Posted 4 years ago
DPal
(1 item)
Beatiful sewing machine still in working condition.Has a light bulb in working condition.The serial number has 8 numbers as seen in the pictures.
I would like to know how rare is this item.
Antique sewing machine | ||
| Singer Sewing Machines150 of 715 |  |  |
Hi, DPal. :-)
A Singer sewing machine with a prefix-less serial number. Cool. That means it pre-dates 1900.
Per International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society's (ISMACS) Singer serial number tables (which they were given by Singer who endorses them with linkage), serial number "11797445" is from a range of serial numbers that dates to 1893:
*snip*
11,339,000 11,913,499 1893
*snip*
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-no-prefix-serial-numbers.html
Sewing machine expert Alex Askaroff concurs:
https://sewalot.com/dating_singer_sewing_machine_by_serial_number.htm
There are no records of which models were given the prefix-less serial numbers, but it's readily apparent that your machine belongs to the VS1, VS2, VS3, 27, 28, 127 and 128 family of machines.
The tip-offs are the little trapezoidal access door, the circular needle plate, and the dual split slide plates:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Singer.Model27.IdentificationGuide.jpg/600px-Singer.Model27.IdentificationGuide.jpg
You yourself would be in the best position to determine whether your machine is a model 27 or model 28 (by taking a few key measurements), but if I had to guess, I'd guess model 28, because of its size and resultant portability.
About the VS1, VS2, VS3, 27, 28, 127 and 128 family of machines (see the chart of features of the various models for measurements):
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/28
The decal set looks like Scrolls & Roses:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/decals/domestics/scrolls_roses2.html
Your bentwood case looks like the No. 193, Base and Cover:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_bentwood_sewing_machine_cases.html
That motor (made by Sew-Tric, LTD) gives a clue as to the factory that produced the machine:
https://vintagesewingmachinesblog.wordpress.com/2019/07/19/wiring-sew-tric/
About the Singer factory in Kilbowie, Scotland:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/kilbowie
Here are a couple of manual sources:
https://www.singermachines.co.uk/sewingmachineparts/instruction-books/singer-28k-manual.html
https://issuu.com/davidmannock/docs/singer-28-manual
As to the relative rarity of your machine, it's difficult to say. For one thing, the number of model 28 machines, or indeed any model, produced prior to 1900 is unknown, because there are no records of the number of the various models produced in that period.
Some time back, I concatenated all of the ISMACS/Singer serial number tables into a single file, and imported it into a spreadsheet. Totalling up all of the various permutations of the model 28 that I could find (post 1899) in it, I got 6,535,708.
How many of those, plus the 19th century ones have survived (not to mention which ones are motorized portables), I couldn't say.
Just as a matter of idle curiosity, my (not scientifically rigorous) estimate of the total number of sewing machines of all models produced by Singer 1850 - 1971 (using the spread sheet, and Askaroff's figures) is slightly less than 97 million.
You'd probably need to consult an expert (I am not an expert).
Good luck. :-)