Whacha Been Up To......

yeah, I'm definitely not going to cheap out on the machine. I'm a buy once, cry once kind of guy 🤣
1DSURn4.jpeg


I'm on Team Handstitch- there's no question that a ladder or saddle stitch are superior to a lock stitch, all things being equal- but it's just not efficient compared to a machine. 2-3 hours vs. 20-30 minutes is just what it is. And when it comes to stitch integrity, it really just comes down to using the right materials for the job- lock stitching is the most common of all and most stuff sewn together that way lasts and lasts if it's done right.

I did the math, and it would take me 30 to 40 sheaths- priced lower than what I have to charge for my sheaths now- to pay for the machine. I'm looking to take the next step -I feel like I've paid my dues, developed a really great clientele by producing good sheaths for the knives they like- and now it's time to ramp things up.

I'll probably still hand stitch for special projects here and there, but the next two batches I'm currently working on will be the last of my hand stitched sheaths.
 
Last edited:
I'm with you on that! I hand stitched for over 30 years. finally retired from my day job, moved and built a new shop. kept hand stitching until one day I just said that's enough of this and started shopping. I went all out and got a Cowboy 4500. this picture below is a piece I wanted to see how thick it would sew shortly after I got it set up.
the picture below that is a sheath that would have taken a LONG time to hand stitch, I honestly think that machine stitched in in two min. and that was running it slow.
wvv6wiH.jpg

s1dRctj.jpg


Then I took off on holsters....
G4P1Brb.jpg
 
bladegrinder said:
I'm with you on that! I hand stitched for over 30 years. finally retired from my day job, moved and built a new shop. kept hand stitching until one day I just said that's enough of this and started shopping. I went all out and got a Cowboy 4500. this picture below is a piece I wanted to see how thick it would sew shortly after I got it set up.
the picture below that is a sheath that would have taken a LONG time to hand stitch, I honestly think that machine stitched in in two min. and that was running it slow.
wvv6wiH.jpg

s1dRctj.jpg


Then I took off on holsters....
G4P1Brb.jpg
Click to expand...
That stack of leather is insane! That’s impressive for sure. The stiching on the sheaths almost looks hand stitched. That machine does a great job. The thread I have been using in my machine is thinner than that and makes it more obviously machine done. I need to see if my machine can support thicker threads like yours.
IMG_7464.jpegIMG_7343.jpegIMG_7190.jpegIMG_7171.jpeg
 
Yep Cobra for the win! Why? Their after sale service is known industry wide as being the absolute best. I can give you some personal examples. Sewing along one day on my Cobra 4 and hear a pop and got no more go. I call them and they have me check several things and then decide it's the motor itself. They OVERNIGHT me a new motor and then talk me through how to change it out as I'm not particularly mechanically inclined. What did that, by the way, new and improved, upgraded motor cost me the customer? Nada, zilch, nothing, not even shipping. Downtime? Less than 24 hours. I'd called in the late afternoon and have the new motor early afternoon the next day.

Their staff know these machines inside and out and I can't tell ya how many times I've had a lil problem and they fix it over the phone. Tighten this, loosen that, adjust here a bit and there you are.

Sharpening our NP 4 skiving machine is a lil complicated. First couple of times I call Vince there. So I call The Leather Sewing Machine Co and talk with Heather at the front desk. She says Vince is out sick, here let me let ya talk with David (the owner of the co). So I do and he says yeah ya want to talk to Vince about that. He's home sick with Covid, here's his personal cell phone number. I'm not gonna call him at home while he's home sick! Yes you are. You don't pay him enough for that. Yes I do.

So I call Vince and he was glad to talk me through sharpening the NP 4 even though he was hacking up a lung. Afterwards we just chatted for about an hour.

We have five different Cobra machines. A heavy duty Cobra 4 stitching machine, a lighter duty flatbed sewing machine the Cobra 18, the NP-4 skiving machine. A Cobra finisher and a Cobra strap cutting machine. We've got plans on a splitter and a Cobra 26 too. Wouldn't even consider any other brand.
 
bladegrinder said:
I'm with you on that! I hand stitched for over 30 years. finally retired from my day job, moved and built a new shop. kept hand stitching until one day I just said that's enough of this and started shopping. I went all out and got a Cowboy 4500. this picture below is a piece I wanted to see how thick it would sew shortly after I got it set up.
the picture below that is a sheath that would have taken a LONG time to hand stitch, I honestly think that machine stitched in in two min. and that was running it slow.
wvv6wiH.jpg

s1dRctj.jpg


Then I took off on holsters....
G4P1Brb.jpg
Click to expand...
Very nice work! Nice boning on the holster.
 
Techsew is a Canadian company since '74. I haven't contacted them yet, but given the state of things these days dealing with a Canadian company is pretty damn compelling. The machine I'm looking at is solid looking with massive castings and the components look to be pretty high quality. The price is up there, but not outside the range of comparable machines
 
Lorien said:
Techsew is a Canadian company since '74. I haven't contacted them yet, but given the state of things these days dealing with a Canadian company is pretty damn compelling. The machine I'm looking at is solid looking with massive castings and the components look to be pretty high quality. The price is up there, but not outside the range of comparable machines
Click to expand...
Ya know I’ve got a friend that has one. Hes had it for years. He’s a pro leather worker too. Let me check with him on his opinion on the Techsew. I could see where kinda styaing in house would be beneficial to you.
 
Last edited:
Lorien said:
you're a good man, Dave👍
Click to expand...
Aw shucks! Anyhoo checked with my friend Carlos at Buckaroogear.com. I was wrong, his big machine is an Artisan. He didn’t know anything about the Techsew either. But he did mention that they are all (the different brands), pretty similar. For instance That pic above of the Techsew is very similar to my Cobra 4 except for the color. He said they are all pretty much made over seas and assembled here. Which I know is so for the Cobras.Anyhoo not a bunch of help. He too thought you were on the right track buying local so to speak.
 
there are only so many places in the world with foundries, and probably not many if any operating in N. America due to the relatively high wages, limited market and environmental laws here.
I've been researching mills for quite awhile now, as well, and what I've concluded is the it's the steel castings for machines like this that are really the backbone of the machine. The main reason why it's good to deal with a known and reputable company is that they take on the task of sourcing competent factories for making the components of the machines they market, such as the castings.
 
Horsewright said:
Yep Cobra for the win! Why? Their after sale service is known industry wide as being the absolute best. I can give you some personal examples. Sewing along one day on my Cobra 4 and hear a pop and got no more go. I call them and they have me check several things and then decide it's the motor itself. They OVERNIGHT me a new motor and then talk me through how to change it out as I'm not particularly mechanically inclined. What did that, by the way, new and improved, upgraded motor cost me the customer? Nada, zilch, nothing, not even shipping. Downtime? Less than 24 hours. I'd called in the late afternoon and have the new motor early afternoon the next day.

Their staff know these machines inside and out and I can't tell ya how many times I've had a lil problem and they fix it over the phone. Tighten this, loosen that, adjust here a bit and there you are.

Sharpening our NP 4 skiving machine is a lil complicated. First couple of times I call Vince there. So I call The Leather Sewing Machine Co and talk with Heather at the front desk. She says Vince is out sick, here let me let ya talk with David (the owner of the co). So I do and he says yeah ya want to talk to Vince about that. He's home sick with Covid, here's his personal cell phone number. I'm not gonna call him at home while he's home sick! Yes you are. You don't pay him enough for that. Yes I do.

So I call Vince and he was glad to talk me through sharpening the NP 4 even though he was hacking up a lung. Afterwards we just chatted for about an hour.

We have five different Cobra machines. A heavy duty Cobra 4 stitching machine, a lighter duty flatbed sewing machine the Cobra 18, the NP-4 skiving machine. A Cobra finisher and a Cobra strap cutting machine. We've got plans on a splitter and a Cobra 26 too. Wouldn't even consider any other brand.
Click to expand...

How much did your cobra set you back? I've always enjoyed the way your stitching looks whereas some machines leave a prominent mark on the leather from the foot.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
How much did your cobra set you back? I've always enjoyed the way your stitching looks whereas some machines leave a prominent mark on the leather from the foot.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I think mine was about $2400 but that was some years ago. I also got the basic package. There are a lot of accessories, specialized feet etc that come in the premium package. I contemplated that and decided against it as I just didn't see how that stuff would aid me in how I work. I've never sat around and said "Dang wish I had that so and so foot." The basic foot has worked very well for me and a very large variety of projects and at a high volume for years. I just checked their website (leathermachineco, a google will get ya there) to see their current price and they are about $3400 now. Besides buying directly from them, they are sold by a good many distributors, Makers Leather Supply, Tandy, Springfield etc.

It is kinda cool to be able to go down and pick our machines up directly from them. They're a lil over two hours away from us. They'll have it set up and ready to go when you get there. They'll give ya a lil class on running it and then they'll wheel it out back and load it in your truck for ya and tie er down. Ya'll need a couple big friends back to home to help ya unload it. The strap cutter took three big guys and one lil guy, it's a big heavy son of a gun. So I can't tell ya how shipping works and how much that is. Having been there quite a few times I can tell you they are shipping all over. One time they had about 25 big 4's boxed up and ready to go out.

Couple things on presser foot marks. If this is a continuing thing for a guy ya can back off the pressure on the presser foot. This takes a lil experimenting. Too light and it won't feed consistently and too heavy ya get marks. On that pic above of the TechSew this adjustment is the black hand screw on the upper left, top of the machine. After bit ya can find what's right for you and the majority of your projects. Once found leave it a lone. I haven't touched that screw in many years. The other issue I see is that people will sew on damp leather. I've even seen some grand punbabs of leather work recommend this. Don't. This was in a magazine article years ago. Guy said he would rather sew damp and rub out presser foot marks then sew dry. He said it was neater. Not. 1) talk about making more work for your self. 2) ya can't rub them all out, I've tried. 3) Yeah just don't. If I dampen a sheath say to do some tooling or slick it or what ever. that piece gets sewn the next day. I've got several tooled sheaths drying on the counter right now. Most were tooled yesterday and some the day before. Working on the tooling of three oak carved ones currently. But they will all be dry before sewn.

This really is something to get right once a guy gets a machine. I was admiring a sheath the other day in another section here on BF and it was not by one of our posters here in Sheaths and Such Very nice work except it looked like it needed another day of waiting time before sewing could have helped. The presser foot marks on the front and the marks on the back were kinda distracting from the otherwise very nice sheath. Doesn't have to be that way.
 
Sharp & Fiery said:
I typed that as I am currently hand stitching up a run of sheaths. 🤣😂
Click to expand...

Stay golden pony boy.

The actual stitching is my favorite part, I find it therapeutic and absorbing. Put a good podcast on, sit in "the" chair... love it.

What I don't love is punching my stitching holes 3x times in order to transfer them to each layer of leather.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
Stay golden pony boy.

The actual stitching is my favorite part, I find it therapeutic and absorbing. Put a good podcast on, sit in "the" chair... love it.

What I don't love is punching my stitching holes 3x times in order to transfer them to each layer of leather.
Click to expand...
I’ll be sticking with all handmade for a while yet. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top