Sewing Machine Eye Candy
Nothing significant about these, just a few machines that caught my eye...
Funky "Precision" brand machine, yet another Singer 15
clone. Probably made by Happy, manual availablehere.
Another Precision 15 - in a cool two tone paint job.
Another two tone paint job, this time a New Home.
A "Steinway Grand" that appears to be a badged machine made by National from 1916.
A promotion for Steinway pianos? Another mystery. My Steinway books are silent,
although I inquired of Steinway & Sons Pianos who also denied any involvement/knowledge.A contributer emailed me this information:
I was writing with regard to your sewing machine photos. I believe the Steinway Grand machine which you note is a badged machine, was actually made by the Homer Young Sewing Machine Co. out of Ohio (Toledo?). I have a Steinway treadle machine and have had difficulty finding information/parts for it but have found some articles on the Internet which give small snippets of history. Mr. Young apparently had a marketing scheme which he believed would outsell the other leading brands because he was eliminating the middle man and selling factory direct with a 100% guarantee. He claimed to sell very high quality machines/cabinets; however he did not appear to be successful in taking over the market since these machines are very hard to find.
Or maybe the Steinway family got wind of this blatant trademark misappropriation and took action.
Keeping with the piano theme, here's a "Baldwin", another singer 15 clone.
Photo courtesy of
This one was actually made by the company which eventually morphed into the Estey
Piano & Organ Company, probably the most prolific maker of reed organs during that
instrument's heyday. Not as well known are their pianos which were made from 1889 'til 1975!
Photo courtesy of
A "Mercedes", possibly made in Japan, probably a blatant theft of trademark.
Certainly yet another Singer 15 knockoff. I'd love to have it!
Photo courtesy of
Yet another "Mercedes". Perhaps these were made by, or imported into, Soviet bloc countries
during the cold war (The rather strange "East Europe" on this one would suggest this.)? This
picture was sent to me by the machine's owner, who found it in a rubbish heap in Athens, Greece. What a beauty!
Can't have a "Mercedes" without a "Benz"! No doubt yet another blatant theft of trademark.
I've been able to confirm that this one comes from Pakistan, the company is apparently
still extant. Note the similarity of the graphics among these three. Were they ripping off each other?
A far more modern rendition of a "Mercedes" that appeared on eBay - origin unknown.
And what appears to be an older, hand cranked "Mercedes"
One of my dance sisters is named Isabela...
Pfaff 130. Apparently quite the collector's item.
Another Pfaff 130 that someone repainted red. Looks nice!
Pfaff 6. A pristine cutie that I was outbid for.
The sewing machine of the future? This "Beloga" was a design exercise.
A rarely seen Singer 16K - note very long arm.
Photo courtesy of
Zündapp from Germany. Zündapp was better known for their motorcycles.
A little bit of oil and she'll be as good as new!
Another Japanese class 15 that I was outbid for on eBay.
Note the similarity with the Baldwin, above.
Mother-in-law's Kenmore, Sears model number 158.16012, which indicates it was made by Japan's
Maruzen (Changed to "Jaguar" in 1978) Sewing Machine company. Placed into a cabinet made by White.
A Kenmore that passed through my hands, Sears model number 158.13201 which makes it also
built by Maruzen/Jaguar Sewing Machine company in Japan. It was given to me, I cleaned
it up, cut down the ratty MDF cabinet to a table top base, and passed it on to a dance
sister in need of a machine.
With a name like "Tikka", you'd think it was Indian - but its actually Finnish!
Apparently made exclusively for export to the Soviet Union from the mid 1940s
to the mid 1960s. Note dual motive power. Photo courtesy of
This Usha however, is indeed from India and is current production. Intended for
villages and households with no electricity, a sewing machine can mean the
difference between prosperity and poverty.
Looking like a clone of a 1950s Japanese machine (which it probably is),
this Usha "Flora" model offers zig-zag and other modern conveniences.
If it works as good as it looks, it'll probably outlast 99% of the cheap
plastic machines now sold in the western world.
Singer 185K. Photo courtesy Cory Zamora. This is basically a reskinned 99K.
This very interesting Kenmore dates from about 1950, and was made by a division of the
Chrysler Corporation - with a Delco electric motor! In common with my little
Bell, it required "no oiling". Photo courtesy of
A Singer 66 repainted blue. I'm not much on blue, but this looks very cool!
This apparently very rare "Portman" caught my eye...
It uses a different implementation of the
Micro-Bell's "case-as-sewing-surface" idea.
I've also seen this machine sold under the "Compac" name.
According to one eBay auction, this machine was made in the USA!
Besides the self-built Micro-Bell, Bell sold at least 2 other models built by Germany's famed Messerschmidt -
seemingly always in a green color. But here is a Bell branded machine in a hitherto unheard of black color!
It was apparently made by Germany's Baer & Rempel, according to a source at
My very own Bell and White and the
Singer Cabinet in a "Two Fisted Sewing" situation, making
little sequinned armbands for a Belly Dance costume.
And because I couldn't resist the "artistic shot", here's the same scene in the dark.
Slightly blurry yes, but I'll boast that it was handheld in the dark for a 4 second
exposure - that's what modern image stabilization can do!
Lost?
Site Map
Copyright and Terms of Use
Home
