Hello Quiltmouse, so glad you enjoyed the videos. I can't wait to tell Farve that you spotted him in the reflection. What makes me laugh is being able to see his glasses case in his shirt pocket, and also when he starts using his hand to tell me to hurry up - he should be glad I took it slowly and didn't kick the tripod.
Yes, the great beauty of the old hand machines is their weight. They don't start sliding around the table, which is the risk with a light modern machine.
At the moment I'm making a quilt top on a treadle. For me it feels strange to have two hands free, but I'm learning to put my right hand to good use rather than just wave it around looking for the handle.
Have a look at my German treadle on the thread Vintage Sewing Machine Shop Photos (page 8). Also you can see the back of a large curtain. I made that curtain on the Frister and Rossmann hand machine which is shown on page 6. The material was really heavy, but the machine is really solid and didn't budge an inch.
If you can get hold of a hand machine, just have a go! I've taught a little girl of 8 how to use an old hand machine. Watching a child happily using a machine made in 1893 is a delightful experience!