Enough of hand sewing

[strathmoredesigns]

8 hours ago, Fire88 said:

I've spoken to Bob at Toledo industrial just need to make the trip up north. 

@Fire88 what are you getting from Bob? I'm always curious about the used machines.

[Fire88]

46 minutes ago, strathmoredesigns said:

@Fire88 what are you getting from Bob? I'm always curious about the used machines.

It’ll be a new cowboy machine, not sure what yet. 

[strathmoredesigns]

@Fire88 Cool, lucky you!

[AdamPCain]

I have hand sewed 3 bags so far, it doesn't hurt my hands but very time consuming.  I would like to dive into bigger projects but haven't for this reason saving up for a Cowboy 227r or a Techsew

[Sheilajeanne]

A big help in sewing is a hemostat or pair of needle nosed pliers to help get the needle through the holes. I was repairing an old pair of Sorel winter boots tonight, and just about went NUTS hand-stitching a seam that was only an inch and a half long! Couldn't find my hemostat, and the leather was thick and stretchy and the holes just very small slits. I needed my strongest glasses and a very bright light to even see them! Using my awl to stretch the holes a bit did help, but it was still a real PITA! Had me wishing for a needle with a smaller eye, and sharper point!

[Fire88]

36 minutes ago, AdamPCain said:

I have hand sewed 3 bags so far, it doesn't hurt my hands but very time consuming.  I would like to dive into bigger projects but haven't for this reason saving up for a Cowboy 227r or a Techsew

I just bought a CB3200 from Cowboy Bob at Toledo Industrial. I looked at the 227r but with the thread limit of 207 and what I will be doing and planning to do I will need heavier thread than 207. 

27 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

A big help in sewing is a hemostat or pair of needle nosed pliers to help get the needle through the holes. I was repairing an old pair of Sorel winter boots tonight, and just about went NUTS hand-stitching a seam that was only an inch and a half long! Couldn't find my hemostat, and the leather was thick and stretchy and the holes just very small slits. I needed my strongest glasses and a very bright light to even see them! Using my awl to stretch the holes a bit did help, but it was still a real PITA! Had me wishing for a needle with a smaller eye, and sharper point!

I've used needle nose pliers plenty to hand sew. I won't completely give up hand sewing as some projects there are no other options. 

[Sheilajeanne]

Absolutely! There is no way these boots could have been fixed using a machine, as the split was where the toe of the boot meets the upper, where 3 pieces of leather come together. 

Sorel is a very reputable make of boot. I was surprised by the low quality of the construction. Stitching sucked, the dyeing sucked, and the boot had lost a D-ring for the lace because the loop holding the ring never got stitched!

 

Just finished reading the thread on how to make a living with your leather work, and if this is the quality of (no doubt!) overseas mass-production going into the things we buy, there definitely IS a market for well-made quality leather goods.  

Edited December 11, 2017 by Sheilajeanne

[luxuryluke]

I just finished my first bag, a shoulder bag for the wife out of 7oz horween latigo, ritza 1.0 thread and the needle nose pliers saved my fingers. 

It took like 12 hours, phew! That was a stitching thrill. Here I go for more!

[jfak7670]

I just remember myself doing the same stuff a couple of years ago. But then, I got my Tippman Boss machine and started doing everything a way faster than when I did it by hand. 
 

Edited January 14, 2020 by jfak7670

[Squid61]

I've looked at machines, the REX on Amazon looks reasonable for the casual user at under $400 .  Most of the "heavy duty" Singer and such are really not good for much more than garment leather from all I've read.  So far everything I've sewn including a few clutches and a purse for the wife look better saddle stitched than they would lock stitched so a machine wouldn't have helped.  I don't suffer any pain stitching and can go along pretty fast using a sharp awl, blunt needles and smooth jawed needle nose pliers,  I have discovered that awl stabs bleed more than needles but needles hurt worse.