There are a rare few domestic machines that can take to sail sewing and keep going. If you're just going straight ahead and back, then The Pfaff 30, or the 130 for ZZ. The Necchi BU, Nova or Mira models from '48 to 52 are also 'said to be' favorites of sail makers. Before you go for the bank-breaker industrial there's always the 'domestic on steroids' Thompson Mini. Even then though the Mini seems to be holding more resale value than many older industrial machines. Industrials have been coming down in price. I've seen more of them for sale this summer than ever before. The Stradivaro was a very well built and robust machine for it's day. It doesn't surprise me at all that it's refusing to quit. =)