Hi all
One of the first things you need to be aware of when buying a vintage or antique sewing machine - not all of them are Singers.
Now, you probably think that's fairly obvious. There are loads of sewing machine manufacturers who've been around for generations. Pfaff, Necchi, Brother, and Janome are just a few of them.
The truth is, the most famous of them all is Singer. That's the brand name most people are familiar with. Whether you're a sewist or not, Singer is *the* sewing machine everyone thinks of first when talking vintage and antique.
Why? Well, it's probably down to the fact that Singer sewing machines were one of the best selling brands. From their fantastic marketing skills to their easy payment schemes. Other manufacturers found them hard to beat.
In fact, at one time Singer had the world's largest sewing machine factory. It was based in Kilbowie, Clydebank, Scotland.
Singer's machines were everywhere. So much so that everyone's Grandma and Great Aunt had a Singer.
But did they?
Honestly? Probably not. Although that doesn't stop other brands being mistakenly identified as Singer sewing machines. There are two identifying traits to watch for when deciding if a sewing machine is a vintage Singer.
The first, it will say Singer along the side of the arm, nestled in the decals. Usually, across the top of the arm, you may even see "The Singer Manufacturing Co." There may even be the infamous Singer badge attached to the pillar.
When I was given the opportunity to identify a machine recently, I knew as soon as they said it was called a Junior, it wasn't a Singer. To be able to identify what it was, I asked for photographs of the machine.
Check out my video below to find out what other clues I look for to identify a Singer from another maker of sewing machines.
Bye for now!
Olly
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