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Hello everyone, finally made an account here. I've been driven a little crazy by trying to keep track of suppliers and other resources, so I wanted to share a little side project of mine that I've whipped up: Spreadsheet It is a curated list of (on the different tabs) suppliers, tanneries, tool suppliers and makers, other materials, and hardware suppliers and makers. The supplier tab also has a complete matrix of what suppliers sell what kinds of hides, at least to the best of my ability and judgement. It should point you in the right directions. I suspect that this will be most useful to newer workers, but I hope it is useful for someone at any rate. Please feel free to give your suggestions, questions, corrections and comments. Regards, Lawrence

Dear leatherworkers, Some machines are just ment for a select group of people because it's not something you use every single day unless it's your job But that doesn't mean there has to be a shortage of information about it. I will tell my experience with a fur sewing machine so that I may help others. About a month ago I bought a Allbrook & Hashfield fur sewing machine. They told me it was serviced but it didn't want to sew properly. So I started searching and searching but I couldn't find a lot of information. Not even proper manuals. I found lots of videos of people using it but non of them where useful for me to tune and service my machine. After a lot of research and looking at my machine I didn't want to wait any longer. I was going to service it myself and either ruin it or fix it. First of all my machine uses Schmetz 459R needles. Also called EB X 1567. I found that the looper arm was to high and not in the correct placement with the needle. So I loosened the needle bar and took it a bit backwards. I also loosened the looper arm and put it a bit forward. Now it was in the perfect location, just before the eye of the needle when it came back (just like on a sewing machine with shutter hook). So now the height of the looper arm. I inspected the machine and saw 2 bolts. I loosened them and now I could move the looper arm up and down. I carefully put it about half a millimetre about the needle plate and tightened the bolts. Now I was ready to try to sew again. And low and behold. It worked! I would like for everyone to out down information they have about the fur sewing machines. Doesn't matter if the models or brands are different. Maybe someone will find it useful. I will put some pictures from my machine to show what I loosened and tightened. Hopefully someone will find it useful. Kind regards, Sam T.

I have once again been doing some research as I look to pickup a thick leather sewing machine. I have a Juki 1541s that I use for all of my chrome tanned leather sewing and it works great but I am expanding a bit and I am looking for advice on which direction to go. Cowboy 4500, Cobra 4 or Ferdco pro2000 super bull. All of these machines to me look to be exactly alike, the Cowboy and Cobra seemed to be priced very competitively to each other too. So I'm mostly looking for the current owners or those in the know for suggestions on which way the best wind is blowing for your bottom dollar. Would you buy your machine again if you could do it over or would you look at a different brand? I like that the Cobra 4 has a premium package that gets you most of the feet, plates, work platform, extra bobbin, needles and some threads and looking at the Toledo site I don't see a package deal so does anybody know if they offer that? I like to do a one time purchase for most of the equipment of what i'll need so I have it all in my shop at the get-go. Once again thanks to all that respond, I greatly appreciate the information given at this website, I seem to be reading it, all the time.