What Is Best Machine And Model For Sewing Wallets?

[Csr111]

I'm looking to by a new machine that will be best for "fine-quality" leather working as i'm learing to craft high-end wallets. What machine and model would you recommend that can produce the quality of stitching on the photos shown below and be best for mens wallets specifically.

Thanks for your help!

[Wizcrafts]

Almost any triple feed walking foot machine can produce that result, using either #92 or 138 bonded thread. Common brands include Consew, Chandler, Juki, Brother, Singer 111 or 211 (very old, out of production), Cowboy, Cobra, Techsew, Econosew, Sailrite, et al. Most of these machines have a large bobbin and normally take system 135x16 needles. They are capable of sewing up to 3/8 inch of real leather, with #138 thread and under. Sometimes, you can use up to #207 thread, with a #24 or 25 needle.

I can also sew this kind of work on my Cowboy CB4500, but it takes a lot of dinking with pressures and tensions to use such thin thread on it.

[Wonderboy]

Hi Wizcrafts.  We have a CB4500 currently configured to use a 160x23 needle and 138 thread.

We'd occasionally like to sew wallets like what's shown above with this machine.  Do you have pointers for us (needles / thread etc)?

I guess if we were going to make heaps of wallets and smaller items would a second machine like the Cowboy CB227R be ok?

Tia

[RockyAussie]

3 hours ago, Wonderboy said:

Hi Wizcrafts.  We have a CB4500 currently configured to use a 160x23 needle and 138 thread.

We'd occasionally like to sew wallets like what's shown above with this machine.  Do you have pointers for us (needles / thread etc)?

I guess if we were going to make heaps of wallets and smaller items would a second machine like the Cowboy CB227R be ok?

Tia

Just my 2c ... If you have already a CB4500 I would think about a smaller size diameter cylinder arm than the CB227r. Getting around tight gussets and such can be a big advantage.Even stitching a wallet as above all the way around can be quite a challenge on a large dia machine. Brian

[Wizcrafts]

10 hours ago, Wonderboy said:

Hi Wizcrafts.  We have a CB4500 currently configured to use a 160x23 needle and 138 thread.

We'd occasionally like to sew wallets like what's shown above with this machine.  Do you have pointers for us (needles / thread etc)?

I guess if we were going to make heaps of wallets and smaller items would a second machine like the Cowboy CB227R be ok?

Tia

The CB4500 is built for sewing thick leather with heavy thread. However, you can dumb it down for the occasional light leather sewing job. I have posted the steps previously in one or two replies over the years. Search the leather sewing machines forum for the term "dumbing down." The process takes about 15 or 20 minutes and requires the use of round point #19 needles and #92 bonded thread, plus extra bobbins for this thread.

[Techsew Ron]

On 5/30/2013 at 7:45 PM, Csr111 said:

I'm looking to by a new machine that will be best for "fine-quality" leather working as i'm learing to craft high-end wallets. What machine and model would you recommend that can produce the quality of stitching on the photos shown below and be best for mens wallets specifically.

Thanks for your help!

Most customers of ours who sew wallets would use a light-medium flatbed walking foot machine (or cylinder bed if they're also doing bags). As Wiz mentioned earlier, find a machine that can use up to #138 or #207 thread and uses smooth presser feet so it doesn't mark leather. Of course you'll want a servo motor for slow and precise stitching. All of the machinery advertisers on LW.net sell this type of machine.

Ron

[Wonderboy]

On 29/11/2017 at 8:46 PM, RockyAussie said:

Just my 2c ... If you have already a CB4500 I would think about a smaller size diameter cylinder arm than the CB227r. Getting around tight gussets and such can be a big advantage.Even stitching a wallet as above all the way around can be quite a challenge on a large dia machine. Brian

What machine/s would you recommend Brian? Just doing some initial research.

[RockyAussie]

 

Hi Tia, Not knowing what type of range of products you are wanting to make I can only guess. Call me on 49342555 if you'd like to narrow it down a bit. A very common versatile machine that can do a very wide range of work.....is the Pfaff 335 or the Adler69 or many of their clones. I have both and and use both most days and I can get them to run a 20 size thread (138) if I want to but normally stick with around 40 and 60 for most work. Check my web site and I would say around 80% + of the product you see  there would use these machines. I will attach a picture to show some of the sort of work where this type of machine is most useful as in stitching the small gussets in these bags. Here is a link of a Cowboy/HIGHTEX 335 clone video that may help a little. Note I have a 441 as well. Regards Brian

 

 

 

 

[DrmCa]

If wallets is the only thing you are ever going to stitch, you can use any walking foot machine, like Wiz said, but if you would ever want to stitch other goods, like gloves, hats, purses etc, get a cylinder bed machine. Cylinder bed doubles as a flat bed just like that or with a table attachment, but you can't do on a flat bed what requires a cylinder bed. For instance, replacing zippers in boots is a breeze on a cylinder bed (some may argue this is a job for a shoe patcher, but I contend it is absolutely doable on Pfaff 335) but try that on a flat bed and it's impossible.