How To Determin A Good Machine For Sewing Leather?

[cleveland]

I picked up an old Singer 301 today from an estate sale. The price was $20 and she runs like a champ! How could I pass it up?!

I know it is not designed to sew leather, but it got me to thinking. What models are good for sewing veg tan leather? I know these are machine designed for sewing thick leather at an industrial level, but what about the hobbyist? What should I be looking for in a machine when cruising estate sales, etc... I know that it's important to make sure all the parts are there, I mean models. Can the old peddle powered Singers run the thick thread used in the average pancake holsters, belt, etc...?

Thanks, Bobby

[TwinOaks]

Some of the old Singer 29s are treadle powered, and there's some Champions that are pedal powered.....but they're pretty few and far between. That 301 you got should serve you well for some wallet interiors made from lining leather. Sounds like you got a good deal on a nice antique....don't ruin it.

We have a thread by Wizcrafts that explains what is needed in a machine, so instead of retyping, I'll re-direct. Look right at the top of the leather sewing machine forum.

[cleveland]

I'll re-direct. Look right at the top of the leather sewing machine forum.

I did not see the separate forum for sewing machines. Thanks!

Can a mod please delete this thread?

[$$hobby]

I picked up an old Singer 301 today from an estate sale. The price was $20 and she runs like a champ! How could I pass it up?!

I know it is not designed to sew leather, but it got me to thinking. What models are good for sewing veg tan leather? I know these are machine designed for sewing thick leather at an industrial level, but what about the hobbyist? What should I be looking for in a machine when cruising estate sales, etc... I know that it's important to make sure all the parts are there, I mean models. Can the old peddle powered Singers run the thick thread used in the average pancake holsters, belt, etc...?

Thanks, Bobby

the size/type of machine will be dictated by what you are going to sew and how thick/layers. vegi tan leather doesnt mean anything other then its vegi tan.

hobbies, professionals, it makes no dif. if you want to sew leather, get a good machine. you will save $$$ in the long run.

btw, you can keep on buying those 20 dollar machines and keep on testing them to see if they will do what you want. In the end, you will have to try and sell/unload them and start all over.

buy once and cry once.

i did the same thing you are about to do. but i spent years buying/selling machines and finally just put out the $$ and got one.

[cleveland]

I am a rummager and tinkerer by nature, so I am sure this is not my last sewing machine purchase. I have wanted an old school machine for a while, but always have a better place to spend the $50-$100 then on a another sewing machine. We have a plastic Singer "Esteem" and it functions, but it has absolutely no character. This Singer 301 "speaks to me" and will be used to hem pants, repair, patch, etc... The only problem it presents is how I go about convincing my wife that the plastic machine her mother got us as a wedding gift is no longer going to be used. I see a lot of butt polishing and wooing in my future.

What type of machine did you end up going with?

[Techsew Ron]

For sewing veg tan leather, you'll most likely need a machine with a walking foot and the ability to use larger needle and thread sizes. As mentioned earlier in this thread, please read the article written by Wizcrafts on leather sewing machines and post a message in the sewing machine forum if you have any questions.

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=25239

[glennaycock]

I inherited my grandmother's 301. It will easily sew 2 layers of 2-3 oz garment/upholstery leather. However, it really struggles on the overlaps of seams, so I bought a Consew 206RB-5 last year.

It's great for upholstery and such, but I don't think it's ideal for the majority leatherworking tasks done in these forums, even though you can run up to 207 thread. Without a speed reducer, it's simply too fast for intricate stitching around tight corners.

I recently bought a BOSS for my holsters, phone cases and belts. It gives lots of control but my arm sure gets tired of cranking that thing.