i am thinking about starting a small hand crafted messenger bag service in my local area.
what kind of sewing machine i should get?
industrial sewing machine that will be able to go through even leather? or, how about the ones that are strong enough for canvas?

FYI, i am not trying to make money; it is a project i have been wanting to finish for awhile for both myself and the riders i chill with.


thank you for all your info and help

You definitely want a very strong, high-quality machine with a good motor, regardless of whether it's "industrial" or not. There are a lot of home sewing machines out there that would peter out eventually (or entirely) if all you were using it for was canvas, leather, and nylon webbing. I have a high-end home sewing machine, and it can definitely handle tougher stuff but it's still not geared towards those applications. I would look into industrial machines that don't have all kinds of features that would be useless to you (like mine), but rather are fast, very strong, sturdy workhorses. You also might consider looking for an antique. My dad collects Singer Featherweights, and despite the name they're very tough machines that use a manual treadle. He uses one of his exclusively for sewing outdoor clothing and jeans. If you end up with a more standard home machine, you'll want one that can handle thicker thread through the top and bottom.

Find some businesses that work with similar materials, like sail-makers or small outdoor gear companies, and ask what they use. See if they recommend brands or styles of machines. I'm sure there is a middle of the road industrial-style machine that would be affordable and not too large, for smaller operations.

I'd suggest you ask that question over at ThreadBanger. It's a bit offtopic here

Good luck with your bags!

Unless you will be using only pretty thin leather, you will have to get a purpose built sewing machine.

I am not an expert on sewing machines, but have made a number of things out of heavy canvas. When I started doing that, my mom got a me a used Singer. She made a point of an older one because they had steel gears, not nylon, like all the newer ones (except industrial ones). I have used that thing on a lot of very heavy fabric for 15 years, and it is still kicking.

jim

industrial 3/4 hp motor,"triple arrastre", or the teeth that pull the material are the ones that make anything get through,i have a mitsubishi ls200,autolubricated...... and a german pfaff to sew the edges..

Look for an old Bernina or Elna (preferably from the 1960s/70s). Those are pretty well bombproof machines with all metal parts and exquisite engineering. Kenmore machines from the 80s are usually good too. Stay far away from any Singer newer than forty years, any Brother, and the off-brand machines that go on sale in every city at least twice a year as "school sewing machines, lightly used." Nobody knows where those come from, and they aren't fixable.

Check your local listings for a Bernina dealer and start there. (I had a Bernina 730 that was fantastic).

Leather sewing is mainly a matter of specialized needles, by the way.

Disagree about the Elna's. They are finicky machines, beautiful workmanship, but finicy. Great when they are set up right, a pain if not. My mother was a professional seamstress. She loved her Elna for sewing light material, but hated it for jeans and heavy material. For heavy materials, get a commercial machine. You often can pick them up used for a reasonable price and you won't regret it.

sailrite.

I second Berninas if you get a non-industrial machine (which I know nothing about). I have a great Bernina and it's awesome. I make bags, too, not outdoor or messenger bags with heavy canvas or Cordura, but I frequently sew through lots of layers, heavy interfacing, nylon webbing, etc.

But I would still lean towards an industrial machine. My Bernina can handle heavy stuff, but it's not designed for it. Get the right machine for the job.

thank you all.
the information are very helpful; i will get on them as soon as i have my financial backup ready.

I pack and repair parachutes for the military, we have one sewing machine that could put a needle through a quarter. Now thats what you need

That is awesome.

omg, i thought that kind of stuff is not real lolz

My wife's got 2 sewing machines and sews leather and duckcloth bags, has been making clothes and bags for years. She almost went to an industrial, but you are limited on stitch types, I believe. Anyways, she's working on a special order messenger bag, so you can always email her and she'll probably help out.

https://www.tsurubride.com

i made my bag on a regular cheapo sewing machine. It's not really the power or the strength that's the problem, it's just the fact that it won't feed the fabric by itself thus making knots, you have to "help" the fabric go through. also, do everything on the outside BEFORE you make it into a 3D shape. The hardest part was the "bunching" of the material since the sewing machine was also very "dinky".

True about the limit on stitch types. My mother's commercial machines all did one thing. Her regular stitch machine straight stitched, she had a hemming machine, and so on.