Tactical assault sewing machines

[NorthernRaider]

Tactical assault sewing machines
NR

I was going to post this on unwanted knitting patterns or the dark side but then I realised they would be outraged if I advocated people using mechanically operated machinery that has nasty sharp pointy needles that moved and could hurt someone’s fingers, so SUK makes more sense to start this chat

It was persistently raining last night as I set off after tea to walk the Were – terrier from Castle NR down to the village were the serfs live. I grabs my almost new fleece lined black Dare2be soft shell jacket, zips it up, pulls the were-terrier of the trade unionist I had fed it for tea and set off into the wind and rain.

I had only been walking for a few minutes when I realised there was a nithering draught blowing across my svelte lithe masculine midriff (let me dream). On inspection I realised the zip teeth had ripped away from the zip fabric thus exposing my tum to the elements (don’t you dare question my parentage and portliness I am not out of shape, round IS a shape )

That got me to thinking, as many of the other bright young things on SUK like to point out that at some point after a major disaster or societal collapse we won’t be able to just go out and buy a new jacket or zip because eventually there won’t be any left to buy or salvage from stores and possibly no more may be made. But none the less even in the short and mid-term periods after disaster shortages are likely to be an issue.

So don’t you think it would make sense to try and get hold of an old Singer foot treadle operated sewing machine to help do repairs, modifications and alterations to our clothing??

With a decent non electric machine and some pieces of cloth, fabrics, gortex, fleece, buttons, zips, Velcro, toggles and thread etc set aside we should be able to greatly extended the service life of our clothing, sleeping bags, tents, bedding etc ??

I say mechanically operated because I do think there is a good chance we could equally be without electricity as well, or be reliant on back up gennies using dwindling stocks of fuel, so a manually operated sewing machine makes sense to me. If my aging mind has not gone to soft I seem to recall that you could actually get Singer sewing machines that were motorised but could also be manually operated one of those would provide the best of both worlds.

I can just envisage TH making breathable sleeves for his bows, SD tailoring his new pink mankini, BP making a waterproof beard protector and me making a fleece lined cummerbund to keep my tummy warm

[bigpaul]

sewing machines of whatever variety can be a bugger to use...especially for the uninitiated! might be better to get in a stock of cloth, needles, pins and some good quality thread and do it by hand, most sewing machines dont like thick denim or leather so you need a special machine for that. if things get bad enough we may end up making clothes out of skins and hide like the American Indians did...i always did fancy a buckskin shirt!!

[Tigs]

the soldiers sawing machine is found inside the old trusted sewing kit

[Prepper1]

(17 October 2012, 10:28)bigpaul Wrote: sewing machines of whatever variety can be a bugger to use...especially for the uninitiated! might be better to get in a stock of cloth, needles, pins and some good quality thread and do it by hand, most sewing machines dont like thick denim or leather so you need a special machine for that. if things get bad enough we may end up making clothes out of skins and hide like the American Indians did...i always did fancy a buckskin shirt!!

I don't think there's enough buckskin around for that B.P......

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There's a museum near where I live that had a display of buckskin clothes from the American west.
Absolutely beautiful things they were... apart from the odd bullet hole...
Anyway apparently they used sinew for thread so there's something to look at making from somebody's Achilles tendon.
You wanted to know what to do with all the dead bodies.... there's sewing thread for a start and bones for carving into spear points,
Rib cages for external armour and if you can find someone that had a big head you could make yourself a helmet too!!!

[bigpaul]

(17 October 2012, 11:28)Prepper1 Wrote:

(17 October 2012, 10:28)bigpaul Wrote: sewing machines of whatever variety can be a bugger to use...especially for the uninitiated! might be better to get in a stock of cloth, needles, pins and some good quality thread and do it by hand, most sewing machines dont like thick denim or leather so you need a special machine for that. if things get bad enough we may end up making clothes out of skins and hide like the American Indians did...i always did fancy a buckskin shirt!!

I don't think there's enough buckskin around for that B.P......

---

There's a museum near where I live that had a display of buckskin clothes from the American west.
Absolutely beautiful things they were... apart from the odd bullet hole...
Anyway apparently they used sinew for thread so there's something to look at making from somebody's Achilles tendon.
You wanted to know what to do with all the dead bodies.... there's sewing thread for a start and bones for carving into spear points,
Rib cages for external armour and if you can find someone that had a big head you could make yourself a helmet too!!!

wife no.2 used to make leather stuff, usually pouches and belts and saddlebags, but she did once make a Chamois shirt for a friend-nice job she made of it too...a few years ago now.

[Prepper1]

(17 October 2012, 11:41)bigpaul Wrote:

(17 October 2012, 11:28)Prepper1 Wrote:

(17 October 2012, 10:28)bigpaul Wrote: sewing machines of whatever variety can be a bugger to use...especially for the uninitiated! might be better to get in a stock of cloth, needles, pins and some good quality thread and do it by hand, most sewing machines dont like thick denim or leather so you need a special machine for that. if things get bad enough we may end up making clothes out of skins and hide like the American Indians did...i always did fancy a buckskin shirt!!

I don't think there's enough buckskin around for that B.P......

---

There's a museum near where I live that had a display of buckskin clothes from the American west.
Absolutely beautiful things they were... apart from the odd bullet hole...
Anyway apparently they used sinew for thread so there's something to look at making from somebody's Achilles tendon.
You wanted to know what to do with all the dead bodies.... there's sewing thread for a start and bones for carving into spear points,
Rib cages for external armour and if you can find someone that had a big head you could make yourself a helmet too!!!

wife no.2 used to make leather stuff, usually pouches and belts and saddlebags, but she did once make a Chamois shirt for a friend-nice job she made of it too...a few years ago now.

Hey B.P. that's a pretty good idea!! if you could get enough cheap chamois leathers you could sew them into a shirt or whatever...
hmmm chamois t shirt....certainly a fashion statement....

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Might give that one a go...

[Tigs]

not a t shirt but is chamois leather http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/men/des...65876.aspx

[Prepper1]

Be a bit of a patchwork effort but definitely doable me thinks...
Mind you with my sewing I'll probably end up looking like pochahontas...

[BDG]

My mother used to have a foot powered Singer sewing machine - we did not have space, she lent it to someone, they gave it away. It was a tough machine, obv did not have the inbuilt patterns like modern machines, but much rather that than a needle and thread. just had a look on Ebay and you could pick one up very reasonably.

I do not throw away old cloths, they either get used for rags or kept to help repair other clothes. Have a lot of leather also from a 3 piece my Father was getting rid of, nice tan colour and not to thin, useful to have some around.

[Prepper1]

Hoy what you doing with that leather??? You making one of those "special" suits... nudge nudge wink wink...