I have some ideas for some pouches and tactical gear that isn't available commercially.  I figure I'm pretty handy, with some practice I can make some of this myself.

What's a decent sewing machine to start with that can handle a few layers of cordura and velcro?  I understand it'll probably be expensive.

Who has reasonable prices and selection of fabrics and materials? I'll need cordura fabric, velcro (or hook and loop), nylon webbing, and elastic webbing in coyote brown and eventually multicam.

Any other advice is welcomed as well.  I've done basic hand sewing and have a few hours on my grandma's sewing machine but I don't have a lot of experience in this stuff.

In!

Interesting ARFCOM sewing thread

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Machine: Brother CS6000i
Needles: Size 16 or 18 Schmetz Jeans
Thread: T70 / #69 double bonded nylon (be sure it's made in the USA)

If you have the cash, Juki is the machine brand you want. However, I've been using my $150 Brother for 4 years and put over 18,000 yards of heavy-duty thread through it. I've only had to repair it once (seized bushing; cleaned and added new grease and it was good to go). My machine has sewn everything from pistol cases to rigger belts. It will struggle on really thick seams / trying to sew through YKK zippers on occasion but I can manually work it through them. Not that big of a deal for me. I can't justify the +$1,000 price or size of a Juki.

In terms of gear, I would buy the machine on Amazon then get the rules and cutting mat at Walmart. You can also pick up needles, pencils, extra bobbins, rotary cutters etc at Walmart. The prices are about the same or cheaper for a lot of the items. Also, while you're at Walmart, pick up a tackles box to organize your searing supplies.

Materials: http://www.rockywoods.com/ (Expensive but they have everything) or eBay

My machine

You can never have too many bobbins

For holding spare bobbins

Ruler (cheaper at Walmart)

4.5" Square

Cutting mat

Cutter

Some sort of non-permanent marker (or chalk)

Ultra fine Sharpie

For cutting threads

For holding layers while you stitch

Holds your sewing supplies

Dedicated fabric scissors (don't cut anything else with them (wire, paper, etc))

Rockywoods.com for the vast majority of your basic fabric needs. Real deal Mil Spec elastic, 3M Velcro, and webbing can often be bought by the roll on eBay from surplus liquidators. Lots of plastic hardware too, buckles and such.

Bonded nylon thread size T-70 or #69 is the standard for most tactical gear. wilshobby2011 sells USA made thread on eBay. There's other sources too, that's just where I get mine.

You'll want a decent walking foot machine. Industrial if you've got the space for it. The problem with home machines is primarily the motors, they're often under powered if getting into really thick stuff and especially if sewing for production. Aside from that they just aren't built as tough as an industrial machine.

Forget about bar-tacking anything unless you want to invest some real cash. Even old, used bar-tacker machines run around a $1000 minimum.

That machine is way cheaper than I was expecting.  I'm assuming it can handle most tasks involved in making pouches and such?  I'm planning on trying to make a couple different pouch designs as well as using it for sewing on name tapes and such as that shit adds up at the tailor.

It depends on how thick the pouch is, and the methods you use to sew it. You can take a look at the link I posted to the old ARFCOM sewing thread to get an idea of what I've been able to do with my machine. It's great for sewing name tapes on uniforms as well. It can be tempermental when sewing hook (Velcro). The thread occasionally gets jammed up in it. That said, I've sewn a ton of Velcro. That's just the trade-off of having a $150 machine vs a $1500 machine I guess. LRRPF52 makes some awesome pouches but he uses a Juki (and has way more experience).

My advice would be to buy a cheap machine, like a Brother, then upgrade to something better once you've learned the basics. It would suck to spend 1- 2 thousand dollars on a Juki just to learn that sewing isn't your cup of tea.

Unfortunately tactical sewing is a bit of a niche hobby; there isn't a ton of information out there about how to do it. I am self taught. I just bought a machine and started watching soccer moms on Youtube sew purses and pouches to get an idea of the basics (and how to use my machine). Once you know how to measure correctly, work with seam allowance, add in zippers, etc you'll be able to adapt those skills to the tactical side.

Don't you have to be a convicted felon first?

From a photoshop thread long, long ago...
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Semi off topic, but just today I was thinking about how I would love a modern style 3 day pack made out of some thick heavy canvas I picked up for ghillie reinforcments.

I could never roll my own though.

So im making a pouch. Using elastic for some retention, i fold my edges for a nice clean appearance and include my elastic or any other webbing or folds, now im at 6 + layers.See how that works? Thats why people buy heavy duty machines. People think sewing 1000d not be like it be, but it do.

Not everyone has the space or cash for a Juki or the patience to wait for a 100% steel 1950s Singer to appear on Craigslist. My $140 Brother is doing just fine. I've sewn hundreds (~600) of pouches and cases just like these on one machine.

Sure, a heavy duty machine is ideal but it certainly isn't required, especially for a beginner. I wouldn't have started sewing if I had to buy a heavy duty machine--too much money. I'm here 3 years later with my original machine on my desk as I type this and fabric scraps scattered all over the floor.

Err, replace "webbing" with "elastic"
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You're doing exceptionally well with that Brother if it hasn't seized on you yet, but your experience with it should be noted as an exception and not something that everyone can replicate.

That just isn't the norm with household machines.  BTDT dating back decades.

I do flatwork with old 1950s-era steel-geared/all steel parts machines, then final assembly with my Juki 1541S.

I assemble a lot more layers though since all my pouches are padded and lined.

Getting through binding tape and multiple layers of even 500D Cordura is not easy for mag pouches or traditional box pouches where the sides assemble back on themselves.

Sewing right side-in pouches like you have can be done on some household machines, but most will break needles when the needles deviate off-path trying to get through the layers, and then have bunching underneath with the shuttle.

The amount of initial investment in sewing tactical gear is such that you really need to be dedicated to it either for professional or financial reasons, because there is a lot up-front, let alone the skills you need to learn.

In for more info.

My mom passed away in 2015 from cancer. She had a big sewing room with no less than $10k in Bernina sewing machines/surgers. No one in the family sews and that stuff is just sitting there. Everything is still the way she left it.

Sorry to hear.  Just lost my brother to cancer in September, still in denial.

If you really want to take up sewing, take some classes at local fabric/sewing machine shops.

There are some youtube videos on gear making that are good.

A lot of quilting set-ups are better for clothing making than gear though.  You can do flatwork, but final assembly is a challenge for those types of machines.

Sewing is not as difficult as many believe. If you have patience and some decent initial training you can make nearly anything. Tactical gear such as bags and pouches are very forgiving because you aren't sewing apparel for someone to fit into.  Once you learn how to use your machine the rest comes with practice.  If you can sew a straight line it's very addictive once you learn to cut basic patterns.

Good call on the YouTube vids. Thanks

Alright, I'm back from my holiday vacation and I've got a machine.  I ordered a few yards of 500D cordura, 1" webbing, elastic, velcro, and binding.  Before I start hacking away at expensive material I'm going to pick up some cheaper stuff at the local fabric store to start learning the basics on.  Any recommendations on tutorials for basic stuff I can work on?

More to follow on this adventure as I figure out what I'm doing.

While not a project for 500D, drawstring stuff sacks are a good project.

You can learn some techniques from some of these videos..

Try sewing just a grid of PALS webbing onto a double layer of 500d.
You'll quickly get a feel for how the material feeds through the machine, the change as you hit the webbing, etc.

I know people will tell you otherwise but you want a Juki 1541s, which is about $1750. To really do quality work, you also need a bunch of other equipment. A big Juki double-needle with a custom bias binder attachment is not a must, but it's a big plus. That's about $4750 with the binder. Use only Tek70 nylon thread and Groz-Beckert coated needles in size 18 (they will be gold colored).

Any home machine will be ruined in short order. You can believe me on this. Up until about 6 years ago, I owned a manufacturing company in the armor & apparel industry. We tried lesser machines and destroyed every one of them.

Even with a 1541, be prepared for occasional maintenance problems. Cordura, webbing, and hook/loop are not for dainty machines. It will tear them up.

I am happy to answer any questions I can but you might want to @ me, since I don't stop in here as often as I used to.

I like the Juki 8700 series machines myself.  They are very near the old Mitsubishis I sew on, which I have found to work very well over the years.  While the home sewing machines will work, to one degree or another, they are not optimal.  Having a good basic industrial, which would be a machine that can sew no. 69 nylon bonded thread, with at least a no. 18 needle, and have a lift clearance of at least 3/8", an external low speed motor, and flush mounted table is really the minimum requirement, IMHO.  Just as there are many machines, you will get many opinions.  After 30+ years and dozens of machines this is my conclusion, for your consideration.

There is not much in the way of good technical data available.  The closest thing I have found is parachute rigger manuals.  The materials and techniques are quite similar, so they are a good starting point.  I use the old std "Poynter's Parachute Manual, Vol. 1", but Sandy Reid's "Parachute Rigger's Handbook" is now the FAA std.  These are excellent primers for machines, tools, materials, and basic sewing techniques to get you started.  Like some have said, sewing isn't rocket science, but good tactical gear sewing is some science.  There are some minimum requirements, as far as strength of joints go, that will separate what you make from the hobby level, to the real world use level.  If that is your goal.  I only assume that is so, but this is arfcom, so I have learned to qualify such statements.

The best way to get started is to buy the junkiest old gear you can find, tear it apart, and start looking at how things are made.  Lots of old gear in ACU that they are giving away these days.  Use the old pieces for patterns and try to duplicate it.  Once you get this figured out, try making some of your own mods to better suit your needs.  Eventually you will find you can basically make stuff "from scratch", using your own dimensions and/or patterns.

I really enjoy doing this stuff.  I've been a parachute rigger, sewed insulation blankets and blast shields in aerospace, been a production sewer for a pack and tac gear maker, and made my own custom gear.  There's so much you can cover.  If you have specific questions, post back and we'll discuss them.

Find a local store that does classes

Small update.  I've sewn a few small bags for stuff.  I did one drawstring, one with a zipper, and one with a velcro closure.  These were sewn up from cheap cotton fabric or from an old ACU blouse cut up.  I have also sewn a couple name tapes onto that old blouse for practice.  I still need to improve a bit before I can do it on the uniforms I still wear.  Lastly, I hemmed the cuff of a couple pairs of flyer's gloves.  The long cuff on those has annoyed me for years, its pretty cool to be able to shorten them up and make it look factory done.

My order of cordura and other nylon bits arrived today.  More to follow.

Today's project..

Looks good, great work!
I've been following this thread since the start.
Have been interested in gear sewing for many years.

Thanks, post up any questions you have. There are a lot of guys with extensive sewing experience lurking around here.

A home sewing machine, a selection of shirt patterns, and some lighter fabric are an excellent combination to learn sewing fundamentals.

There's no substitute for a proper industrial, compound feed, single needle, flat bed sewing machine.  It's seductive to think there's this, "one weird trick," of a lesser sewing machine that will stitch gear correctly. There's not. There is no substitute for the right sewing machine for a given application.

If you want to stack the deck in your favor and have some expectation of success, while not hobbling your learning curve with a less than optimal machine, get an industrial compound feed sewing machine.

Concern yourself not with name brand.  Juki, Brother, Consew, Durkopp Adler, and others all make an industrial walking foot compound feed machine.  Probability is high that the right machine is in a metropolis near you for well under $1,000.

In the good, better, best realm when stitching nylon gear; a 1541 is good. Its horizontal bobbin is more prone to needle deflection and skipped stitches than a vertical bobbin machine.

A DDL-8700 is a wonderful industrial machine for high speed light apparel production.

A Brother LS-2, a Juki LU-563 (maaaaaybe a 562), a Consew 255 (206 just doesn't have the chompy chomp sometimes necessary to maintain stitch length over humps and it has the less desirable horizontal bobbin), or an Addler 367, Juki 22XX and 28XX are all excellent machines for the application.  There is no substitute for a proper compound feed machine when stitching gear.