Vintage and Antique Singer Sewing Machines. Related Categories. Auction Alerts. When it comes to antique Singer sewing machines, even avid collectors tend not to mince their words. Singer was not known for its innovation, says Harry Berzack, who owns about 500 sewing machines of various makes and models. But one thing everyone agrees on was.
In this post, I’ll cover some of the best vintage sewing machines out there. I’ve written a few overview posts on vintage sewing machines, but not one that specifically deals with the best vintage sewing machine because, honestly, I'm not sure there's one best machine to get. Still, it's something that people keep asking about, so I thought I'd take a stab at it.However, I definitely have some preferences and recommendations, especially for different categories of machines, such as straight stitch, zigzag, treadle, industrial, toy, and sewing leather. I'm also going to go over other bloggers' recommendations, so you'll get a well-rounded idea of what people look for in a vintage sewing machine.Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a percentage if you make a purchase using these links. This won’t cost anything extra to you.
See my for more details. My Other Posts on Vintage Sewing MachinesHere are a few of my overview posts on vintage sewing machines:.General Guidelines for Evaluating Vintage Sewing MachinesIn my post on, I mentioned these guideline for checking out a vintage sewing machine:When you're at the store, pick it up. Is it surprisingly heavy? That means it's probably all metal inside.
Metal gears and parts don't wear out as fast as plastic ones. If it's lightweight, don't get it. Turn the handwheel.
Does the needle go up and down? Do the feed dogs under the needle move back and forth? Is there a bobbin and bobbin case underneath the needle plate? Are there any obvious missing parts? Best Vintage Straight Stitch Sewing MachinesEarly sewing machines only sewed in a straight line.
Some of them didn't even sew in reverse! Still, you can do a lot with a straight stitch machine, and because they are built for a single purpose, they are very good at what they do.Cheryl Warren notes that, but that the Featherweight doesn't really produce a better stitch than any other straight stitch machine.
People like them because they're cute, light, and they haven't used any other dedicated straight stitch machines. I myself, and I'd agree with her. It's a nice machine, but I'm not sure it's worth the hype, unless you want to be able to take it to a quilting class or travel with it. The body is made out of lightweight aluminum, rather than the heavy cast steel or cast iron that most other straight stitch machines are made of, but it comes with a much heftier price tag than most straight stitch machines.The same goes for the Featherweight's cousin, the Singer 301. It's a nice machine, but people often want too much money for them. Peter Lappin of Male Pattern Boldness has a post on as well.
His favorite machine is the Elna Grasshopper. I don't have one of these, but I've heard good things about them, and I'm actively looking for one. These were marketed as an alternative to Singer Featherweights, so it's small, compact, lightweight, and bright green! It's a no-frills straight stitch machine that is solidly engineered.Cost: free to $60.
I wouldn't pay more than that-these are pretty common sewing machines. Best Vintage Zigzag Sewing MachinesIn contrast to straight stitch machines, zigzag machines can sew a greater variety of fancy stitches, such as the ones below.
So how did sewing machines make fancy stitches before they were computerized? They used cams, which are discs that divert the course of the needle bar, so that it sews something other than a straight line of stitches. Sometimes these cams are built into the machine, and sometimes you can insert them separately.Below, on the left, you can see a cam stack that is built into the sewing machine. You can select one of these discs via a stitch selector on the outside of the machine, and the needle bar will follow the pattern of the cam to produce that stitch. Brian Sews has a post on and also a post with a reader question about the. I was kind of surprised to see that his favorite sewing machine is a Kenmore zigzag machine.
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I'd passed over a few Kenmores in my travels, just because they really don't look like much. I know looks aren't everything, but Kenmores are, well, ugly.Still, the next time I came across one in the wild, I bought it because of Brian's post. It came with a full set of cams and attachments, too! It turned out to be an excellent all-metal, mechanical machine, so don't overlook those vintage Kenmores.
One of my favorite blogs is by Cheryl Warren of, and I recently listened to an interview with her on from the Podcast Hello My Quilting Friends with Leah Day. Cheryl wrote a corresponding blog post to go with the podcast on. And she also has a post on.Her advice is really comprehensive and helpful. For treadling, she recommends getting a Singer table, which will fit most standard-sized machines. You don't have to keep the sewing machine that's in it, but if you want to swap it out, make sure you get a vintage machine with a belt-driven motor, rather than a potted motor. You need a way to attach the treadle belt to your sewing machine. Singer 15s and 15 clones are a good choice to start with, but watch out for those potted motors on the Singer 15-91s!Below, you can see an example of a potted motor on a Singer 101. The motor is underneath the round, decorated plate.
I also asked Melissa Shields of the about her pick for the best vintage sewing machine, but she didn't want to play favorites. Her husband Paul, however, has a post on. See also and of this series.The initial post goes over features to look for, different types of treadle machines, and some recommendations. I was surprised to see that he recommends VS (vibrating shuttle) machines for treadling because of their superior stitch quality. I actually haven't used my Singer 27, since I don't have a way to power it, but I had heard elsewhere that round bobbins work better than long shuttles, so it was interesting to see that Paul prefers shuttles. So now I'm excited to see what that Singer 27 can do!Cost: free to $300ish. If it's rare or particularly ornate, you might pay more. If you keep an eye out, you can find treadle machines pretty cheap.
I've passed up a few in the $50-100 range, which I now regret. Best Vintage Toy Sewing MachinesI love how cute toy sewing machines are! I have a small collection of them on display in my office, and I wrote a.
Most of them only make a chain stitch, rather than the usual lock stitch, which can unravel easily. And while they usually have tension mechanisms and thread guides, stitch tension is hit or miss. They jam easily, and you have to be careful removing your fabric, so you don't accidentally unravel the whole line of stitches.
I've spent a lot of time trying out different toy sewing machines in the hope of finding a good travel machine for sewing on the go, and I have not been successful.I would not recommend that you get one as a child's first sewing machine. This would probably frustrate the child and make them dislike sewing. Plus, vintage toy sewing machines are pretty collectible, and you'd probably pay as much as you would for a regular, full size sewing machine. Consider getting a 3/4 size Singer 99 for a child.Cost: 10-200ish.
This varies depending on quality and rarity. Best Vintage Sewing Machine for LeatherI'm including this category because there are so many scammers out there.
You'll often see online sellers claiming that vintage sewing machines are heavy-duty, semi-industrial sewing machines capable of sewing through multiple layers of thick tooling leather. They'll even include a picture that seems to support this assertion.You know what they never do, though? Include a video of them using the sewing machine in question to sew through the three to four layers of thick leather they show in the picture.Vintage sewing machines are burlier than most modern machines, even ones that are marketed as 'heavy duty,' but they are not semi-industrial and they are not capable of sewing through thick leather, certainly not with the beautiful, even stitches shown in those photos.You could probably buy one of the straight stitch machines recommended above and sew through 3-4 layers of upholstery leather or thin leather. But that's it. Check out the for expert advice on sewing machines for leather.
They have a number of threads related to what vintage sewing machines are and are not capable of sewing.Cost: Same as for vintage straight stitch sewing machines. Best Vintage Industrial Sewing MachinesOkay, I only own one vintage industrial sewing machine (see my post on ), but I've looked at a handful of them. In the past few decades, a lot of factories 'upgraded' their sewing machines and sold off their vintage industrial Singers. It seems like industrial Singers in the 200 range are pretty similar and turn up for sale often enough that you could probably get your hands on one without too much trouble.These sewing machines are sturdy, reliable, and you can still find parts for them. Manuals are available online.
They take standard industrial needles and presser feet. They can handle heavier duty materials, but they're also. Now you can see why I'm such a skeptic about those domestic sewing machines that are marketed for sewing leather!If this burly industrial machine can't handle sewing that kind of leather, how could a domestic machine possible do it? Before getting a vintage industrial sewing machine, remember that it was likely used in a factory, and that the motor might not be compatible with at-home use.
My Singer 281-1 came with a 380 volt, three phase clutch motor. Basically, this motor was rated for an industrial space with a much beefier electrical capacity than your average home has.If you're interested in learning more about the differences in electrical capacity between home and commercial/industrial settings, check out Fashion Incubator's post on. I ended up, which cost about $200, so you may need to factor that into the cost of your machine.Cost: free to $600, plus potential motor replacement. These are big, heavy space hogs that can be hard to sell, but they also don't turn up as often as domestic sewing machines. More Vintage Sewing MachinesWant to see more vintage sewing machines? Check out my board and my board on Pinterest.
Vintage or antique sewing machines are those machines that survived the test of time. From its original manufacturing date up to now, this vintage machine remained and retained its original form and performance. Some machines created centuries ago were able to survive to this day and you can still see them perform well in sewing. These machines are called vintage or antique.
Some machines may be physically present, but they will be of no or less value if they do not perform well anymore, or if some parts are already damaged or replaced.Many antique collectors base their collections on the serial number. If the serial number is 500 or lower, you can be sure that the machine is pretty rare and old. Though there are plenty of still operational and usable, you will also find some of them as not one of the collector’s items, but for decoration purposes only.It may be easy for the collectors to determine which one is a perfect item to be collected, and this is because they are already used to it and they have been in this profession ever since. But if you are interested to collect some vintage sewing machines, you should know the factors, first, in determining their value before you can decide whether it is a collector’s item.Vintage sewing machines, along with all the vintage sewing items and accessories, are highly collectible not just because of the price or value, but also because of the rich culture and history attached to it and its manufacturing. Collectors may have been attached to the history, or are probably in awe when it comes to the old fashion engineering and development.There are many websites nowadays to surf to identify your sewing machine. If you need information, details, value, identification or parts of your vintage sewing machine, you can easily get help from those websites. They may even lead you to different stores where you can get one for your own collection.Many collectors consider these old and antique sewing machines as collectors’ items because of different reasons.
Some would want one or several machines because they knew its value. More than just the motors and the machines, it is the name and brands that make the machines important, significant, and valuable.are also affordable nowadays. Some machines are offered at such a low price at many online and offline stores. These machines are also proven to be reliable. Imagine how they survived the time since the day they were produced until now, and their mechanism is still perfectly working in good condition. If you happen to find such a rare gem, that only means the machine was indeed a good catch.Some machines are also built with a less complex mechanism.
The antique sewing machine parts are also made to last for long years, which means the machines are less likely to break. And because they are vintage machines, they do not need electrical power to operate. This would mean you are going “Green” as you conserve energy. More than that, many collectors prefer the vintage sewing machines because they are coll and beautiful.
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Different Brands of Vintage and Antique Sewing Machines Singer Sewing MachinesAlthough Singer is not the first sewing machine being developed, it became a very popular brand to many sewers, and even for collectors. Some collectors said that it was such a fun experience for them to collect most of the Singer vintage sewing machines because they are plenty and they are still available and usable.The Singer Company is an American corporation that manufactured plenty of sewing machines. At first, it was I.
Singer & Co., which was named after its owner, Isaac M. Singer and Edward Clark. But due to the popularity, its name was changed to Singer Manufacturing Company in 1865, and became Singer Company in 1963. Among the best selling sewing machines since the start of the manufacturing were the Model 12K Fiddle bed, Model 66 designed with Lotus decals, Model 99, and the Featherweight Model 222K.actually has a lot to offer when it comes to vintage machines. The Turtle Back Family was one of the earliest, being developed in 1856.
This was a lightweight machine, but it failed when it came very poorly built. The Singer released the New Family Machine in 1865, and it was small, efficient, and pretty. The Super Model 66 was the best sewing machine that Singer ever introduced that time. There were many new models being developed over the time after the New Family Machine, and the most favorite among collectors was the Featherweight. This machine was introduced in 1933 at the Chicago World’s Fair. Howe Sewing MachinesHowe was named after its owner, Elias Howe Jr., the first man who invented the machine and was called as the father of sewing machines.
His first machine was patented in 1846, earlier than the Singer machines. The first Howe machine ever patented was the Patent Model number 4750. The Genuine Howe Sewing Machines were categorized as A for families, B for larger machines built for boot makers, tailors, and dressmakers, C for very powerful machines built for leathers and harness, and D for free-arm cylinder machines. With the Howe sewing machines, most of the productions in America and other countries sped up.
Using the machines, they were able to sew umbrellas, hats, belts, and many more. Wheeler & Wilson Sewing MachinesCredit toNathaniel Wheeler and Allen Wilson was the founder of the company. It was built and established in 1852 in Water Town, Connecticut. After two years of production, the company was able to produce a total of 20,000 sewing machines. It was such a big success for both of them, along with the staffs and employees, which made them to expand and move to Bridgeport.Wheeler and Wilson developed and built several sewing machines in the past. The first one was called the Wheeler and Wilson model D 1. Most of these machines are vintage and antique.
The company was famous for producing efficient sewing machines, and the buttonhole machine even got an award in the year 1860. The antique treadle sewing machines were sought after by many sewers, including industrial companies that manufactured clothes. Ranging from the Old Style Hemmer to the silver-plated machines in their wooden cabinets, all of these machines were a symbol of excellence and wealth.
The legacy of the company attracts many vintage and antique collectors to get one or a few of the Wheeler and Wilson sewing machines.Among the popular sewing machines made by the company were the Models number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and many more. The company was also known for its buttonhole machine, which was capable of sewing 100 buttonholes in one hour. Grover & Baker Sewing MachinesThe two pioneers in the sewing machine history were William O. Grover and William Emerson Baker. They co-founded the Grover and Baker Company, established in Boston, Massachusetts in 1860.
Both of them were tailors, which explain why they are familiar and passionate about sewing. Grover and Baker became famous after developing a sewing machine with a double chain stitch. This was built to be a sewing machine for family or home use, and it was intended by the developer for treadle driving. It was in the year 1861 when the machine was introduced to the industry, and since then, many sewers were attracted to buy this machine. Now that centuries have passed, many collectors put this machine on top of their list as a collector’s item.Among the best machines built by the company were the Sewing Machine Model 22 in 1870, Model 25, and the Grover and Baker embroiderer machine. Many machines came out from the company and they became famous.
Willcox & Gibbs Sewing MachinesWillcox & Gibbs introduced the Chain Stitch Sewing Machine to the market in the year 1864. It was actually James A.
Gibbs, who invented this type of machine, but it was improved by J. The company was well-known among the manufacturers and customers not only because of the home machines of treadle and hand-cranks, but also because of the industrial machines that they built which were capable of sewing hard to sew fabrics.
Their machines usually came out with gold floral designs and painted in black.The superb chain stitch of the machines became the dream of many consumers and collectors to collect. Almost all of them had one of these machines from the Willcox and Gibbs. Among the best vintage machines made by the W & G were the Antique Willcox & Gibbs Automatic Noiseless Electric Sewing Machine, Willcox & Gibbs Chain Stitch Sewing Machine, and many more. Kimball & Morton Sewing MachinesKimball & Morton Company was known as a company established in 1867 who manufactured animal designs for their sewing machines. They actually did that on purpose. The Lion Sewing Machine became popular to many consumers because of its designs. It was actually referred to as the most handsome and best working sewing machine ever produced by the company that time.
The machine was designed excellently, but it was concealed or covered in the body of a lion. Up to now, this machine is among the top item in the list of antique collectors.The company conceptualized the lion figure as the case of the machine. The lion machine actually stands on a rock, which actually refers to the fine art metal electro-plated and finished in such a beautiful art.
Its mechanism has the vibrating shuttle, and it was one of the best sewing machines that had become available in the market since its development until now. Among the antique Kimball & Morton sewing machines were the Antique Eagle, the Lion, and the Kimball & Morton Oscillator. Jones Sewing MachinesWilliam Jones started developing sewing machines in the year 1859. Since then, the company had produced a wide variety of sewing machines for home or domestic use, and for industrial purposes as well.
Among the top machines built by the company were the Jones Cat-Back, Jones Fiddlebase, Jones Serpentine, Jones Hand Crack, Jones Federation Treadle Sewing Machine, and Jones Swan neck. The machines were one of the items that the Royal Family in England collected and used, making the brand famous and well-known.
Sear Roebuck & Co. Sewing MachinesSear Roebuck and Company used different labels on their sewing machines such as the Kenmore, Minnesota, and many more. Even before the company became popular as Kenmore in most of the sewing machine, it was already producing and introducing different sewing machines under Minnesota model. The Minnesota model A was one of those machines, and it is a vintage machine considered as a family heirloom.
The Franklin was also one of the sewing machines sold and marketed by the Sear, but was developed by the Domestic Sewing Machine Company. Pfaff Sewing MachinePfaff sewing machines were known to be durable and heavy duty. Known for the reliability and engineering, the Pfaff machines were among the top selling antique sewing machine brands. Up to now, most of these machines produced and developed by the Pfaff are still working in good condition, making them the top choice as collectors’ items. The first model was the Pfaff Model K which was released and introduced in 1824.It was Georg-Micheal Pfaff, who founded the Pfaff in Kaiserslautern Germany in 1862. He first made and developed a handheld sewing machine that was capable of sewing leather. When it comes to the name Pfaff, people automatically think of superior engineering based on German technology.
Most of the sewing machines the company produced were designed for industrial purposes, but later also introduced sewing machines for home use. Among the significant models of sewing machines made by Pfaff were the Vintage Pfaff 332 with Foot Pedal and case, Pfaff 230 Dial-A Stitch, Pfaff 1222, Heavy Duty Pfaff 230, Pfaff 130, and Pfaff Sewing Machine 262 Complete Snap-on Top Cover Housing Cast Aluminum.
Husqvarna Viking Sewing MachineThe Husqvarna Viking became a well-known and prestigious name when it comes to producing and selling highly efficient sewing machines in the year 1869 onwards. One of the best machines from Viking is the Husqvarna Viking 30-10 Sewing Machine Model 756.
If you will search for it now, you will find that it has a higher value, not just because it was built to be efficient and powerful, but also because it was from the Viking.The Husqvarna Viking is considered as a giant name in the industry of sewing machines and cloth manufacturers. The Northern Star was the first ever sewing machine the company made and developed. For more than a century, the company came to develop highly efficient and beautifully designed sewing machines. Among the top models made by the Husky Viking were the Husqvarna Central Bobbin CB, the Husqvarna Model 17, the Husqvarna Freja, and the Husqvarna model 19e. This model 19e was the last Swedish Husky metal machine produced, and it was built to endure the test of time. Being an efficient, durable, and beautiful sewing machine, this model is already old, yet it can still sew perfectly well, even better than the modern style of sewing machines that are made of plastic. About Antique Sewing Machines Bonus Video.