what is the best machine for me?

[awnova]

Greetings all,

My husband and I are involved in the SCA and have been for the last 14 years, we also have horses and compete in multiple events. So, for the past many years, we have been making all kinds of accessories out of leather, but my fingers are tired! My husband is a jeweler and we have been considering combining horse accessories with jewelry but I just know that sewing by hand is out for me now. Now we are in a position to seriously consider purchasing a leather sewing machine, but the information I have been able to find on the various types and brands is pretty limited. We are also limiting the amount of money to spend on a machine to around $2000 (and I realized that does seriously limit our choices, but we haven't made a business out of it yet!!!).

Could you either point me to some references that will help me, or perhaps provide me with a brief primer regarding the brands and their reliability and versatility (if any!)?

Thank you!

Angela

[Art]

Hi Angela,

I have to know what you want to sew. Read all threads in the Leather Sewing Machine Forum and then ask some questions. Most importantly, what are you making and how much realistically do you have to spend. We have a lot of experience in this forum and we have all bought our first machine. The only primer you can get is one on sewing and sewing machines at most fabric stores which won't say anything about stitchers. But remember, stitchers are just big sewing machines.

Art

Greetings all,

My husband and I are involved in the SCA and have been for the last 14 years, we also have horses and compete in multiple events. So, for the past many years, we have been making all kinds of accessories out of leather, but my fingers are tired! My husband is a jeweler and we have been considering combining horse accessories with jewelry but I just know that sewing by hand is out for me now. Now we are in a position to seriously consider purchasing a leather sewing machine, but the information I have been able to find on the various types and brands is pretty limited. We are also limiting the amount of money to spend on a machine to around $2000 (and I realized that does seriously limit our choices, but we haven't made a business out of it yet!!!).

Could you either point me to some references that will help me, or perhaps provide me with a brief primer regarding the brands and their reliability and versatility (if any!)?

Thank you!

Angela

[awnova]

Sorry about that... we sew a wide variety of leathers from 5-6 ounce chap-type leather for showing to heavy harness leather (doubled) for working driving harnesses. Gun holsters are fairly thick, belts for gun holsters with ammo loops, headstalls, chaps with harness leather tops, etc. It won't be used every day, in fact twice a month might be a more appropriate estimate. I have read through the forum and have done some research through the industrial sewing machine dealers, unfortunately I believe that most of what they tell me is biased towards the brands they sell (duh), I have been looking at a Juki (but I can't remember the model right now), the Artisan Toro 3000. And as far as what we have to spend... like I said ~$2000, and yes, I know that isn't much, but there are machines out there for that price including the ones I mentioned, so hopefully one of those will work for me. I have had a wide variety of answers from the dealers regarding the preference of the compound needle or the walking foot or the two-needle machines, that have only served to confuse me. As I currently understand it, I most likely want a machine that has the walking foot, that is speed reduced and that can take up to a 24 or 27 needle... I have been sewing on multiple home machines for 20 years and don't really need a primer on sewing itself, just on the differences of leather-specific machines.

Thanks!

Hi Angela,

I have to know what you want to sew. Read all threads in the Leather Sewing Machine Forum and then ask some questions. Most importantly, what are you making and how much realistically do you have to spend. We have a lot of experience in this forum and we have all bought our first machine. The only primer you can get is one on sewing and sewing machines at most fabric stores which won't say anything about stitchers. But remember, stitchers are just big sewing machines.

Art

[Art]

Hi Angela,

The best machine for your needs (per your description) may be the Artisan Toro 3000. You not only want a walking foot but a needle feed and feed dogs that you can adjust so they barely contact the leather or don't contact at all. The hole in the feed dog will act as a lower needle guide, however I have never needed one on my Toro 4000 P (it is in the drawer if I ever need it for something very thick and very hard and is easy to install and adjust). The only problem (for me) on the 3000 is the smaller throat when doing cartridge loops, however it shouldn't be seen as a show stopper unless you do a whole lot of them. Artisan sells the 3000 for under $2,000 which hits that target. There is the used market but used Jukis in good condition sell pretty high, higher than a new Artisan, Ferdco, or Sewmo.

As far as differences go. Size matters and everything in these machines is bigger and because of larger thread, the thread path may have more tension control or lube pots may be there to keep things cool. Speed reducers are more the norm for leather machines as are servo motors (which are kind of variable speed). I went to high speed after a month or two because slow on a big stitcher is SLOW and my attention tends to wander. The bigger machines usually use a shuttle instead of a rotary hook. A shuttle is kind of like the rotary hook, but it doesn't go all the way around but instead "shuttles" back and forth in an arc. This is in contrast to some machines like the Campbell, Randall, Pearson, and Landis which all have a real live shuttle that goes back and forth like a loom and has a big long bobbin that requires a separate winder. It all does the same thing, but the rotary shuttle is a little more contemporary and much higher tech...also quieter.

Art

Sorry about that... we sew a wide variety of leathers from 5-6 ounce chap-type leather for showing to heavy harness leather (doubled) for working driving harnesses. Gun holsters are fairly thick, belts for gun holsters with ammo loops, headstalls, chaps with harness leather tops, etc. It won't be used every day, in fact twice a month might be a more appropriate estimate. I have read through the forum and have done some research through the industrial sewing machine dealers, unfortunately I believe that most of what they tell me is biased towards the brands they sell (duh), I have been looking at a Juki (but I can't remember the model right now), the Artisan Toro 3000. And as far as what we have to spend... like I said ~$2000, and yes, I know that isn't much, but there are machines out there for that price including the ones I mentioned, so hopefully one of those will work for me. I have had a wide variety of answers from the dealers regarding the preference of the compound needle or the walking foot or the two-needle machines, that have only served to confuse me. As I currently understand it, I most likely want a machine that has the walking foot, that is speed reduced and that can take up to a 24 or 27 needle... I have been sewing on multiple home machines for 20 years and don't really need a primer on sewing itself, just on the differences of leather-specific machines.

Thanks!

[CowBoyOUTLAW]

Angela, you have many choices!! If you use thread less V138, CowBoy CB341 is good leather sewing machine, and if you are to use thick thread from V207 to V415, you can use barrel shuttle hook type sewing machines, like CowBoy CB3200 and OUTLAW hand operated leather sewing machine (see above video), all these machines are economical (less $2000.00 USD).

[Wizcrafts]

Ryan;

You just replied to a post that was last updated in 2007.