My leather sewing machines

Meet the two sewing machines I use in my shop:

"Goldie" is my antique treadle-powered "No. 6 Saddlers' and Harness Makers' Sewing Machine." This sturdy but elegant Victorian-style machine was manufactured in the early 1900s by The British United Shoe Machinery Company, Ltd. I have a copy of their 1911 catalog that shows this exact model.

The factory was located at Union Works, Belgrave Road, Leicester, England. My particular machine was originally imported into Canada by the John O'Flaherty Company in Montreal.

Goldie is a needle-fed, walking-foot machine that will happily sew tough veg tan leather up to 3/4" thick ... or punch right through an unwary finger.

In the US and Canada, this machine is sometimes called a Pearson #6 harness stitcher. I have a vague memory of being told that Pearson was another North American importer of these machines back in the day.

I also have a modern flatbed sewing machine, Artisan Model 618-1SC LTHR ( http://artisansew.com/pdf/specs/618-1... ). While the Artisan isn't as intriguing to look at as Goldie, it has also served me well for many years.

Although this machine can sew materials up to a generous 3/8" thick, I typically use it to sew two or more layers of garment leather but sometimes I sew bridle leather up to 1/4" / 8 mm thick. Like Goldie, the Artisan is a needle-fed, walking-foot design.

To learn more about sleigh bells, please see my website at https://classicbells.com

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