Skip to main content

Is Your Vintage Sewing Machine a Singer? What Are the Clues to Identification?

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.

Secondly, Singer machines don't tend to have names. Some of the earlier ones had series names like Turtleback, the Letter A, the New Family or Vibrating Shuttle. But, mostly the models are identified as numbers. Like the Singer 99, or Singer 15K80.

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


This article may contain Amazon associate links. I may earn a referral fee for any purchases made via these links. This does not cost you any extra, and there’s no obligation to use the links. Although, they do help support me and this blog.

The items showcased may be available from other suppliers if you prefer not to use the links.
 

For more sewing tips and adventures, follow me:

Twitter
Facebook
Instagram 
YouTube



 

 

 



 

 

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Keep The Original Hem When Turning Up Jeans

Hi all, You’ve found the perfect pair of jeans but as always, they are 3 miles too long. I’m going to show you how to fix them so they fit your leg length perfectly.  Better still, I’ll show you how this technique will work with any pants or trousers with an original jean-like hem. Like these 511 trousers. You will need : Pair of jeans or trousers that need turning up Sewing machine Zipper foot Thread to match your jeans/trousers Tape measure or ruler Safety pins or plastic clips Iron and ironing board Pressing cloth Step 1 Stand up and try on your jeans. With the shoes you usually wear or the pair you intend to wear with them. This is important as the shoes you wear will make a difference to the size of the turn up you need. Turn up the bottom of each leg so the wrong side of the hem is showing. Then move it up or down until you are happy with how they sit on the tops of your shoes. Fiddle with them, turning them up a bit more o...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Charity Shop Find & the Headache from Hell!

 Hi all I've always been a fan of charity shops. Even before they became a fashionable way to reuse or  repurpose other people's unwanted clutter.  To me, they have always been a gateway for feeding my addiction to vintage and antique sewing machines.  Like this one.  Isn't she a beauty? According to the markings, She is a New Home machine made in West Germany so I'm guessing she's a post war... maybe 1950s... electric sewing machine.    She has a bolt-on motor and the shortest electric cable I have ever seen on a sewing machine! Look at it! It's tiny! That's never going to reach any of my electrical outlets. I'm thinking that this vintage sewing machine was made to be in a cabinet... or a previous owner cut the cable for some reason.  Maybe their outlets were mounted on a desk and they didn't want long cables cluttering the workspace?  Who knows? One thing I do know, is this sewing machine is going to give me a little bit of a headache!...
Post a Comment
Read more

A soft spot or OSMC

Hi there,  I was having a bit of a nose around a local second hand shop over the weekend and came across this: It was tucked down the side of some furniture, looking a bit sorry for itself, just sitting there all alone. Well, I couldn't leave it there.  Poor thing looks like its had a bit of a hard life. It's a Mundlos machine, originally designed to go on a treadle table judging by the lack of a tool compartment, little holes in the base just under the hand crank and the small groove just behind the wheel. The little holes and groove would have been for the belt attaching the machine to the pedal.  The tools would probably have been kept in the table. The golden badge is the Mundlos company's trade mark and the portrait is of Heinrich Mundlos, one of the company's founders.  The little switch to the side is a handy little gadget that pops the shuttle out of the bobbin compartment. Originally, this machine would have been decorated with ...
2 comments
Read more