Posted 4 years ago
lyleely
(1 item)
This is a Singer 201-2 (1940). My previous post was deleted because admin failed to read the post entirely.
Simply, I'd like to know more about the history of this particular unit -- keramiko was kind enough to post a bunch of information, but that has now been lost.
Also, it appears that the thumb screw for the length of the stitch is missing. Any other missing parts anyone notice? Thanks in advance!
lyleely, Oh dear. :-)
I did wonder. I was just at the point of trying to give you some more links when the post disappeared. Hang on while I gather the resources for you again. :-)
So yes, per the Singer serial number tables at the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society website, serial number "AF441573" was one of a block of 10,000 serial numbers (436356 through 446355) allotted February 27th, 1940, and they were all scheduled to be stamped into the beds of model 201 machines:
*snip*
AF- 436356 446355 201 10000 February 27 1940
*snip*
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-af-series-serial-numbers.html
The Singer/ISMACS serial number tables are generally pretty accurate, but I have found a few that are in error with regard to the model number, so it's usually a good idea to double-check that.
If you aren't terribly familiar with the different Singer domestic models, you can use Sandman Collectibles Singer Sewing Machine Identification Template. It doesn't cover every single domestic model they ever made, but it does cover about eighteen different ones, along with some minor versions thereof:
https://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm
Sandman concurs that your machine is a model 201 ( in fact, a model 201-2):
https://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm#24
About the model 201:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/201
British sewing machine expert Alex Askaroff waxes rhapsodic about the model 201:
https://sewalot.com/singer_201k_sewalot.htm
That serial number allotment date is usually not the exact date a given group of sewing machines rolled off the production line, and WWII allotment dates are a pointed issue.
While the United States didn't formally enter WWII until December 7th, 1941, a lot of U.S. businesses were supporting the war effort before that by manufacturing things other than sewing machines, e.g.:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a23340620/singer-sewing-machine-company-45-pistol-gun/
Alex Askaroff knows of one Singer sewing machine that had a serial number allotted in 1939, but didn't get sold to the end user until 1946! (the owner still had the sales receipt):
https://sewalot.com/dating_singer_sewing_machine_by_serial_number.htm
Your decal set is called "Paperclip":
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/gallery_decals
Here is a gallery of face plates and access panels:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/gallery_faceplates
The factory was the Elizabethport, NJ Singer Factory:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_dating_by_serial_number.html
About the Elizabethport factory:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/elizabethport
Here is a user manual for the 201:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-model-201-sewing-machine-manual.pdf
And here is the adjuster manual:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1000393/Singer-201-1.html
Here is some good basic advice on what to look at when shopping for a vintage sewing machine:
https://ambersimmons.com/purchasing-vintage-sewing-machine/
I'd just caution that, yes, parts are still available for many vintage Singers, but it's not true of every model, so research that upfront before buying.
Here are some more vintage sewing machine resources (I see that I need to update it again) for you:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/285089-vintage-sewing-machine-help
Oh, and it looks to me like both the thumbscrew and the lever are missing from the stitch regulator mechanism (see Figure 14 on page 18 of the user manual)
Thank you! The owner shared that he removed the stitch regulator mechanism and thumbscrew for cleaning, but they are there and ready to be put back on!
This is great information, and definitely will be a fun read regardless of whether I purchase this particular machine. I'm vacillating between a Pfaff 30 and the Singer 201-2....I'm a novice at sewing, if anything, but I like pretty things with deep history and can be passed on to my children.
Would you know anything about the pros and cons of a Pfaff 30 in comparison to a Singer 201-2? It looks like there are some reviews out there, but not too much on the Pfaff 30 models (perhaps they weren't as popular as their 131 cousin...?).
Can't wait to read these. Thank you, Friend!
lyleely, You're welcome. :-)
I can't advise you with regard to a comparison between a Pfaff 30 and a Singer 201-2, because I'm not actually a vintage sewing machine expert (I don't even own one, unless you want to count my early eighties vintage economy model Bernina).
However, this bunch knows more about vintage sewing machines than you can shake a stick at (if that's your idea of a good time, to quote Groucho Marx out of context):
https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/
They have an interface for asking questions:
https://www.quiltingboard.com/sendmessage.php
keramikos, thanks again!
I'll pepper the quiltingboard with my questions; I appreciate your help! I'm in the midst of copying/pasting your responses into a Google Doc as I think Admin is going to shut this post down again (semantics issues on their end). Thanks for the link for the sandman collectibles--that will definitely come in handy!
Also, I think anything from the 90s and back is considered "vintage" now. I'll definitely be sure to see that parts are available--although, I'm thinking they are as this owner restores them either as a side hobby or for a living. If I had more time and space, I'd go into restoring a few myself, but I think bread-making is as far as I can go right now.
If they delete this post, I'll be sure to find another item that I own shortly. Thanks again for your help!
Cheers and Happy New Year!
lyleely, You're welcome again. :-)
Very smart of you to save the information.
I'll leave you with one more link. It doesn't pertain to the Singer 201 specifically, but it's very interesting. OK, it is to me.
It's a circa-1934 documentary made at Singer's Kilbowie factory. One of my favorite bits starts at around 14:17. It shows the machine that stamps the serial numbers into the machine beds. It looks like a row of mechanical bird heads pecking:
https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1592
Happy New Year, and good luck!
keramikos,
That.Was.Brilliant.
Thank you for sharing that -- truly, it tickled my nerd bone. I love-love-LOVE watching videos on how things are made. My favorite was the steel drum that polished all the arms (most likely because I have a peculiar fascination with throwing balls into my dryer to fluff things up or using two metal bowls to shake up my raw garlic and peel them--try it!).
Thank you for this and sharing what your ever-curious squirreling found on the Internet! Happy New Year!
lyleely, Happy New Year. :-)
I see what you mean about the Pfaff 30:
http://malepatternboldness.blogspot.com/2010/12/oh-joy-oh-rapture-pfaff-30.html
https://issuu.com/davidmannock/docs/pfaff_30-manual-en
keramikos,
Yes, I saw that review/blog and couldn't find much else on the pfaff 30. I'm starting to think it is a machine that (should I find one) will need to be restored. Probably a project I may take on much later when I have more time. Now, it's a matter of figuring out what is the best price to pay for a 201-2. There seem to be so many around and figures are all over the place...
I hope you had a good holiday!
lyleely, My holidays were as good as can be expected in these times. I hope yours were at least as good. :-)
Yeah, judging from the comments on that blog, if you want to sew leather like that, you'd want the higher powered motor (1.3 amp) that was installed on the Pfaff 30 machines destined for the U.S. market.
That manual doesn't address the motor at all.
Certainly, you can also sew leather with the Singer 201, but Askaroff thinks that it will only handle the lighter leathers, such as are used for book binding (which a casual search says is traditionally about 1.00 mm). For heavier leathers, you'd want something else.
More about the Pfaff 30 (you can't read the full review without an account, but there are clues in the comments):
*snip*
Yeah, the 30 and the [Singer] 15-91 pretty much cover the same ground. If I wasn't such a fan of the 130 I wouldn't have bought the 30.
*snip*
https://sewing.patternreview.com/review/machine/6197
About the motor:
*snip*
If we ignore power factor for alternating current circuits, you can do a quick comparison of power by multiplying volts x amperes. Assuming unity power factor (which it isn't), VA would equal Watts. (And 1 horsepower = 746 Watts if you want to look at hp instead.)
240 x 1 = 240 VA
110 x 1.5 = 165 VA
So obviously your 240 volt 1 amp motor is more powerful than the 110 volt 1.5 amp motor.
Tom
Edit: Motor you referenced is 180 W. Therefore PF = 180 / 240 = 0.75. PF of AC motors is typically 0.5 to 0.8. But again, just the VA comparison is adequate for many cases, including yours.
*snip*
https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/81074-pfaff-30/
You might want to read more of the comments at the leatherworker forum, because these are people who want heavy-duty sewing machines.
lyleely, It sounds like you've decided on a Singer 201-2, and now are just trying to decide what a good price would be.
When you're looking at online offerings, keep in mind one crucial element: shipping. If you buy one that must be shipped, the cost might be staggering, as a Singer 201 weighs anywhere between 30-34 pounds.