Saddles, bridles, harness, halters, breast collars, blankets
Sewing machines for saddlery, harness and tack
Lancaster County has more working harness shops than almost anywhere in the country, and we have been supplying them since the nineties. Saddle and harness work is the heaviest leather sewing there is: skirting leather, doubled and sometimes tripled, sewn with 277 or 346 thread, around buckles and over keepers. The machine for it is a 441 class cylinder arm with harness feet, a slow speed reducer and a hook that takes the heaviest thread without a fight.
Blankets, pads and nylon tack need something different: a flatbed or long arm walking foot that sews binding on fleece and webbing all day. We stock both ends of that range and set each machine up for the material it will see.
Requirements
What the work demands from the machine
- 1
The thickest leather
Skirting leather doubled is 3/4 inch. The 441-PRO and 441-25 have the needle bar stroke, the 20mm foot lift and the shuttle hook to sew it with 415 thread.
- 2
Sewing around hardware
Buckles, dees and rings sit right next to the seam. Narrow harness feet and a cylinder arm let you sew up to the hardware and turn the piece around it.
- 3
Slow, powerful stitching
A speed reducer and a servo motor give full needle penetration at one stitch per second. That is how you sew a straight line of evenly spaced stitches through leather that does not want a needle in it.
- 4
Blankets and nylon tack
Horse blankets, pads and nylon halters are sewn on walking foot flatbeds and long arms with binders. The 1541S and 1508L-18 cover this work.
Recommended models
Machines for equestrian and saddlery
In the order we usually suggest them. The first one is where most shops in this trade should start.
Cylinder arm
SEWPRO 441-PRO
441 class cylinder arm walking foot for extra heavy leather
- Arm 3¼"
- Stitch 3/8" (Approx. 9.5mm)
Cylinder arm
SEWPRO 441-25
25" long arm 441 class cylinder arm sewing machine
- Arm 3¼"
- Stitch 3/8" (Approx. 9.5mm)
Cylinder arm
SEWPRO 205-420
Extra heavy-duty lockstitch for saddlery, harness and leather
- Stitch 12mm
- Lift 22mm
Flatbed walking foot
SEWPRO 204-420
Barrel Shuttle Lockstitch for Extra Heavy-Weight Sewing
- Stitch 12mm
- Lift 24mm
Long arm
SEWPRO 1508L-18
Long-Arm Walking Foot Lockstitch Machine
- Arm 18"
- Stitch 9mm
Strap cutting machines
LEATHERPRO Model 4
Heavy-duty leather strap cutting machine
- Cuts 1/16" to 3¾"
- Foot Pedal Operated
Equestrian and saddlery: questions we are asked
Which machine do harness shops buy from you?
The 441-PRO is the saddlery and harness standard. Shops that also do lighter strap goods often add a 204-420 or 205-420 flatbed for the medium-weight work.
Do you deliver to Amish and Mennonite shops without electricity?
We have set up machines on alternative power many times. Tell us how your shop is powered and we will advise on the motor and the setup before you buy.
Get in touch
Request a quote for equestrian and saddlery work
Describe the material, the thread and the product. You will get one machine recommended, a price for the complete setup with table and servo motor, and a delivery date. Quotes come from Sergey, not a call center.
- Phone and text
- (717) 940-0129
- sewprousa@gmail.com
- Visit
- 333 Railroad Ave, Ephrata, PA 17522
Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm. Showroom visits by appointment.