Whats The Right Machine For Me

[Fd3615]

Let me start by saying I have never used a sewing machine. But there are many projects i sure would have loved one. I think its time i make the investment. I cant saddle stitch everything. I have read a ton of posts on here.. I have to say there is sooooooo much information that I cant keep it all straight.

My needs - decorative stitching on 1 and 2 ply 10 oz veg tanned leather ( a nice thick thread )

sewing 3 to four layers of 5 - 8 oz leather for fire belts, toold holders, holsters, and sheaths.

ease of use - like i said i have never sewed.. i need a good non marking feeder - and i assume a servo motor for slow control.

HELP

im to the point if someone tells me a brand and model and "sells" me on it.. im a buyer.. I know there are some sales people here.. so you have an eager customer..

thanks

[Fd3615]

ALSO - i need the ability to sew light weight liners and padding material to some on my projects..

[tnawrot2]

In my opinion you will need two machines, a 441 clone, either a Cowboy CB4500 or a Cobra Class 4, and a triple feed walking foot flat bed machine. As you can't buy one car to go to the dragstrip and off-road, a sewing machine used to go through 1/2" - 3/4" leather for holsters would have a difficult time to sew 2 oz. lining material, the opposite is also true. My suggestion would be to call both Toledo sewing machines and Leather Machine Company and talk to them, both of them are very helpful.

[Wizcrafts]

I do that kind of sewing on my Cowboy CB4500. I got the entire available range of needles and thread for it. One project may be to sew 1 oz pigskin linings onto tool and phone pouches made from 5-6 ounce veg-tan, using #92 thread. The next may be hemming a pair of jeans with jeans thread. Then, I'll sew the edges of a bridle leather belt with #277 thread on top and 207 in the bobbin. If someone springs for the bucks, I sew two layers of bridle leather together on it. If they really show the money, I use the machine to sew fishtails into that belt.

My motor allows a full range of top speed adjustments. I dial it way down for decorative stitching, then speed it up for long belts. I also run my lubricated thread through a lube pot with silicon in it. Smoke comes off the needle on long runs!

One accessory I could not do without is a drop down roller edge guide. Previously, I had a swing-away guide, but it was always in the way of wide items, or projects that had to be turned around. The drop down guide lifts up when it is not needed, or would be in the way. It not only drops down onto the throat plate (by a spring), but can also stop on top of a bottom layer of leather, to edge-guide the top layer being sewn onto it.

I would not be without the holster throat plate. You WILL need it sooner, rather than later. Finally, the CB4500 has stainless steel plates and feet. I removed my feed dog and installed a flat, narrow slotted throat plate. The bottom exit wounds are cleaner and narrower and nothing falls into its little slot, like sometimes happened with the standard long, wide throat plate (for the huge feed dog). The flat slotted plate lets you sew very close to the edge, using an edge guide, where the feed dog would normally be hitting the bottom of the roller if it was set that close to the needle.

Just my 2.5 cents (for inflation!)