Hand-held Sewing Machines

[lusentoj]

Hi, I don't really know where else to post this question haha. I just found out that electric hand-held sewing machines exist; seems like there's a ton of different brands that are all just clones of each other:

Watch on YouTube

Has anyone here used them? I've tried reading about them but it's hard to find anyone who's actually tried to "sew" with them, everyone's just "testing them out" and then going back to their real machines. I won't have a real machine.

I've been living in a house where our only sewing machine is one of those 100-year-old electricless ones that only has 1 stitch and only forward-stitch, so the "lack of features" doesn't really bother me (although backstitch would be really nice). I was planning on using it for all kinds of general sewing just like a normal machine. I even tried searching on kickstarter to see if anyone's improving these things and can't find anything...

Comments

[calzephyr]

We had one! We found it at a discount department store for $20. The thing works...just not well. It is pretty featureless and only has one speed - fast! It was hard to control.

[lusentoj]

Thanks!

I've really been wondering why, with all this new technology and whatnot we've been getting, someone hasn't improved these things in like 50 years.... No speed control? No backstitch? No zigzag? Surely you could add SOMETHING besides a battery slot... ;_;

I think I did see one brand with a speed control (2 modes), if I'm not remembering wrong.

[justkeepwriting]

I've never actually heard anything good about them. Which bums me out, because it'd be handy.

[lusentoj]

From what I've read so far, some of them can sew "four layers of denim" and stuff which my "real machine" right now can't even do... Seems like some brands are worse than others too. I guess it's up to me to get a Japanese one once I'm there and test it out, but it's kinda annoying that I can't find anyone who's actually seriously tested it out (like made clothing and seen how long it lasted for example). I'll keep searching though.

[lusentoj]

Now I've looked at reviews for them in English, Swedish and Japanese. English speakers have nothing but complaints and seem to be tossing it after testing it out on test fabric, say that it doesn't hold stitches etc.

Japanese people only complain that it takes a while to get used to it (3+ tries until you can sew a straight/good line) and seem to be using it for random small clothing repairs. For holding the thread they're tying knots in or burning the thread.

Swedes don't have any complaints at all, say it works fantastic and use it to sew patchwork blankets and stuff. They say if you cut the thread a special way there's no need to tie it or do anything else, the stitches will stay.

So I'm going to buy a ($10 USD) non-electric one and test it out on a bunch of fabric I was going to throw away before leaving for Japan anyway; if it works great I'll keep it, if not I'll try an electric one once I get to Japan! Actually, I'll probably try an electric one anyway ;D

[a_carter82716]

I had one and had high hopes for it but quickly regretted my purchase and got rid of it. It wasn't easy to control. I thought it would be a good item to have for quick repairs while on the road but it was not helpful at all and I ended up just doing hand stitched repairs instead.

[lusentoj]

Some of them seem to be able to go slower if you just barely push on the button, but it seems like the ones that do that aren't DESCRIBED as being able to do that by the sellers so you have no way of knowing if yours will or not : /

I'm only going to be using mine in my room (as far as I know) so I'm going to try fastening it to my desk and see if some of the problems about "not being able to sew straight because you're holding it with one hand" etc go away then. Not that I can sew straight even on a normal machine, but whatever lol

It probably depends....

[gatheringrivers]

On whether it was designed as a *toy*, or something for young girls to learn on.

The latter often is built to last, just in a very small package. Many folks on the Treadle-On list have one or more of them in their collections (which FARRRRR surpass my own.)

Unfortunately, all I know is they're small, some are *toys* more than useful things, and many of the old ones are hand cranks. That's my limit. All my machines are full-size.

Re: It probably depends....

[lusentoj]

The one I just bought for tests (non-electric) is this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wylNZVDNbYc

The electric ones all look like this (can't find a good video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsEsIr6xd9k

In both cases they're not advertised as toys, but that's not saying much.

Re: It probably depends....

[gatheringrivers]

I've got one of the electric styles like you linked.

I wasn't terribly impressed when I did try it out, so it's still stuffed in a box somewhere after we moved. Might be just me - at the time I wasn't too knowledgeable on using the little hand-held styles.

(And considering I originally thought you were talking about an antique hand machine, uhhhhhhh, yea, these are a lot newer than I've really got any experience with now.)

Re: It probably depends....

[lusentoj]

Haha, my "real" machine at home is an antique but it's not by choice ;_;;

I have nothing against antiques but I usually vote convenience over age!