Humanzamboni

Thanks for the reply bikermutt, I am just getting out of the "practicing" phase of making mocs and into using better leather and adding some modern twists here and there. You should try it I'm sure you would do great. Honestly, the prep is the longest part, cutting pieces and you don't really use a pricking iron but a hole punch which can be kind of tedious.

Well, chalk this one up under a learning experience: I sew moccasins and decided I wanted to add a nice veg tan sole. I cut the soles, beveled the edges, wetted the edges and burnished. I did not realize the water would stain the leather so now the soles have water stains (which is okay, actually looks kind of weathered since it is only on the edges). I have done a fair amount of googling and haven't really found an answer: What would be a proper way to finish veg tan soles so that they are not so susceptible to water stains? I want the leather to remain in its natural color (that's why I picked it over crepe) and I've read about waxes and oils, but is that wise on the sole of a shoe (will it make them slick, will they stain a floor, etc.)? Any input would be helpful, and the simpler the better. Oh, and I also learned hand burnishing a tightish curve is not the easiest...

I turn the hand wheel on my home machine now, so I can stay as close to the edge of the brim as possible. You are absolutely correct, the shifting of the material is a concern and the thickness, as the crown of the hat is backed with buckram, or a material similar. The area where I have to stitch becomes very thick and stiff, so sometimes the presser foot lifts off of the material and I get a holy mess. I thought maybe an industrial machine would provide more down pressure on the presser foot to prevent that from happening. I guess my concern with hand sewing is this really has to be the strongest stitch on the hat and was concerned that I wouldn't get the strength needed from a hand stitch. As far as adhesives go, I use the same adhesive that heat transfers use, so it doesn't gum up the needle. I use this to sew the bias tape on the inside of the hat seams to give it that finished look. A bit labor intensive, the factories use an attachment that runs the tape through a double needle machine. Maybe I like making things as hard as possible... haha

Ah, great point. I'm in Spokane, Washington. Is there such thing as a small industrial sewing machine? I've only seen the large Consew's at a local dealer here.

Longtime lurker, first time posting so please don't yell... I realize this is a leather worker site, but am seeking some knowledge on industrial sewing machines. I sew baseball caps, and while I can sew 90% on a regular home machine, I struggle with the two most critical parts: Sewing the brim to the beanie, and sewing the sweatband onto the entire hat. In a factory, these two items are done on a cylinder bed or post bed machine. Sine I don't mass produce hats, and I can't charge $1,000 per hat (haha) I can't really justify that type of machine. Is there something else out there I'm not thinking about?