Ok, I don't have 2 Grand

[WaG35]

Seriously. Do you have to spend 1500-2000 to get a machine to stitch 8 oz leather. Is there any options for us po folk. I am sure this has been discussed at length prior to the crash, but I am very curious. I am mostly making holsters, with 8 maybe 9 oz.

[ETW Grumpy]

Have you tried handstitching? Works for me.

[HorsehairBraider]

I sometimes use one of these stitching awls: Stewart Speedy Stitcher if I need to do some stitching on a saddle or some other heavy leather. If you use it with a stitching horse you can actually get pretty good at it. My tips on using one are, always keep the groove in the needle oriented the exact same way for every stitch, and after making every stitch, roll the tool so that the thread winds up tighter. The thread can come untwisted, and it won't be as strong, so you want to make sure it stays twisted.

Use one of those enough, and you'll probably come up with a creative way to get $2,000 for that machine! The reason I don't have a machine is I don't do enough stitching! :D

[JRedding]

you'll never regret learning to handstitch and do it well, you might also consider some more decorative means of putting holsters together like a nice buckstitch job or edge lace with kangaroo lace and a nice triple stitch. It's just a couple ideas

[Art]

For holster work you will be doubling the 9 oz to 18 and adding six to eight more for the welt. That is 24-26 oz of leather, and if you want a liner, you will have to add that. So you really need to do 1/2 inch of leather minimum. No inexpensive machine will do that kind of work for very long. Now if you look in the Marketplace section of leatherworker.net, you will find a union lockstitch for sale for $800 or so, that will definitely work and be quite an education at the same time. There are older Singers out there at the right price also.

Art

Seriously. Do you have to spend 1500-2000 to get a machine to stitch 8 oz leather. Is there any options for us po folk. I am sure this has been discussed at length prior to the crash, but I am very curious. I am mostly making holsters, with 8 maybe 9 oz.

[WaG35]

thanks for the replies. i am handstitching them now. I was just curious in case i get to a point in this journey that speed is of a little more concern.

[Randyc]

You may want to consider a Tippmann Boss. You should be able to snag a used one on Ebay for under $1,000.00. Before I upgraded to the Artisan 3000 I used the Boss for a couple of years. Once the Boss is adjusted, it does produce a good stitch with possibly less of a learning curve then a powered machine.

Randy

[gunfighter48]

I bought a Neels Saddlery Model 5 sewing machine and it will sew up to 1/2" with no problems. I think the current price is $895 and that includes a decent table and DC motor. It's a cylinder bed machine that will sew threads from 207 to 415 weight. But there are some tradeoffs that you need to be aware of. It's not a walking foot machine, it's a bottom feed machine, meaning it uses feed dogs that contact the bottom of your leather and it will leave marks in the leather. I am making heavy duty gunbelts and the marks are not a problem.

Parts are available from Neels and Ferdco, it's the same machine as the Ferdco 440R (but doesn't have a reverse). But there is'nt a lot of accessories for these machines. I bought two narrow leather pressor feet from Neels, and then cut one side off to make a left and right toed pressor foot for doing belts and holsters. But it does sew up a storm, takes some practice to find the right pressor foot and bobbin tension but doesn't require much adjustment after that. My budget was very tight and it was all I could afford. Due to several physical problems hand stitching is no longer possible for me. So I got the Model 5 and am making due until I can put enough aside for a bigger better machine. Just something to consider, it's a viable option.

John

Edited January 27, 2008 by gunfighter48

[WaG35]

Thanks guys. I'll do some looking

[Hawk Scarbrough]

Have you tried handstitching? Works for me.

Yo is right on Mr. Grumpy.

[stelmackr]

Some of the sewing machine sellers on this forum will set up time payment which will take the sting out of the price. Check with them.

Bob Stelmack

[Wizcrafts]

I bought a Neels Saddlery Model 5 sewing machine and it will sew up to 1/2" with no problems. I think the current price is $895 and that includes a decent table and DC motor. It's a cylinder bed machine that will sew threads from 207 to 415 weight. But there are some tradeoffs that you need to be aware of. It's not a walking foot machine, it's a bottom feed machine, meaning it uses feed dogs that contact the bottom of your leather and it will leave marks in the leather. I am making heavy duty gunbelts and the marks are not a problem.

Snip

John

That #5 is a good machine for jobs where you don't see the bottom layer. This includes saddles, seats and webbing. The same machine is available with the designation of Cowboy CB2500 (with or without reverse and roller foot), the Techsew 3650, various brands of the so-called GA5-1, as well as the ancient Singer 45k models, upon which these machines are based.

These machines sew up to about 7/16 to 1/2 inch of leather or webbing, with thread sizes 138 through 346, using system 328 needle sizes 23 through 27.

[Darren Brosowski]

The GA5/CB105/CB2500/Techsew3650/Singer 45k would have been my suggestion as an entry level machine.

I know many saddlers who learned the trade 50 years ago on a Singer 45k on the basis that if you can sew with a 45k you can sew with any machine. Some of them still do most of their work on this style machine even when they have all sorts of other machines in the workshop.

Sewing on a bottom feed machine is all about technique so if you learn to sew well on one you can use virtually any machine in the future BUT I suspect you will always keep the basic one as there are some things it will do that are a pain on the compound feed.