She is a rental for some specialist work where I couldn’t rely on my walking foot, but they offered to sell her to me, and it’s hard not to say yes. The thing is though she’s 160kg! If I buy her I’m forever committing to hiring help to move workshop (which I have to do 1-3 times a year).
Btw she’s a mid 70s LG-158, can be threaded up with two parallel needles, has a walking needle too, which is faster than the more modern 158s and leaves fewer “tracking” marks on leather and waxed cotton than my standard walking foot.
My sister has had an embroidery shop for almost twenty years now and just back in December sewed through her index finger. She was pretty surprised it hadn’t happened sooner (merely based on her work volume).
These were 110/19s, so very sturdy, but I think it’s the one two punch of the working parts crushing the bone, and the needle them piercing it. Needle would very likely break, but it would fuck my hand up in the process.
I was using a thimble when I did that. The needle popped through the thin metal of the thimble, through my finger, and hit the inside of the thimble on the other side. I couldn't remove the thimble, I tried but the needle was locking it on my finger. I had to pull the needle out through my finger, then remove, by which time the thimble was full of blood....