chrisash

I think a few of you are missing the point, its all about marketing and selling, its not just about sewing machines, its more about "Just take it or leave it" web sites or those who make a difference and prove they offer support and service, think of their customers needs and try and find solutions that help Consider how helpful this link is to new users https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html a good basic help that costs peanuts

OK change it to Seller/ Distributer or maker It's still poor marketing lost opportunity at little cost but great service. Yes there are YouTube video's done by others on the internet about for instance Upholstery or sewing leather but little or nothing on the sites selling machines

Really not just leather machines but basically all except the Sailrite company I admit I spend some time on YouTube and often come across Sailrite videos, if you look at their site you find a mass of information about both their machines and popular items on how to make items, plus full details of the parts and fault finding My point is whilst others just advertise their machines with a few basic facts about them little is really done to build confidence that the companies really care for anything apart from money, They have the knowledge and keep it to themselves even Juki give you the basics and maybe a rating video but little else The web is a fantastic way to sell, just like Sailrite shows, maybe time others followed suite you never know maybe including service manuals and strip down diagrams or say methods of setups for different materials. so much they could offer to make you buy from them instead of say another make or clone

Online buying is great, but the postal costs and delays may be what Tandy store buyers find attractive plus they can see what they are buying

Never used one of these machines but can you start the long skives a width of the skive into the leather, that way you never skive twice

You could make a wet moulded piece of leather about 10mm bent in the middle as a 90 deg corner and attach along the inside just above the zip so it held the zip away from the top. the wet mould would stiffen that part

Whilst you have done fantastically well to get 300 Euros, that's only a tenth of say the Hermes equivalent, but probably 10 times more than the average wallet on the internet The big difference is that the name Hermes, LV etc is well known to the rich and they want or need to buy them to show their wealth to others, and there brads spend a fortune advertising / marketing their brand to the selected rich. Yes its possible for new companies to compete but probably more than one working lifetime My question is if they are that good why don't they just publish the book and sell it, why do they need advance orders on a unknown book to make it. At the end of the day most craft workers have a need for a minimum amount of money coming in each month and that means they chose a selling price area that gives them this constant income How much would you pay for @RockyAussie to learn his skills at making quality items using his own designs, yet he takes the time to make video's and presents them for free

@CrankAddict Regarding your video that's very soft chrome leather he is using as you can see by how easy it is toe bend double

One new machine that has walking feet and is low cost about £650 in the UK including servo motor and table is the Jack H2 a step below the 1541 but better than the domestic machines When they talk about domestic machines sewing leather they forget to mention maybe two layers of 1.5mm chrome leather max and very thin veg tan The 1541 is compound feed so walking feet plus needle feed so you are guaranteed equal spaced stitches

The thing is that even when successful in getting the money, you still have to build a team that is capable of taking the company to self supporting in quite a short time, quite a big difference between managing one or two workers and building a bigger company, and although you get the initial marketing to a small number of readers/ investors, you now have to have first class marketing and Brand making on your own

A simple test would be to find a piece of dried up old leather and apply each to half of it, and compare the results. to me its about how much gets absorbed into the depth of the leather by the treatment rather than just the surface finish, is one partr more flexible than the other would be a good test. also there is a difference in waterproofing the grain and conditioning the leather

The basic fact is that semi pro leatherworkers or those with money to spend on their hobby will always buy the best they can afford, whilst the basic person dabbling in leatherwork on limited finances to spend on a hobby or maybe not able to hand sew anymore just wants a low cost investment that does a job. I guess nobody expects the Chinese Patcher to give results equal to a $1500-2000 machine, but some people can only afford Tandy stamps or cheap leather yet are happy with their choice

I guess you have no 9mm or 7.62mm guns then, You only have to look at life to see the vast number of standards that are well past their sell by date, thread in a measure of weight, nuts and bolts in various different threads, sewing needles that are impossible to compare, maybe metric has some advantages

Does accuracy really matter You buy leather at a approximate thickness be it in ounces or MM , but you skive down to the required thickness based on the original,. there is no set thickness per item its just what you feel happy with, if you want to reduce by 50% just measure the original and reduce to its half the original, for instance if you buy 2mm thick veg tan and want to reduce a part of it that any guide will show you how much you have taken off, its the feel of the leather not the precise measurement. Different temper requires different thickness Any gauge will show the original size and the new size it makes no difference if measured in Ounces, MM or any other scale

This video is a good indicator of the two machines a Sailrite and a Industrial

I think with scraps like that you will find it quite hard to learn to make good results, I would suggest you buy a small goat skin on veg tan 1mm-1,2 mm and practise on that, they are quite cheep about 5-7 square feet and each piece will be consistent with the last so you can see by comparing your previous work how ell you are improving with consistent thread and leather https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/catalog/item-detail/13307-80/assorted-mystery-goat-hides/pr_69048/cp_/shop-now/leather/specialty/goat-hides

There is the Sailrite model of walking foot machine that might fit the bill, it comes in various models some setup for leather work with speed reducers etc https://www.sailrite.com/Sewing-Machines/Portable-Heavy-Duty-Sewing-Machines/Ultrafeed-LSZ-1-Sewing-Machine

First thing to check is the actual bobbin, they come in all small variances in size depending who made them, College sewing give three sizes of width versions, maybe yours are just to tall, worth investigating simple things first. also Hooks are available from many different makes and not all have the same tolerance's

Great Find apparently built like a brick shithouse do a search on this forum. Large machine (bed = 25 1/4" long x 10" wide). Space to side of needle 15 7/8". Long beak oscillating shuttle. "Not as heavy as Class 6...". For sails, tents, covered wagons, tarpaulins, carriage trimming, etc. in leather, paper and canvas. Made in Elizabethport only.

Sorry my Mistook it should read 69 thread, T70 and Ticket 40 are all the same size, in Europe many sewing supplies mark this as 40s, and size 92 as 30s and size 138 as 20s

What you actually need is a walking stick like the traditional Irish Shillelagh, far more useful made of heavy Blackthorn https://www.walkingsticks.co.uk/blackthorn-irish-shillelagh.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAraSPBhDuARIsAM3Js4qplFTizJqsovAZ6I-phnjBm4MYv9m1tDx0jXFXhv5gdTOyb9LTE2caAkdDEALw_wcB

Hard to see the point, Black Jacks were originally use by someone sneaking up and hitting someone on the head with it, If I was in the US with so many people armed with knives and guns, I would never want to get that close and use a BJ face to face, But then I guess they say about 50% of US citizens are brave enough to go around unarmed

As you have a seam allowance , why not try applying some paper staples along the edge and trying to see if it works, failing that you can just sort out the bag and lining , then turn in the seam allowance and sew around the top all the way What ever way dont forget to remove all the staples

It is a nice one, I made a copy for my 76 year old sister but used Harris Tweed for the pattern and chrome leather

69 thread, T70 and Ticket 20 are all the same size, in Europe many sewing supplies mark this as 20s, size 92 as 30s and size 138 as 20s