I Guess If It Helps Sell Your Stuff...

[TXAG]

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thebillfolder/the-billfolder?ref=live

"We have adopted our slogan "machine made by people with hands," because we think it is kind of funny when people tout hand cut and stitched leather as superior. We believe that a true craftsman and the right machine will always produce better quality and consistency."

Emphasis mine.

I happen to think hand-cut and hand-stitched items are superior to machine sewn, from what I've seen...but...I wonder how many people think the way those guys do...

I mean seriously...do most buyers just not care whether something is hand-stitched or not? Or is this just marketing propaganda to justify their use of machines to make these things?

[SteelcityK9Cop]

Code words for mass produced goods trying to look a little less mass produced.

[JLSleather]

Yeah, most don't know the difference, and some of the ones who know don't care. I'm with you .. saddle stitched is better where stress and strain is involved. If you're making flat goods - wallets, notebooks, etc - run 'em through the machine for the speed, whatever.

I actually saw one guys' 'marketing pitch' that machine sewed was better because the stitches are more even and consistent. HUH?

BUT, not all 'handmade' is better. I mean, if I need a belt, and have to choose between a beat-down, poorly cut, badly tooled, blotchy dye piece of crap somebody destroyed with their own hands, then give me the cheap crap from Walmart that I'll have to replace in a few months. The hand made crap is NOT worth more than the mass produced crap.

IF you can get a machine that does what the "handmade" does, faster and/or for less money, then do it. If you make hundreds of wallets (for example) then by all means get a die to cut them out. Makes sense. But the stichers you see around here are NOT makig the same thing as a saddle stitch.

[veedub3]

I mean seriously...do most buyers just not care whether something is hand-stitched or not?

I think it depends on the person and there experience. If they like it - they will buy it , and hand sewn vs machine sewn I think wouldn't even be a consideration if it's well made.

I have a Cole Haan leather vintage style postal/messenger bag I purchased at least 15 years ago that is machine stitched and still looks as awesome as the day I bought it. I am passing it on to my son when he goes off to College next year. I also have a Hermes clutch bag that is completely hand sewn by a master craftsman and is amazing. The wait time for this clutch was 7 months. Both are wonderful pieces, but were sewn using different methods. If the person knows what they are doing, I personally don't care which method is used. Well made is well made. (JMO)

Put two identical items in front of me - one hand sewn and the other machine stitched, and I will pick the one that is well crafted every time. Maybe it's the hand sewn item, maybe not. It all depends on the skill set of the person that made it.

Look at some of the wallets on Etsy that are hand sewn. The hand stitching on some of them is terrible and is unacceptable to me. Crooked stitch lines, huge stitch holes, wrong thread size, fraying thread. etc. Everyone that hand sews, don't have the same work ethic and don't strive for perfection, so to just say hand sewing is superior to machine sewing, I am going to have to say it depends on the craftsman. If every person that hand sews, sewed their items like Nigel or Hunio, It wouldn't be any question, but lets face it, it's a lot of people out their selling leather goods that needs a boat load of practice when it comes to hand sewing - just as there are a lot of people using machines that's cranking out crap. I look at quality first, then the price, everything else follows. (Again JMO)

Karrina

[TXAG]

Yeah, I guess I should've clarified that I meant items that were hand-sewn that are good quality...a piece of junk is a piece of junk.

It just seems to me that most craftsmen that take the time and effort to hand stitch (and are good at it) will take more care in other aspects of the build too...

Edited October 17, 2013 by TXAG

[sheathmaker]

I've been working leather, since 1951, everything from belts and key fobs to intricate saddles and everything in between. Some hand cut, some clicked, some hand sewn and now most machine stitched. I'll put my machine work up against anyone's hand work for durability, looks and overall quality. I believe from my personal experience that's there isn't 10 cents difference between the two......IF the person doing each discipline KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING. It's not the method, it's the expertise of the individual doing the method that makes the difference.

Anyone who has picked machine stitches from an old saddle skirt to put on new shearling can attest machine stitch holds just as well and just as long as hand saddle stitched.

As far as superior overall quality due to the hand worker taking more time or what ever.....well, that's just BS. I refer you back to my first paragraph. This goes back to work ethic and pride of accomplishment and protecting a good reputation.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Paul

Edited October 17, 2013 by sheathmaker

[dkbutcher]

I agree, crap is crap, but when they both look good I will always lean towards the hand made version. If someone goes to the effort of doing it by hand AND puts in the effort to do it really well... then that would suggest that they will probably do higher quality in other places (not always but I'm biased to thinking that way at least) . One of the main reasons I started working in leather in the first place (I've just started and am a babe in the woods) is because the "leather" goods that I might buy looked nice and looked perfect, but give it a month or two and the crappiness would show itself either in the leather, the construction, or both.

Dave

[Dwight]

My leather work for the most part is a product of my company motto:

Affordable Gunleather For Those Who Can’t Afford To Be Without Their Gunleather

I simply cannot afford to offer the gunleather I offer if I have to hand stitch the holsters and belts. Not that I do not occasionally do that, . . . but I only do it when it has to be done, . . . and is VERY infrequent.

My customers safety, . . . comfort, . . . and budget comes before something as esoteric as "hand made", . . "hand stitched", . . . etc.

That does not say that no one else should do it, . . . by all means if there is a niche market out there for hand stitched goods, . . . go for it.

May God bless,

Dwight

[dirtclod]

TXAG how many of your clothes are handmade / hand sewn. I'm guessing they were all made in a factory someplace where they used every piece of machine they could find to make them quicker to keep cost down so they could actually sell them to the general public.

I make a lot of stuff and i call it handmade because everything about it is done by hand except for the sewing and i tell them i sew on a machine. Now if people want to pay three / four of five times the price i'd hand sew it but in my world it's not going to happen. Their not going to pay 250.00 for something they can buy for 50.00 .

Looking at the billfold people they had somebody write a bunch of well worded writing that appeals to a lot of people. Like buying leather by the barrel. Now anybody that has bought any leather knows that's BS but most people don't know any better, they just think their buying something special. In other words a bunch of BS and people eat it up. If you read what they say the people

wanting the money aint going to anything but inspect the finished product.

IMO most of the people saying hand sewing is better just want a machine and haven't turned the money loose yet. I've seen a few people that can sew a real nice hand stitch but i have seen a whole more that look like crap ! On the other hand i have seen a lot of poor machine things to. The big thing is to take pride in what you make and do the best job you can and cut the junk pieces up.

Edited October 18, 2013 by dirtclod

[Tina]

I'll put my machine work up against anyone's hand work for durability, looks and overall quality.

IMO most of the people saying hand sewing is better just want a machine and haven't turned the money loose yet.

Timestrap...IMO, maybe people with a machine is just to lacy to handstich?

sheathmaker...just had to jump in here. The stiching, hand or machine will never be better than the quallity of the thread. Now with that said there's also the difference in how the stiches are made and here I'm just talking about the technique differences between them both, not someones individual skills in handsewing. A pictures says a thousen words :-)