Tacsew BLST–2 Portable Blindstitcher Review

I don’t review too many industrial sewing machines, but on a recent visit to Gold Coast Sewing and Vacuum Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, I couldn’t resist taking a close look at the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher from Tacony.

Tacsew BLST–2 Portable Blindstitcher

Brad Parker, Gold Coast owner and manager, explained that this little dynamo is one of his biggest sellers. He pointed out that it is just as fast and performs just as well as any full sized blindhemmer, but is half as large, weighs half as much, has half the footprint and costs one third as much.

According to Brad, the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher is perfect for a tailor shop, dry cleaners or any place where alterations, especially hemming, is a major function.

At A Glance

At a glance

When I first saw the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher, it was already loaded with a piece of black fabric and a few rows of sample stitches already in place.

There is a stitch length adjustment dial, and a lever on the right hand side that allows you to determine whether or not stitches will be skipped.

While skipping stitches is not something one would want to experience while sewing under normal conditions, skipping stitches on a hemmer is a highly desirable feature.

Depending upon the type of fabric and the specific task you are performing, the ability to skip stitches at regular intervals can be downright essential. The knee lift control drops the plunger – the space beneath the needle.

For those who are unfamiliar with blindstitch machines, when the plunger is released, the workspace resembles a free arm.

Remember, the blindstitch machine is designed for hemming… especially men’s pants cuffs with this tiny feature, performing the task this machine was built for literally becomes as easy as 1-2-3.

With the plunger dropped, sliding the end of a pair of pants into place is in some ways easier then working with a traditional free arm. When the knee lift is released, the fabric is held securely in place, making it impossible to get an uneven hem.

There is also a magnifying glass that is helpful when threading the blindstitcher and working on intricate details and a spool stand big enough to hold the largest of cone threads with a telescoping wand that helps simplify the threading process.

A magnifying glass that is helpful when threading the blindstitcher

Features

Adjustable thread tension

• Knee activated plunger drop
• Adjustable thread tension
• Swing-away plate
• Adjustable stitch length
• Skip stitch feature
• Manual tension adjustment

Working on the Tacsew BLST–2 Portable Blindstitcher

There are no real tricks to threading the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher. The process is actually very simple, but you must follow the path very closely.

No real tricks to threading

As with all industrial sewing machines, you will not have any on board signals as to how to thread this machine but if you are truly well trained on the basic operation of a sewing machine, you will be able to look at the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher and figure out how to thread it on your own.

With only one type of stitch to choose from, the only decision is to determine the length and whether or not you want or need to set it to skip a stitch.

When the foot pedal was engaged, I found that the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher is not only lightning fast, it is also surprisingly quiet.

For some reason, I expected it to be rather noisy. To my surprise, this machine is rather quiet when compared with other all metal industrial sewing machines.

This is not to say that it is whisper quiet, but far less noisy than one might expect. The stitches formed by the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher, whether short or long, are perfect in every way… creating an ideal hem each and every time.

Perfect stitch quality

Fabrics

• Natural fibers/cotton-linen-wool
• Fine fabrics/silk-satin-taffeta/velvet
• Knits
• Synthetic fabrics/blends-rayon-polyester
• Leather/suede
• Fur
• Reptile skin
• Canvas/Twill
• Plastic/Rubber
• Extra thick fabrics or multiple layers

Accessories

• Knee lift
• Curved needles
• Tool kit
• Telescoping thread stand
• Owner’s manual

Maintenance

Tying Off The Loose Ends

It is easy to see why the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher is a favorite among professional tailors and dressmakers. It is compact, meaning it does not take up a lot of space in the workroom.

It is also a low noise machine, which is a major advantage in a busy workroom that can have up to a hundred machines going at once. The stitch quality is excellent and it is easy to operate.

An experienced home sewer with no prior experience working on a blindstitch machine will be able to master its operation with just a minimum amount of training.

This is not a machine for the novice or for anyone who is intimidated by a high speed sewing machine. It is, however, great for the professional sewing room as well as certain home sewing rooms where handwork is a focus.

When it comes to specialty machines designed for commercial or industrial use only, the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher is one of the few machines that a home sewer could truly appreciate.

Ideal choice

Not only is it affordable, lightweight and compact, it is an ideal choice for someone who may be challenged when it comes to doing a lot of hemming by hand.

If you happen to be dealing with carpal tunnel syndrome, the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher could very well be a solution when it comes to hemming those better dresses and tailored suits, skirts and slacks by hand.

In all honesty, I had never considered adding a hemming machine to my personal sewing room inventory before reviewing this little beauty. Right now, I have a tailored skirt hanging in my closet waiting to be hemmed.

With the exception of the hem, it is ready to be worn, and has been hanging there, just like it is right now for about six weeks or so.

With a machine like the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher in my house, this skirt would have been finished a long, long time ago.

One of my sewing machines has a blind hem feature, but I have never liked the way the stitches look and have only used that feature a dozen or so times over the 40 plus years I’ve owned this particular machine.

With a machine like the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher at my disposal, I could easily see myself using it to hem all of my better dresses, skirts and slacks as well as jackets.

If, like me, you delay hand stitching as long as possible either because you simply don’t have the time or because sewing by hand is not your idea of a good time, it might be time for you to consider a single purpose blindsticher for your own sewing room.

The Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher weighs less than 25 pounds. While this isn’t what I might call a featherweight, it is light enough to allow you to move it around … leaving it out of sight or at least out of the way until you are ready to put it to work.

It is so fast, you will be able to hem a dress, skirt or pair of dress slacks in mere seconds. In addition, the very affordable MSRP makes the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher accessible for nearly every budget. Don’t take my word for it.

If you cannot get make your way to West Palm Beach, Florida and the Gold Coast Sewing and Vacuum Center, visit a dealer in your area that offers specialty industrial sewing machines for sale and ask for a demonstration of the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher. You must might be as impressed as I was with this single function machine.

If you are more interested in machine quilting or embroidery, or if your fashion sewing does not include a lot of what I like to call ‘dressy’ or tailored clothes, investing in the Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher might be a waste of time and money. However, if like me, you make a lot of dress slacks, ‘dressy’ dresses and tailored skirts, it just might be worth your while to take a long hard look at adding a Tacsew BLST-2 portable blindstitcher to the inventory of your personal sewing machines.