sewing machines do not have direct licensure with the Chinese government to export their products purchased in China to the United States. Therefore, they use an export broker to work on their behalf. The export broker receives the payment from the seller in the USA and then processes it to send to the manufacturer. In turn, they receive a small percentage of the wire amount. They also act as the legal liason between the Chinese government, the trading company in China, and the client in the USA. This is the capacity the New Century Group serves for Cowboy Sewing Machines. Again, New Century Holding Group is not involved in the manufacturer of pur products in any way. As to where Cowboy Sewing machines are made, we purchase our machines form many of the same factories used by the major sellers of sewing machines in the USA. You had mentioned Zhiqiang Sewing Machine Company, LTD. We actually to quite a lot of business with this company in China, along with many other sewing machinery manufacturers. The identical nature of the products being offered by all of the sewing machine sellers here in the United States should prove sufficient to the buyers of machinery here in the USA that these machines are coming from the same factory. For instance, if one were to look at the AK-20 strap cutting machines being offer by Cobra, Cowboy, and Artisan, one would see that they are exactly the same. These machines are not made by another manufacturer in China. One would conclude that they are all coming from the same place, and they would be quite correct. If order quantities are sufficient, the major sellers of sewing machines in the USA can dictate some terms to the manufacturer regadring parts used and assembly methods. For many of our "bread and butter" machines, ones which we sell a lot of, we do this as well. Details like what painting, casting, and the origin of the parts included in the sewing machine can all be negotiated with the manufacturer. Similarly to Cobra and Artisan, we also dictate these terms. So in effect, and as you mentioned ealier, the machines are custom manufactured to meet the needs of the individual seller in the USA. Cobra machines are not exclusively made by the manufacturer you mentioned. They are made by several different factories in China. Zhiqiang Sewing Machine Company, LTD. is just one of the manufacturers that Cobra's agent uses to source for machinery. Hope this provided some additional information to our readers about the origin of Cowboy Sewing Machines, and where they are manufactured. We buy from several dozen manufacturers of sewing machines in Asia. Some of our machinery is custom manufactured to our own specifications, while others are just common machines carried by all of the major sellers here in the USA. We also have a small manufacturing facility of own where we produce some specialty machinery and equipment. This facility is owned and managed by Mr. Bill Jiang, one of the co-founders of Cowboy Sewing Machines. If anybody would like to contact me directly for additional information on the matter, please feel free to do so. I can be reached directly toll free at 1-866-507-8926. Yes, you can go to our website at www.cowboysew.com. It has a complete listing of all of our machinery.

If the collars will look like what you have on the dog in your avatar, then you may want to go with a little bit bigger machine. Specs on the Consew say it will sew to 3/8" with a 1/2 inch presser foot lift. But you would be working the machine to death if you sewed 3/8" thick with size 207 thread all day long. I always find it is better to buy more machine than you need. In this manner you will be able to grow with the machine over time. If you need to sew really heavy every once in a while, then you have that option with a heavier machine. Please feel free to contact me for additional information on machines that will suit your needs. I will ask you what the thickness of the material is, as well as the type of material, and also what size of thread you plan on using.

We may also be able to provide you with a flat leather style presser foot to fit your 45K. We use them on our Model 5 machines, and that machine is very close in design to the 45K. The cost of the leather foot is $85.00, and we also have some lower cost cast presser feet for $40.00.