Sewing machine advice for a hobby/new leather worker

[Tommy217xxx]

Hey everyone, my name is tj and I’m kinda new to the forums. I’ve lurked for a while and really haven’t t posted much. I’ve made a few holsters for myself, a belt and a wallet. All hand stitched and honestly poorly done.

I’m getting board and need something to keep my hands and mind busy so I want to start working with leather again. Mainly small projects like wallets, purses and bags. probably just things for my family.

I want to get a sewing machine and I’ve done a bit of research but honestly it’s all a bit overwhelming. I understand that every machine has its purpose and they don’t really make a “jack of all trades “ type machine. From what I gather, I either want a cobra or a cowboy but I’m not sure which machine to get. 
 

sorry if this has been posted a million times and thanks in advance for any advice.

 

tj

[friquant]

1 hour ago, Tommy217xxx said:

Mainly small projects like wallets, purses and bags

I would look at cylinder arm machines. The cylinder arm gives the versatility to sew 3-dimensional shapes, including the gussets on purses and bags. We're talking machines like the Juki 246, Juki (1)341, the Pfaff 335, or one of several clones of any of these machines.

In terms of needle systems, I would target a machine that uses the most common needle system, which is 135x16.