Posted 3 years ago
susiedashner
(1 item)
This was my Grandmother's. I'm having hard time finding info on it other than it is a "badged" machine. Anyone know about what year it would have been made?
Sew Well Steinway treadle sewing machine | ||
| Sewing185 of 2539 |  |  |
Hi, susiedashner. :-)
Your grandmother's sewing machine. Beautiful. :-)
The short answer on why one of your pictures is upside down is that Collectors Weekly Show & Tell software doesn't play nicely with all photo sources, especially some smart phones and tablets.
The help here suggests using a desktop computer:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/answer-desk/photo-and-scanning-tips
However, not everybody has one of those nowadays. A workaround is to edit a copy of the problem photo on your local device, make the long sides of the rectangular image a bit shorter, then edit your post, delete the upside down version, and replace it with your new, edited version. That frequently does the trick.
You're luck in that your current first picture is oriented correctly, because that's the one that shows up to users just scrolling through CW S&T posts. There are users here who don't like poorly oriented photographs, and will excoriate the hapless poster thereof. :-(
As to your grandmother's sewing machine: It is indeed a badged machine, and it looks familiar to me, especially the style of that inspection plate at the junction of the pillar and horizontal arm.
Give me a bit of time, and I think I'll be able to give you more information about it.
Hi again, susiedashner. :-)
I think what you have is a National VB-TT Type 5:
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php?title=File:04natvbtt3506951.jpeg
It has the rounded body shape, the circular inspection plate at the 'shoulder,' the top leaf tension assembly, the screw-style stitch length mechanism on the pillar, and a low-mounted bobbin winder:
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php/National_Vibrating_Shuttle_Machines
Here's another CW S&T post with a badged National VB-TT Type 5 (note the location of the serial number):
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/291516-manhattan-sewing-machine
Here's another badged National VB-TT Type 5 whose owner did a lot of research:
https://ncweekendquilter.blogspot.com/p/treadle.html
Unfortunately, there is no central database of serial numbers for National sewing machines, but you can estimate the age of your machine by comparing the serial number on yours with those on other similar machines that have been dated by other means. In that other CW S&T post, I linked to Wayne Schmidt's website (he is a retired engineer and overall geek extraordinaire) who estimated his Willamette D was of 1914 vintage.
You probably have an age clue that many new owners of vintage sewing machines don't have in the fact that this was your grandmother's machine.
About National:
https://ismacs.net/national/from_eldredge_to_national_to_janome.html
A tidbit about "Steinway" sewing machines:
*snip*
Homer Young Co. of Toledo, Ohio, advertised “Steinway” sewing machines in Good Housekeeping magazine in 1902. The company sold the machines only through mail-order catalogs. Thirty-five different styles were offered.
*snip*
https://www.kovels.com/collectors-questions/ideal-steinway-sewing-machine.html
Hi again, susiedashner.
It looks like your upside down picture has been reoriented. That's good. :-)
There are numerous eBay listings for Homer Young Co. ads selling sewing machines that look like yours, but I wanted to find a more persistent link for one. This one has been out there for almost ten years now, so that seems pretty persistent:
https://buysewingmachinesshop.blogspot.com/2011/11/1902-ad-homer-young-household-furniture.html
The ad is a bit small, and can't be expanded, but you can see that the sewing machine at the top has the top leaf tension assembly, the inspection plate at the shoulder, and the screw-style stitch length mechanism on the pillar.
It also makes mention of the company offering 35 different styles.
One more tidbit. :-)
I found an article about the Homer Young Company and it mentions their Steinway sewing machines. It's in a Google eBook version of the 1904 National Magazine, Volume 21. From page 112:
*snip*
"This machine is $24.50 and I'm glad you like it -- it's my idea -- but I've had other ideas. Now how's this?" and presto the top of a pretty cabinet desk dropped forming a shelf and a "Steinway" appeared ready for work. This we sell for $30 and I'll guarantee that none of the old line companies have anything as handsome for $75. But here's my very latest idea in sewing machines and with a magic wave of the hand a dainty little dressing table with an empire mirror was turned into a "Steinway."
*snip*
The article is several pages long, and there are several photographs, one of which is of the Homer Young Company booth at the World's Fair, and another is of a Steinway sewing machine.
The Steinway in the picture doesn't quite look like yours, although it does have the circular access panel at the shoulder.
The feature that makes it unlike yours is a trapezoidal access panel on the other end of the horizontal arm near the needlebar. This latter feature makes it similar to the Singer family of vibrating shuttle machines (however, it's not actually a badged Singer, because Singer never made machines to be badged by other companies).
Anyway, I thought it was worth excerpting, because of the Steinway references.
The whole article is worth a read. The reason I'm not providing a link is, because those Google eBook links are a mile long. Just perform a Google search for "Homer Young Company Toledo Ohio," and a link to the Google eBook should be on the first page of hits.