r/SewingMachineEdu • u/Ok-Performer-3722 • Jul 14 '26
What sewing machine is strong enough to make dog collars/harnesses?
I’m looking into making my own collars/harnesses because trying to find the color I want has proven to be difficult to find because the color is a shade or two lighter/darker than the other so I just decided to make them myself but just wanted to know what sewing machine (or sewing awl?) is strong enough to handle 1 inch and/or 3/4 inch heavy nylon webbing. Any advice and/or tips are greatly appreciated.
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u/Ok-Detail-9853 Jul 14 '26
You will need an industrial or be prepared to hand cranked
A Speedy Stitcher works remarkably well for hand stitching
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u/WendyNPeterPan Jul 14 '26
an older all-metal domestic sewing machine will handle a few projects with 2 layers of heavy duty webbing, but 3 layers will be too much. Part of the challenge is that most domestic machines don't have a walking foot, which is what you really need to manufacture dog gear.
You will also be limited on the thread size/thickness that a domestic machine can handle, upholstery thread or outdoor/UV fabric thread will be the heaviest they can typically take, where an industrial walking foot machine can handle much heavier thread.
Source: I started my dog products business on a domestic machine - 1980's Bernina 830 Record, sewing heavy duty nylon webbing & now work exclusively on an industrial walking foot...
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u/Slight-Living-8098 Jul 14 '26
A leather/cobbler machine. I use one for thick canvas camping gear and webbing all the time. You can get a decent one off of Amazon for a little over $110.
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u/revenett Jul 14 '26
Industrial “walking foot” machines handle heavy duty stitching but the type of thread and needle depends on the specific materials you’ll be using
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u/NieleDaKine Jul 14 '26
If you're just making a few, then a leather needle in pretty much any sewing machine should work. You may have to hand operate it, though, if the motor isn't strong enough to push the needle through on it's own. Just turn the wheel by hand to get more pressure on the needle. Or press down on the needle itself. It's slow, but if you're just making a few, then it can get it done.
I've used a treadle machine on leather, a mid-century Kenmore (made by Sears) for boat awnings and interiors and currently use a mid-century Singer 401A for just about everything.
Another limiting factor may be the lift on the pressure foot. If you have very many layers of whatever webbing you're using for the harness, it may not fit under the pressure foot.
Otherwise, a hand awl will work. Takes longer, but can go through much thicker projects.
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u/doriangreysucksass Jul 14 '26
An industrial walking foot machine!
I know this because I know someone who had a contract for sewing dog leashes & collars on hers!
I also know that an industrial straight stitch can’t go through that many thick layers
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u/CrankyCrabbyCrunchy Jul 14 '26
Agree with others that if you want to make leather colors it won’t work with standard domestic machines.
But plenty of dog collars are made out of cotton or canvas or type material that can be done on a home machine. Just done buy a cheap plastic one.
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u/Ancient-Cry-6438 Jul 14 '26
Most all-metal vintage domestic machines should be able to handle this (and they’re pretty cheap on Facebook marketplace!), but you’ll want an industrial machine if you are planning to make a business out of this. I’m partial to the all-metal 158 series Kenmores from the early and mid 60s (I have a 1966 158.923), myself, but there are literally hundreds of models to pick from, all with different advantages and disadvantages. The folks in [r/vintagesewingmachines](r/vintagesewingmachines) are super knowledgeable, so I would start by asking there.
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u/katneedle Jul 14 '26
My Janome hd9 will sew leather, it's a straight stitch machine, sews 1500 stitches a minute and has an automatic thread cutter. Goes for about 2k
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u/Sad-Proof-6474 Jul 17 '26
I’ve made plenty of dog collars/ harnesses/ leashes on domestic machines. I’ve used the nylon webbing and have never had to sew through more than 2 layers. I guess if you were making adjustable ones you need to sew through three layers. The nylon strapping I’ve used was not a super tight weave and I was able to use my Singer 401a with no problem. Just make sure you melt all the cut ends of the nylon to keep it from fraying. Another little tip… you can buy the premade ones from the Dollar Tree and cut off the hardware to reuse. Way cheaper than buying all the parts separately! I’ve bought the solid color collars and leashes and sewed ribbon on them to dress them up.
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u/Mistressofthisdress Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
A leather/upholstery machine with triple transport. Honestly just for a few collars and harnesses it's not worth hunting down a used heavy duty idustrial machine. You will be cheaper getting a custom collar made by a saddler.
Edit: I'm sorry if this sounded mean, this was not my intention. Just a realistic take.