Which sewing machine should I buy?

[Cumberland Highpower]

5 hours ago, chrisash said:

But have you ever seen heavy stitches on Wallets from a quality top company, probably not, yet they can be one of the most heavily used and abused leather items also many canvas rucksacks, backpacks  sports bags etc also only use up to 92 thread

Well, I think there is a bit more to that....Its' not common to see heavy thread on a wallet because it's nearly impossible to hide the "lock" of the stitch in thin leather wallets.  It "is" a little more possible to hide the lock if you use a hook and awl machine, but only just a little easier.  I made a couple wallets for myself of thin leathers on a Randall and stitched with 277 poly.  Why? It's what I had on the machine at the time. I'd say I was able to hide the lock pretty well in that thin leather.....But a thinner thread would have been better.

 

[Cumberland Highpower]

On 12/30/2021 at 7:00 PM, Wizcrafts said:

@Kovant- Take a look at this thread and needle chart. It will give you an idea about the diameter and strengths of various "sizes" of sewing threads and their recommended needle sizes. As a hand sewer you are probably used to using thread ranging from .5 to 1 mm diameter. While that is a typical range for hand sewing it is not typical for sewing machines. 0.5mm thread equates to #207 bonded machine thread. That calls for a #24 needle if you have the same thread on top and in the bobbin. It is also at the extreme top end of only the strongest of walking foot machines that might show up for sale in marketplaces, or online. Your average upholstery grade machine cannot handle that thickness of thread.

Here are a few sewing machines, sold and serviced by our supporting advertisers, that can tension #207 (aka: #210) thread and still use thinner thread for thinner work.

• Consew 206RB-5 flat bed walking foot machine.
• Cowboy CB341 cylinder arm walking foot machine.
• Cobra Class 26 cylinder arm walking foot machine.
• Techsew 2750 cylinder arm walking foot machine.

If you require a machine that sews with heavier thread, larger needles, or sews a higher thickness, you need to move up to a harness/holster stitcher that can tension #415 thread using a #26 or #27 needle that is a wide as a roofing nail.

Wiz I get your point, but on the side,  I can't say I've ever seen a need for ever sewing with 415 thread.  The heaviest thread I've ever used is 277.   I've acquired heavier threads with machines on occasion and it usually went in the trash....  Other than maybe some heaving slings or rigging for cargo, etc...I cant understand why anyone would buy a heavier thread?

Edited January 1, 2022 by Cumberland Highpower

[Spyros]

2 hours ago, Cumberland Highpower said:

Wiz I get your point, but on the side,  I can't say I've ever seen a need for ever sewing with 415 thread.  The heaviest thread I've ever used is 277.   I've acquired heavier threads with machines on occasion and it usually went in the trash....  Other than maybe some heaving slings or rigging for cargo, etc...I cant understand why anyone would buy a heavier thread?

Why wouldn't they?  The vast majority of hand stitched items out there are done with the equivalent of 277/346/415 thread, and I've never heard anyone complaining that it looks too thick. 

Things do come apart at the seams, if I can use a stronger thread I don't see why I wouldn't.  We've kind of accepted that it's visually not ok to have a fatter seam on a bag for example, but it is visually ok to have 2 thinner seams side by side for extra strength, which is kind of absurd to me.

[Wizcrafts]

On 12/31/2021 at 7:15 PM, Cumberland Highpower said:

Other than maybe some heaving slings or rigging for cargo, etc...I cant understand why anyone would buy a heavier thread?

A year or so ago a customer dropped off some super heavy woven webbing to have me sew big loops on the ends for use in towing cars. I used #346 bonded thread and a #26 round point needle. The stitch length was 4 to the inch. The sewn parts were 1/2 inch thick. He was a happy camper and those straps never came apart due to thread breakage.

[Cumberland Highpower]

On 12/31/2021 at 9:29 PM, Spyros said:

Why wouldn't they?  The vast majority of hand stitched items out there are done with the equivalent of 277/346/415 thread, and I've never heard anyone complaining that it looks too thick. 

Things do come apart at the seams, if I can use a stronger thread I don't see why I wouldn't.  We've kind of accepted that it's visually not ok to have a fatter seam on a bag for example, but it is visually ok to have 2 thinner seams side by side for extra strength, which is kind of absurd to me.

I consider 277 to be acceptable, but you can say the "vast" majority of stitching done by hand today is done with oversize thread (346/415).  I think it's largely due to a lack of leatherworking knowledge.  In the past virtually all leatherworkers learned as aprentices or through  a Guild of some sort, where they were taught by men who knew the trade proper.. If you look at professionally hand stitched goods from the days of linen, the vast majority of goods were stitched with a much finer thread and more stitches to the inch. 2-3-4 cord.   

When I see large thread and a low stich to the inch count on a hand make item, I think novice or hobbyist right away.    I do a little hand stitching on a few specialty items and use 3 cord, maybe 4 and generally 8 stitches per inch, but on occasion I do stretch it to about 6.

Edited January 3, 2022 by Cumberland Highpower

[Spyros]

1 hour ago, Cumberland Highpower said:

I consider 277 to be acceptable, but you can say the "vast" majority of stitching done by hand today is done with oversize thread (346/415).  I think it's largely due to a lack of leatherworking knowledge.  In the past virtually all leatherworkers learned as aprentices or through  a Guild of some sort, where they were taught by men who knew the trade proper.. If you look at professionally hand stitched goods from the days of linen, the vast majority of goods were stitched with a much finer thread and more stitches to the inch. 2-3-4 cord.   

When I see large thread and a low stich to the inch count on a hand make item, I think novice or hobbyist right away.    I do a little hand stitching on a few specialty items and use 3 cord, maybe 4 and generally 8 stitches per inch, but on occasion I do stretch it to about 6.

Today that's just another aesthetic, people simply take it, or leave it.  It's definitely still alive in anything that tries to look like Hermes, but there's many other mainstream styles out there, especially in everyday casual items.

[Cumberland Highpower]

13 hours ago, Spyros said:

Today that's just another aesthetic, people simply take it, or leave it.  It's definitely still alive in anything that tries to look like Hermes, but there's many other mainstream styles out there, especially in everyday casual items.

Probably so.  My original reply was mainly in regard to sewing machines.  I guess hand stitching is another topic all together.

[Kovant]

Thank you all very much.
I have to study everything you have told me as I am very new to machines.
Thank you!