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I've been lurking around the site for a while and recently decided to join so I could ask a few questions and see some informational pictures. Hey everybody!

Im a young civil-engineer and ive been handcrafting leather products for friends and family on the weekends and some nights. Some of my gear landed in the right hands so Ive decided to leave my current job and start a new venture. I'm launching a start-up and only have experience with hand-stitching. Honestly, I hate to break away from hand stitching but some products will require it. I need to find a machine to evaluate cost, so I can program it into my line-item budget (my original budget provided to the investors ranged the machine from $1500-$3000.

What I'll be making:

Handbags; "totes"; satchels; rucksacks; purses; clutches; duffel-bags; Belts; wallets (probably still going to hand stitch these) but open to machine sewing; in-pocket phone cases; luggage/bag straps:

Some of these products (30%) will be a mix of waxed canvas and leather, but most will be completely comprised of leather.

I'm using Horween Cordovan Shell for smaller items and good quality veg-tan hides for bags. The weight will range from 3-4oz leather for small items to 9-10oz for larger items.

I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but I'm willing to invest in a good machine.

I've looked at the Cowboy 4500 and some Juki and Consew machines, but since I have absolutely no experience with machines, I don't know what to get and don't know if I need anything like that.. I've been to several design-studios in the past few months and they all seem to have long arm table-top machine with compound walking feet. I'm not stuck on any machine or any style. I'm up for any and all recommendations.

I'll be hiring a few interns who have fashion-design experience and of course multi-material sewing experience, but that will be in 2014... I'd like to find and buy the machine now to start familiarizing myself with it. When I'm in the full swing of things, I'll have to buy more machines as well. However, I need something that is somewhat multi-purpose.

I'm pretty proficient in PAD 5.0 drawings/files and also Adobe Illustrator and CAD if anyone ever has questions on that or how that could use it with product design.

Disclaimer: highly-technical sewing lingo will fly directly over my head. I apologize for my ignorance,

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HI, well fancy me being first in to reply. My specialty is in the older machines, right back to the 1800s, these machines work well today and can look really brilliant in a workshop open to the public. However for normal and backroom sewing I'd go for one of the 441 clones, there are a few really knowledgable craftspeople and dealers on this site that will help out in that direction.

Whilst there are literally dozens of walking foot and compound feed machines available, the 441 is instantly known in the business, has compound feed, reverse, small feet for small jobs and also will take on 3/4 inch thicknesses when required. So it will do your purses but not be overly challenged if you decide to go heavier. The machines have lots of attachments, a good range of feet and should be within your $3000 price range.

Hope you do well. Regards Steve

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I appreciate your reply! I'd love to have a operable vintage machine when I open a brick and mortar. It would be cool to have someone in the shop who could do bespoke single-hole belts and things of the sort, right there in the shop with a vintage machine.

I've seen the term 441 clones, and I know that its a modified 441, but I don't know which models are ideal.

I appreciate your feedback and I look forward to hearing from others.

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