Techsew Ron

Welcome to LW.net! The most popular machines for sewing leather bags and purses would be a light/medium cylinder walking-foot machine with 3/8" sewing capacity. This should cover you for very thin leather and up to 2 layers of about 7/8oz. You'll likely use size 18 needles with #69 thread, or #92 thread if you want a more visible stitch. These kind of machines can use up to #138 or even #207 thread if set up properly. There are machines that can sew from 3/8" to 1" thickness, but they wouldn't be as suitable for sewing very thin leather and it's pretty unlikely you'll be sewing that thick if you're just going to be making leather bags. Prices will range from $1500 to $2000 for a complete machine with table and servo motor, plus $200-$250 in freight shipping costs. Good luck in your search! Ron

Yes that's a good price for the 206rb-1. If you're sewing up to 3/8" thick (the maximum) you'll want to be using a size 23 or 24 needle and make sure to use a powerful enough motor. Ron

Most equipment managers have a patching machine (ie. Techsew 2900 / 2900L ) in their repair shop for fixing tears in shoulder pads, elbow pads, shin guards and especially in glove palms, they're great because they have very narrow cylinder beds for sewing into tight areas in the glove. These can be set up on a table with motor and speed reducer to control stitching speed, or can be manually operated with machine's hand wheel. The next step up would be a cylinder walking foot machine which will allow you to sew a bit thicker (up to about 3/8"), preferably with a narrow cylinder bed.

our most popular machines for sewing bags are light/medium leather machines that can sew up to about 3/8" thickness, with a 10.5" cylinder arm, reverse, servo motor, with or without large bobbin. You can use up to #24 needles with #210 thread, which is more than enough for most types of leather bags.

Good luck...after they beat the habs I wouldn't mind losing to the team that won the cup.

Here's a video we did for this machine a few years back, the quality isn't great but it'll do!

Since you're working mostly with lightweight materials, you should lean towards a light & medium leather machine that can sew up to 3/8" thick. A heavy duty machine will not be as good for sewing thin leather. Our most popular machines for handbags, leather accessories are the Techsew 2700 and 2750. If you're considering sewing thicker leather you can consider the Techsew 5100. Feel free to give us a call any time if you have more questions! Ron

Pfaff 1245 or 545 would be ok for leather cases. Most dealers can ship overseas to Turkey if you wanted to expand your search to companies in North-America. Thanks, Ron

lol !

lets see some photos!

You can turn up the speed on the motor, or like Wiz said you can bypass the reducer by making the direct belt connection between the motor and machine. Give us a call if you need help! Ron

Installation requires increasing the size of the belt slot with a router or hand saw, mounting the reducer to the bottom of the table and attaching a belt. we can send you instructions if you need.

Nice video with very useful info. Thanks for posting.

Hi jayjay, we have a speed reducer we use on the Techsew 2700 machines upon request, it'll help you get through the thicker leather at slow speeds. Ron

Here are some other machines in the same category and price range: Consew 206 Techsew 106 Cobra 18 And here are some cylinder bed walking foot machines which are convenient for sewing bags: Consew 227 Cowboy 227 Techsew 2700 Ron

A cylinder walking foot machine like the pfaff 345 would be perfect for your light/medium leather goods like wallets, bags, linings, notebook covers, belts and more. ideally get one with a flatbed attachment and you'll essentially have a 2 in 1 machine (cylinder+flatbed). pfaff 345 will use up to 138 thread. some of the newer cylinder walking foot machines like our Techsew 2700 will use up to 207 thread. on another note I took a look at your facebook page...nice stuff! probably going to order one of those card holders. cheers, Ron

For holsters you'll need something more powerful, with a cylinder arm, with the ability to use large needle (25) and thread (#277) sizes. The consew 225 is nice walking foot machine for sewing belts, upholstery and other leather items but it will max out at about 3/8" sewing capacity or 2 layers of 7-8oz. You can contact any of the dealers on this website for more info on machines for sewing holsters. Ron

Gregg I'll be calling you for fashion advice before we do our next video might get some Techsew robes made..

441 clone should cover all your needs. - Cobra class 4 - Cowboy cb4500 - Techsew 5100

FYI you can post a video to youtube and set the share settings to "unlisted", meaning only the person you send the video link to will see the video and it will not show up in search results or general youtube listings. best regards, Ron

What will you be sewing? Anything smaller than 3/8"

Yes, you can look at the Techsew 106 (flatbed) or Techsew 2700 (cylinder). We do have some used machines too, give us a call and we'll find you something. Ron

A flatbed or cylinder walking foot machine will serve you well for light and medium weight leather items. Consider a cylinder bed with an optional flatbed attachment if you're sewing bags and want the versatility that a cylinder bed provides - really helpful for sewing the insides of bags and getting into tight areas. Dealers sponsoring this website who supply these machines - Artisan, Cobra, TechSew. Ron

welcome back mate!

Yes a cylinder machine with a flatbed will give you the most versatility. Cylinder will be used for sewing bags, curved items, flatbed attachment will be used when you're sewing belts, leather garments and other long/large items. Ron