How to thread a Leather Sewing Machine

Getting back into leatherworking, I decided to heat up my beastly Consew 206 RB-5 leather sewing machine. This thing is ridiculous – you can sew a mile a minute on it if you turn the speed settings all the way up. I have mine at a minimum, because one thing is for certain when dealing with leather – don’t mess up. Unlike fabric, leather is not forgiving. If you sew off-center, holes will be punched into the leather and there they will stay. While I personally prefer hand-stitching leather, this machine will allow me to build more complex items at a faster rate.

When I first opened the instructions, I realized that the author was apparently Chinese and used a confusing mix of words that didn’t help much. Threading the machine at first was the hardest part for me, since I had never used a sewing machine before. I spent quite a while looking up photos and trying to find a good short video that would illustrate exactly how to do it… to no avail. So – that inspired me to make a short clip for you. An animated version of the thread passing through each section of the machine. This video is potentially relevant for many types of sewing machines, so if you are stuck, just hit play above.

Here is a close-up of the only tricky part, the thread tension wheels.