Sewing machine recommendations

[CFons]

Hello, I am interested in purchasing a leather sewing machine for small leather goods like wallets, card holders and book covers. Most of my projects range from 5/6oz-9/12oz in thickness. I primarily use vegetable tanned leathers such as buttero and Pueblo. I am also looking for something that will not leave marks on the leather from the presser foot. Also look for something that has a clean stitch and backstitch. 
Any and all suggestions are welcome thank you!!! 

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, CFons said:

Hello, I am interested in purchasing a leather sewing machine for small leather goods like wallets, card holders and book covers. Most of my projects range from 5/6oz-9/12oz in thickness. I primarily use vegetable tanned leathers such as buttero and Pueblo. I am also looking for something that will not leave marks on the leather from the presser foot. Also look for something that has a clean stitch and backstitch. 
Any and all suggestions are welcome thank you!!! 

You will definitely want a walking foot machine of some type. Your options include flat bed, post bed and cylinder arm models. The feed system that leaves the least marks on top is either bottom feed or compound feed. The worst option is single or dual feed with feet that have teeth on them. Based on your stated thicknesses, you'll need a machine capable of properly handling bonded thread sizes 69, 92 and 138. The corresponding needle sizes are 18/110, 19/120, and either 22/140 or 23/160. The first number is the US standard size. The second is the metric equivalent.

Some good current machines that can handle this work include the Consew 206RB-5, and the Juki DNU 1541. Either can be ordered with a servo motor that is easy to control for beginners and experts alike. Juki machines are more expensive though. You can sometimes find old used Singer walking foot machines for a few hundred dollars that can do the work, but with limitations that often include no reverse lever, or small bobbins. Some ancient Singer walking foot machines had a spring loaded presser foot that merely followed the work on top as the feed dogs on the bottom grabbed the flesh side and pushed it to the back (the single feed I mentioned). Been there and done that. I'd go with a modern machine.

[CFons]

Thank you so much for these suggestions!! I will look into the consew you suggested. I have a cobra class 26 with a cylinder arm. It’s great for bags and oil tanned leathers,  but it leaves a ton of track marks on the veg tan leather which can’t be reduced by lessening the presser foot pressure. And I find that no matter what, the reverse stitching looks terrible. Maybe it’s user error but I can’t get the stitching to look good on thinner pieces of veg tan leather even with 69 thread, thinner needles and adjusting the tension. 

[kgg]

6 hours ago, CFons said:

And I find that no matter what, the reverse stitching looks terrible. Maybe it’s user error but I can’t get the stitching to look good on thinner pieces of veg tan leather even with 69 thread, thinner needles and adjusting the tension. 

This maybe caused by the needle not reversing into the same holes it made going forward. A quick check is to put some heavy weight paper under the presser foot as if you were going to sew something except with NO thread in the needle. Handle wheel the machine for about a half dozen stitches and then hand-wheel in reverse. The if the machine is setup properly the needle should fall into the same hole as when you were going forward. 

Also be for-warned from my experience the Consew 206RB-5 (made in I think China) is not the equivalent of a Juki DNU-1541S (made in Japan). That said there isn't much difference between the two machines with the Consew being about $300 less then the Juki DNU-1541S.

kgg 

[CFons]

Thanks! I’ll try this paper trick to check the needle.