Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

My other Classic / Vintage Obsession... Sewing Machines.

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

My other Classic / Vintage Obsession... Sewing Machines.

Old 12-28-14, 11:40 AM
  #1  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
My other Classic / Vintage Obsession... Sewing Machines.

It seems that I am not the only one here who takes great pleasure in tracking down and acquiring vintage sewing machines (and derailing other threads) and although most of us just take it for granted that a sewing machine sews, they are really a marvel of precision engineering and design, and the good ones will last just as long as a vintage Raleigh with nothing more than regular cleaning and oiling.

Historically, they did as much for women as the bicycle as it freed them to have more leisure time (like bicycle riding) and pursue other employment options, prior to the introduction of home sewing machines it took 14 hours to make a shirt and 10 hours to make a dress by hand... because of this most people only owned a few outfits and there was no industrial scale manufacturing of clothing.

The sewing machine made it possible to make a shirt or a dress in under 2 hours and the mass production techniques used by those early giants were copied by other emerging and existing industries and created others to support what was one of the largest industries before bicycles and automobiles.

I learned to sew when I was very young as my mother was a seamstress and made a good deal of our clothing, she recycled the hand me downs, and clothes got mended until they were only good for being used as patches or quilt pieces.

I just inherited my mom's last good machine which she stopped using over 10 years ago, she passed away several years ago at the age of 83 and even after she became a nurse she continued to sew as it was her favourite activity... this is a late 1960's Bernina and these are considered to be some of the very best machines ever made.



What most people think of when they think of classic sewing machines... this is a 1948 Singer (model 99k) that I just gave to my great niece who is 9 years old. It is not as ornate as some early models but was one of the most popular and successful machines ever made as it was just that good and it was compact which made it a good portable.





My Kenmore is tucked under the table... it is almost 40 years old and is an exemplary Japanese made machine that will easily sew the canvas and light leather I picked up for making bicycle gear.

Nice thing about these older machines is that they just work and work very well without the aid of computers, complex electronics, and as of yet they have only made it as far as using aluminium and to my knowledge there are no carbon fibre machines and they shift manually with a mix of indexed and friction.
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 11:47 AM
  #2  
KonAaron Snake 
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
 
KonAaron Snake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 17,229

Bikes: Two wheeled ones

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1254 Post(s)
Liked 345 Times in 174 Posts
I'm not sure if I'm adding much value to your post 65'r, but that's never stopped me before!

My paternal grandfather came here from Poland with no English and a 3rd grade education. Had he not emigrated he almost certainly would have been killed, like the rest of the family. He became a tailor, and his Singer sewing machine provided him an opportunity to survive in his newly adopted country. Many pairs of my childhood pants were hemmed by my grandfather on his 195something Singer sewing machine, and I used to watch him use it in fascination.

His Singer sewing machine, bought used from a neighbor and paid for over a few years, helped him put two kids through college and provided a comfortable retirement. So yes, I like vintage sewing machines and have been waiting to find one exactly like my grandfather's.
KonAaron Snake is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:25 PM
  #3  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by KonAaron Snake
I'm not sure if I'm adding much value to your post 65'r, but that's never stopped me before!

My paternal grandfather came here from Poland with no English and a 3rd grade education. Had he not emigrated he almost certainly would have been killed, like the rest of the family. He became a tailor, and his Singer sewing machine provided him an opportunity to survive in his newly adopted country. Many pairs of my childhood pants were hemmed by my grandfather on his 195something Singer sewing machine, and I used to watch him use it in fascination.

His Singer sewing machine, bought used from a neighbor and paid for over a few years, helped him put two kids through college and provided a comfortable retirement. So yes, I like vintage sewing machines and have been waiting to find one exactly like my grandfather's.
My 1958 Singer (403a)... purchased 5 years ago with everything one would ever want from an elderly guy who bought it when it was a few years old.

Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:27 PM
  #4  
Bianchigirll 
Bianchi Goddess
 
Bianchigirll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Shady Pines Retirement Fort Wayne, In
Posts: 29,716

Bikes: Too many to list here check my signature.

Mentioned: 191 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2910 Post(s)
Liked 2,830 Times in 1,457 Posts
Are you running a sweatshop making seat bags? I love those little sewing tables I wish I had tried to get my mothers.

__________________
One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"

Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
Bianchigirll is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:31 PM
  #5  
KonAaron Snake 
Fat Guy on a Little Bike
 
KonAaron Snake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 17,229

Bikes: Two wheeled ones

Mentioned: 42 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1254 Post(s)
Liked 345 Times in 174 Posts
Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
My 1958 Singer (403a)... purchased 5 years ago with everything one would ever want from an elderly guy who bought it when it was a few years old.

That's awfully similar to one of the ones he used 65r...I remember the colors being a little different and I think it was probably a few years older.
KonAaron Snake is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:31 PM
  #6  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Bianchigirll
Are you running a sweatshop making seat bags? I love those little sewing tables I wish I had tried to get my mothers.
My Kenmore model 1931 and my Singer Serger, no proper sweatshop can be without one of these.

Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:38 PM
  #7  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by KonAaron Snake
That's awfully similar to one of the ones he used 65r...I remember the colors being a little different and I think it was probably a few years older.
This is a 400 series machine, he may have had the earlier 300 series and they came in a few colours... people consider these to be among the best machines Singer ever made and were the last really good Singer machines as their quality dropped in the late 60's and they could not compete with the Japanese, who made a better machine for less money.

Any of these will last a lifetime, they are nearly commercial quality although they are not designed to handle really heavy materials.
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:50 PM
  #8  
Bianchigirll 
Bianchi Goddess
 
Bianchigirll's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Shady Pines Retirement Fort Wayne, In
Posts: 29,716

Bikes: Too many to list here check my signature.

Mentioned: 191 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2910 Post(s)
Liked 2,830 Times in 1,457 Posts
My dad used to have one like that '48 for his upholstery/reupholstering business. It would sew through almost anything.
__________________
One morning you wake up, the girl is gone, the bikes are gone, all that's left behind is a pair of old tires and a tube of tubular glue, all squeezed out"

Sugar "Kane" Kowalczyk
Bianchigirll is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:52 PM
  #9  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
I picked this up last weekend for the case it came in and the machine was a bonus... a 1961 Singer 328 which holds a place in Canadian history as the machine that was used to design the first Canadian flag.

I paid $21.00 and it required a new belt and some spool pins which cost less than $10.00, although this was an entry level machine it is gained a reputation as a solid machine that can handle most things and is still better than any of the entry level plastic machines sold at the x marts of the world.



Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:52 PM
  #10  
sloar 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Elwood Indiana
Posts: 7,560

Bikes: they change so much I'm tired of updating this

Mentioned: 168 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1211 Post(s)
Liked 1,120 Times in 421 Posts
What can you tell me about mine? I found it in the trash, not really into sewing machines. Just antiques in general. Thanks









__________________
Semper fi
sloar is online now  
Old 12-28-14, 12:53 PM
  #11  
sloar 
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Elwood Indiana
Posts: 7,560

Bikes: they change so much I'm tired of updating this

Mentioned: 168 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1211 Post(s)
Liked 1,120 Times in 421 Posts
sorry about the upside down pics. I don't know why photobucket does that to my cell phone pics.
__________________
Semper fi
sloar is online now  
Old 12-28-14, 12:57 PM
  #12  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by Bianchigirll
My dad used to have one like that '48 for his upholstery/reupholstering business. It would sew through almost anything.
He may have had one of these or another full size gear driven machine... the Singer 201 was the best machine Singer ever made and these were used to sew the interiors on Rolls Royce automobiles... despite it being designated as a home machine it was widely used by professionals because the stitch quality is insanely good.

It will sew through anything.



The Singer 15-91... note the tension control on the left instead of on the front. This was probably one of the most successful models Singer ever made as it would even sew through tin cans, not that you'd want to make a habit of that.


Last edited by Sixty Fiver; 12-28-14 at 01:08 PM.
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 12:59 PM
  #13  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by sloar
sorry about the upside down pics. I don't know why photobucket does that to my cell phone pics.
That is one of those Japanese machines that is a clone of a Singer model 15... perhaps the most successful machine that Singer ever made.

It was probably made in the early 1950's, tracing the actual manufacturer or date can be difficult as these were made by many companies and re-badged for other stores/ companies.
Sixty Fiver is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 01:30 PM
  #14  
JAG410
Senior Member
 
JAG410's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Moorhead, MN
Posts: 1,020

Bikes: A few ;)

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 1 Post
I inherited an incredible Brother QC-1000 machine from my mother, and learned how to do the basics on it. This machine can do embroidery, lettering, and all sorts of fancy decorative stitches. It's really fun and easy to use, but I was worried about breaking it with the projects I'd rather do, like bike bags and leather work. From some internet research, a few forums suggested a Singer 201 or a Pfaff 130, and well I found a Pfaff first. It was in rough shape, so I took it apart and cleaned/polished everything I could, and put it back together. It sews beautifully now, although it's certainly not as user friendly as the Brother machine. This comparison between modern and vintage machines correlates perfectly to bicycles.

On the left, the carbon fiber, electronic shifting, wonder bike. On the right, a lugged steel, friction shifting, workhorse:



1951 Pfaff 130 after restoration:

JAG410 is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 01:52 PM
  #15  
thinktubes 
weapons-grade bolognium
 
thinktubes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Across the street from Chicago
Posts: 6,335

Bikes: Battaglin Cromor, Ciocc Designer 84, Schwinn Superior 1981

Mentioned: 44 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 984 Post(s)
Liked 2,353 Times in 882 Posts
In spite of having an electric model, my mother used a treadle model similar to the one pictured well into the 1970s.

thinktubes is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 02:00 PM
  #16  
cb400bill
Forum Moderator
 
cb400bill's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 21,324

Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista

Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3059 Post(s)
Liked 6,378 Times in 3,691 Posts
My mom was a stay at home mom from the 50's thru the 80's. She made herself some money as a seamstress. She was the offsite alterations department for a couple local clothing stores and also made and altered clothing for her own customers. She always had a Singer machine until they went cheapo and then she switched to Husqvarna. A few years ago she gave us this old Model 775 Touch & Sew II. It needs some work, but if you are patient, you can get stuff done.

__________________












cb400bill is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 04:56 PM
  #17  
wahoonc
Membership Not Required
 
wahoonc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855

Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times in 14 Posts
I was with 65'er when we tried to derail the last thread

We have LOTS of mechanical stuff around here, much of it dating from early in the last century. We like things that can be repaired and don't require electronic bits to keep running.

I would have to check the store room, but I think there are 9 sewing machines. I know there is a treadle powered Mason waiting it's turn to be restored. My daily user is the Singer Rocketeer 500a, we have several others. The Rocketeer was picked up at an estate sale for $35 including the cabinet and a whole box of extras. The story we were told was this machine had been the lady's backup machine, in case her other one needed service or broke. Apparently she did a fair bit of sewing for herself and others. The machine shows almost no wear anywhere on it. My other heavily used machine is a mid 50's Singer Slant needle 404 that I inherited from my mom. She sewed clothes and liturgical vestments on it, eventually making enough money to spring for a Viking, then a Husqvarana.

I will have to chase down pictures of the rest when I get the chance.

Aaron


Singer 500a Rocketeer


Singer 404
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(

ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.

"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"
_Nicodemus

"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"
_krazygluon
wahoonc is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 05:17 PM
  #18  
m_sasso
Full Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 261
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 95 Post(s)
Liked 98 Times in 60 Posts
Being my late mothers and Canadian, I keep a Singer Style-O-Matic 328 threaded and on the ready.
m_sasso is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 06:13 PM
  #19  
RiseAlways
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: In The Woods, PA
Posts: 324

Bikes: 1970s Peugeot UO-8, 1980 Peugeot PXN10E "Super Competition", 1985-86? Miyata 610, 2012 Trek 3500 Mtn Bike, late 1800s project build/bike (will it ever get finished?..your guess is as good as mine! HA!),etc...

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Sixty Fiver
He may have had one of these or another full size gear driven machine... the Singer 201 was the best machine Singer ever made and these were used to sew the interiors on Rolls Royce automobiles... despite it being designated as a home machine it was widely used by professionals because the stitch quality is insanely good.

It will sew through anything.



The Singer 15-91... note the tension control on the left instead of on the front. This was probably one of the most successful models Singer ever made as it would even sew through tin cans, not that you'd want to make a habit of that.

Fantastic!
My wife needs to come visit you!! hahaha,... (she never sticks with it when she gets the bug to sew,...)
RiseAlways is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 06:54 PM
  #20  
Len S
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Berkley, Michigan USA
Posts: 81

Bikes: 1972 Gitane Gransport, 1985 Gitane Performance

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
One of my wife's main hobbies is sewing clothes and quilts.
Vintage machines can really be pieces of art.

My wife's 1909 Singer Treadle machine. A piece of art.


Her 1950 Singer Feather Weight


1940 White Majestic...


Quarter sawn oak cabinet I made her a few years back.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
1909 Singer Treadle 15 2.jpg (96.7 KB, 780 views)
File Type: jpg
1909 Singer Treadle 15 6.jpg (103.2 KB, 779 views)
File Type: jpg
1909 Test 2.jpg (98.3 KB, 765 views)
File Type: jpg
1940 White Majestic 2.jpg (101.0 KB, 766 views)
File Type: jpg
Sewing Cabinet 2 - Joanne.jpg (96.2 KB, 763 views)
File Type: jpg
Sewing Cabinet 4 - Joanne.jpg (95.2 KB, 766 views)
Len S is offline  
Likes For Len S:
Old 12-28-14, 07:06 PM
  #21  
poprad
Senior Member
 
poprad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: In transit
Posts: 1,897

Bikes: 07 Vanilla, 98 IRD road frame built up with 25th Ann DA, Surly cross check with 105 comp, 78 Raleigh Comp GS, 85 Centurionelli

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 87 Post(s)
Liked 923 Times in 191 Posts
Awesome thread...can't believe I'm the first to post that.
poprad is offline  
Likes For poprad:
Old 12-28-14, 08:41 PM
  #22  
rootboy 
Senior Member
 
rootboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Wherever
Posts: 16,755
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 556 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 132 Times in 78 Posts
Not many American made items can claim the longevity of the products from Singer & Co. Started about the time of the Civil War.
Here is my model 201. During and after restoration. The clear coat was shot, so I had to apply new decals. Cost me 20 bucks, with its original mahogany cabinet. Runs great.

Like vintage bikes, vintage sewing machines appeal to some of us who appreciate well-made mechanical things.








Last edited by rootboy; 12-28-14 at 08:46 PM.
rootboy is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 09:14 PM
  #23  
repechage
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,320
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3449 Post(s)
Liked 2,800 Times in 1,974 Posts
I have my paternal grandmother's 1959 Bel-Air portable zig zag machine. I am going to have to figure out what is "off", something with the tension. If I recall correctly it was a Japanese copy of a Singer model. MY mom and grandmother bought one each. My Mom traded her's in on a Singer Golden Touch n' Sew in 1970 or so, you could only buy it with a table, and the machine could swing away for storage, it's claim to fame was automatic buttonholes, also had some interchangeable cams for decorative stitching.
She really regretted trading in the Bel-Air.

I have now a Pfaff 545 H3, the big bobbin model, a true workhorse. Straight stitch only though.
repechage is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 10:23 PM
  #24  
BluesDaddy
I got 99 projects
 
BluesDaddy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Hills of Central NH
Posts: 1,603
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Originally Posted by wahoonc
I was with 65'er when we tried to derail the last thread

We have LOTS of mechanical stuff around here, much of it dating from early in the last century. We like things that can be repaired and don't require electronic bits to keep running.

I would have to check the store room, but I think there are 9 sewing machines. I know there is a treadle powered Mason waiting it's turn to be restored. My daily user is the Singer Rocketeer 500a, we have several others. The Rocketeer was picked up at an estate sale for $35 including the cabinet and a whole box of extras. The story we were told was this machine had been the lady's backup machine, in case her other one needed service or broke. Apparently she did a fair bit of sewing for herself and others. The machine shows almost no wear anywhere on it. My other heavily used machine is a mid 50's Singer Slant needle 404 that I inherited from my mom. She sewed clothes and liturgical vestments on it, eventually making enough money to spring for a Viking, then a Husqvarana.

I will have to chase down pictures of the rest when I get the chance.

Aaron


Singer 500a Rocketeer


Singer 404
We have one that looks a lot like that 404. It came from my wife's grandmother. I've done some hemming and repairs with it. My daughter used it to make a quilt for a school project. I grew up watching my mom sew all sorts of things, from curtains to pajamas to stuffed dolls. Sewing is a great skill and hobby.
BluesDaddy is offline  
Old 12-28-14, 10:38 PM
  #25  
Sixty Fiver
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Thread Starter
 
Sixty Fiver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: YEG
Posts: 27,272

Bikes: See my sig...

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 67 Post(s)
Liked 128 Times in 95 Posts
Originally Posted by rootboy
Not many American made items can claim the longevity of the products from Singer & Co. Started about the time of the Civil War.
Here is my model 201. During and after restoration. The clear coat was shot, so I had to apply new decals. Cost me 20 bucks, with its original mahogany cabinet. Runs great.
Beautiful work there, as always.

Elias Howe invented the modern sewing machine, Isaac Singer improved on that design and after some lawsuits from Howe were settled they became partners and pretty much took over the sewing world, there production was so integrated they also raised the trees that they made their cabinets and cases from so employed many carpenters and labourers. Like Schwinn and Raleigh they controlled pretty much every aspect of their business and sold the production rights to other companies before their patents expired.

There are some hand built machines out there that are like hand built bicycles, they are exceedingly rare and much sought after and a small works of functional art... now I see a good number of people customizing old machines with new paint and powder too.

I just finished servicing a later model Kenmore for a young friend who wishes to sew, this is a Janome built machine which runs and stitches well and is very easy to use... this came with the same 25 year warranty as my 1976 Kenmore and this was probably a good idea as it is not nearly as robust, there is a lot of plastic where just about all of my machines have nicely machined gears and there were a lot of small springs which can cause issues when they fatigue.
Sixty Fiver is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.