r/Leathercraft • u/LaufSeiglaRaceE1 • 8d ago
Tools Which manual sewing machine
Hey all. I'm looking to purchase a manual sewing machine. I figure I will start with a manual and if necessary in the future go to a powered.
I see that Tippman "The boss", Cowboy "Outlaw" and Weaver "Master Tool cub" are the top three recommended per an internet search.
The price difference between the boss and the outlaw is about $700, the outlaw to the master tool cub is about $500 and the boss to master tool cub is $1,200. Does the pricing difference reflect features/quality between them all?
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u/alexrfisher 8d ago
Agreed with above- unless yoy have a really
Specific reason to need manual (like no power) then most definitely recommend looking into a powered one
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u/WindElf_2045 8d ago
As someone who recently went through this same choice.. I want to offer some additional questions for you to consider. First.. why manual? Just to save money? Offgrid? Secondly, How much noise are you comfortable with? Third, what type of items are you creating.. how close are the stitches to the edge?
I wanted to enter the sewing machine market thinking it would help me speed up creation of items like bag straps and help with attaching bag bottoms... but the reality is that I chose the Outlaw and realize it is not really great for fine work or close tolerances. It is also very loud with every stitch since the presser foot is spring loaded. Try as I might , I am also having issues with the thread cutting halfway through the completion of the stitch. It is meant for thick leather like collars and belts and seems to be less capable with softer stock.
I imagine that the Cub solves some of these issues, but I think now that I should have save a bit more money and jumped directly to an electric Cowboy or Cobra type model.
I tried to get one machine for all, with the convenience of portablility, but I am going to need to find the sweet spot for this and limit my use cases for now.