Adriayna

Thank you everyone for the suggestions, wisdom and advice. I'm going to go with the Cobra Class 26, which seems like it is within my budget. My local Tandy said they can ship it to the store and show me how to use it, perform maintenance, etc, which sounds like a good idea to me :).

Thank you for the info. The Cobra Class 26 looks like a good option for me. One question: I've read in a few places that people have problems using the thinner leather weights with the 26. Is that a problem anyone else has faced? I'm looking at the used market around here but I'm not seeing much, so I may have to go with a new machine.

Hi everyone, I'm trying to make a transition from hand stitching to a leather sewing machine. I've done a lot of research and also read some of the threads here. I'm primarily making bags (3-4oz veg tan; 4-6oz elk) and sheaths (4-6 oz veg tan). I'm a hobbyist, so I'm not going to have heavy use of the machine. I'd like something that is easy to maintain, dependable, and versatile. I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I don't want a machine I have to mess with a lot (although I am happy to do regular maintenance on my machine!) My budget is no more than $2500 for the machine (less, ideally!). I called a local industrial sewing store to talk about my needs and the guy was like a used car salesman, trying to convince me that I only could buy a Consew 2050 or Derkop Adler - 205, both of which were almost $4000. I'm sure those machines are both great, but it seems that people are using a lot more than just these two and those are out of my budget. He told me that no other machines would work for me. The local Tandy store suggested I consider a TandyPro Cobra Class 20. I was also looking at the Consew 206RB-5. I just don't know enough to make a good and informed purchase. Can you share your suggestions with me?