Machine Identifcation

[Aven]

I was surfing youtube watching shoe making videos.  And this one has a stitching machine that I have never seen before.  Its at 4:52.  If anyone has any information, I'd love to hear what you know.

Thanks

 

[Uwe]

That’s an interesting stitching tool. Their website states about process for attaching the sole: “This process is done manually with a basic home-made sole stitching lever designed by a shoemaker in Spain for this purpose”

”basic home-made” may be a bit of a stretch. The stitching lever is really quite ingenious and you need a well equipped metal shop to make it.

Using a “stitching lever” instead of a “sewing machine” allows them to claim that the shoes are stitched by hand. Which is true, since the tool doesn’t make the stitch for you. 

I had to play the video in slow motion a few times to see what’s going on. The stitching lever tool appears to form a normal lock-stitch.

After the top lever action lowers the hook needle to pierce the material, he lowers the foot to hold the material in place. Then he twists a knob at the bottom which must somehow rotate some internal mechanism that lays the bottom thread into the needle’s hook. He then pulls the needle with bottom thread up and uses his fingers to unhook the loop from the needle and thread the top thread though that loop. Then a bottom lever action pulls the bottom thread down again to lock the knot into the material.

I have a feeling the people in the video have little interest in sharing how they came by that tool, since it’s it’s one of the elements that makes their products unique.

Perhaps somebody can track down the “shoemaker in Spain” who invented this machine. 

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by Uwe

[Aven]

Thanks Uwe. I appreciate your insight and time as always.

I had to slow the video down to 25% to see everything you were talking about after the point he lowers the foot to hold it in place. It's an interesting piece of machinery and I agree, I don't see them making it available for others. I have used a jerk needle to sew soles on to a few pairs of shoes.  This machine would be a blessing. 

My brother is a machinist.  Next time I'm back east, I think we're going to chat about this machine.