Posted 2 years ago
myrandam82
(6 items)
Antique Singer sewing machines inherited from my late grandmother and late mother. I know very little about them except what you see in the pictures. Any information is welcome.
The serial numbers are listed below for the 2 well loved models...
Badged Davis: 113382
Singer 66 Red Eye: G4632659
Welcome to CW...I can't give it to you myself but can tell ya that you'll have all the info ++ you ever wanted to know about your machine shortly...do a search here for anybody else's Singer machines and look for responses in the comments from fellow CW member "keramikos" for a jump start... :-) :-) :-)
Hi, myrandam82. :-)
I am the infamous "keramikos" name-checked by AnythingObscure. };-)
I'm not really a vintage sewing machine expert, but rather an old Internet surfer who's developed a slight (*cough*) obssession with the former.
It looks to me like you have three different machines in this post, so to make things a bit more readable, I'll make separate comments for each machine.
The machine in your first picture looks to me like it's probably a badged Davis.
There's probably a serial number on the front slide plate which would enable dating it using this chart at needlebar:
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php/Davis#Davis_Serial_Numbers
However, I spy rust, so you might need to clean the slide plate in order to read the serial number. I'll put some links for advice on cleaning vintage sewing machines at the bottom of this comment.
When I say "badged" I mean that decal on the horizontal arm that reads "SERVICE". Some explanation about badging:
http://needlebar.org/main/badged/index.html
Per needlebar, Service was a known badge name used by the Davis Sewing Machine Company (the Free Sewing Machine Company also used it, but I do think your machine is a Davis):
http://needlebar.org/main/makers/usa/davis/index.html#s
Because of the top leaf tension assembly, the stitch length regulator mechanism on the bed in front of the pillar, the rectangular needleplate, and the dual slide plates, I think it's probably a Davis Underfeed Model M.
A very similar model was the Davis Underfeed Model N, which appears to be a three-quarters size version of the Model M. See the circa 1908 SN 2158585 Knickerbocker-badged Davis Underfeed Model N at the late great Enrico's fiddlebase website:
https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/dimension=690x1024:format=jpg/path/s51e998845fd4a378/image/i6d40fe88dd32e598/version/1530879539/image.jpg
https://www.fiddlebase.com/american-machines/davis-sewing-machine-co/davis-by-models/
An old catalot illustration of parts for the Davis Underfeed Models M and N:
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php?title=File:DavisMNpartscatalog.jpg
Davis also sold their Underfeed Model M to Sears who badged it as the Minnesota C (scroll down):
https://ismacs.net/sears/sears.html
Somebody posted their Sears Minnesota C here at CW S&T a long time ago:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/7484-my-minnesota-model-c-sewing-machine
I see that one of the commenters (Kathi758) volunteered to scan and email a copy of their manual, and even provided their email address. Dunno if they'd respond after all these years, but you could try.
You could also try the big vintage sewing machine group on Facebook which has a very large library of soft copy manuals, but you would need to join:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VintageSewingMachines/
This outfit is selling copies:
https://www.tias.com/173/PictPage/1922728004.html
About the Davis Sewing Machine Company:
https://ismacs.net/davis/history_repeats_itself_story_of_the_davis_sewing_machine_company.html
Cleaning advice:
https://www.quiltingroomwithmel.com/2017/02/cleaning-chrome-vintage-sewing-machine.html
https://www.recyclart.org/diy-cleaning-up-your-vintage-and-or-antique-sewing-machines/#If_rusted_to_severely_rusted
https://pungolivinghome.com/2019/12/08/a-tutorial-cleaning-an-vintage-singer-model-15-sewing-machine/
The machine in your second picture is a Singer Red Eye model 66.
Try as I might, I can't read the serial number in the little bronze-colored cartouche. :-( That number would enable us to date it with a fair degree of precision.
If you can read the serial number, please add it to your post. :-)
However, it does look like an early model 66, not only because of the thumbscrew style stitch length regulator on the pillar, but the back-clamping presser foot.
That latter feature would make it a model 66-1.
About the Singer model 66:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/66
The Red Eye decal set (which was only ever applied to model 66 sewing machine heads, and only at the Elizabethport factory):
https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/decals/domestics/redeye.html
I can't tell which style of faceplate and rear access panel it has, but here is a gallery of them for you to browse:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/gallery_faceplates
I can't tell which cabinet you have, but here is a gallery for you to browse:
https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_sewing_machine_cabinets.html
A manual for the model 66-1:
https://archive.org/details/Singer661Manual
About the Elizabethport factory:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/elizabethport
https://www.ericwilliamsblog.com/left-behind-in-elizabeth-the-singer-manufacturing-company-part-1/
https://www.ericwilliamsblog.com/left-behind-in-elizabeth-the-singer-manufacturing-company-part-2/
The sewing machine in your third picture (the one in your fourth picture is the same machine, I suspect), is another Singer Red Eye model 66.
Serial number G9736459 was one of a block of 50,000 consecutive serial numbers ([G]9726501 through [G]9776500) that was allotted by Singer's central office to its Elizabethport factory, and all were intended to be stamped into the beds of model 66 machines:
*snip*
G- 9726501 9776500 66 50000 January 9 1923
G- 9897726 9947725 66 50000 March 13 1923
*snip*
https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-g-series-serial-numbers.html
https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_dating_by_serial_number.html
It likely rolled off of the assembly line some time between the allotment date of its block and the allotment date of the next block of serial numbers intended for model 66 sewing machine heads (January 9 and March 13 1923).
Most of the same links I gave you for your Singer model 66-1 (model information, decal set, faceplate and rear access panel, factory) apply to this one as well.
However, I'll give you a link for the slightly different manual, becaues this machine has the side-clamping presser foot:
https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-model-66-sewing-machine-manual.pdf
Judging from the color of the wood, the cabinet is probably the one seen in the background of your picture of the 66-1, so that would make it Cabinet Table No. 2 (Plain with Five Drawers):
https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/cabinet_table_no_2-3.html
In case I forgot anything, here is my collection of vintage sewing machine links:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/285089-help-for-vintage-sewing-machines
However, it's a lot to sift through, so if you have any questions (other than value, which I don't do), just ask them here in a comment on your post.
Keramikos,
Wow! Just wow! I have no words. I never expected to get any response, let alone this much information. This is incredible. There is so much to learn. I had no idea the machines of this era had so many options. You've really given me so much to dive into.
I've taken more photos to add including serial numbers, accessories and attachments.
Thank you so much!!!
Great machines. I just picked up 3 Singers to play with. A 1928 & 1930 model 66 and a 1922 99K. Kera is awesome..she found every piece of information for them.
myrandam82, You're very welcome. :-)
I'll take a look at your new photos.
dav2no1, Awesome your own self. };-)
Yeah, I see ya all over CW S&T identifying things, and helping people.
Kera,
I've listed what I thought was the serial number for the Davis in the item description. I tried to find it using the link you listed above, but the number I found on machine is lower that the lowest number on that list. I'm wondering if I'm looking at the wrong number.
I'm going to swap out the pic of the Davis for the pic of the number plate on this post. Let me know if I'm off base. Thanks????
PS: When you get tired of seeing my name pop up you just tell me to buzz off! ????
myrandam82, Wow, that's interesting.
Off the top of my head, it sure looks like a serial number. It's stamped into the bed behind the pillar, yes?
That's a known location for vintage sewing machine serial numbers in general, but not Davis insofar as I know, and 113382 certainly would be a low serial number for Davis.
It doesn't really 'compute.'
I think I might have to refer you to one of the vintage sewing machine groups for more help, because I just don't know:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VintageSewingMachines/
https://leatherworker.net/forum/forum/50-leather-sewing-machines/
https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/
https://www.victoriansweatshop.com/
I think I'd recommend the victoriansweatshop forum.
I did some more poking around, and there is one user at the victoriansweatshop who has a particular interest in Davis Underfeed sewing machine heads:
https://www.victoriansweatshop.com/post/davis-underfeed-label-search-11801439
Before you go creating any new accounts: you could try emailing the victoriansweatshop Davis enthusiast at the email address on his own personal blog: steelsewing at gmail dot com
Kera,
You were right. I email Jim B. as you suggested. He replied right away.
I thought you might be interested in what he had to say. I will say this, you may have been off the mark, but you weren't wrong! ????????
"All of the Davis Underfeed machines have the pulley for the hand wheel on the outside of the wheel (far right side). My Service, as yours, has the pulley on the inside of the wheel (left side when sitting as if you were to sew). Did someone remove the wheel and put it on backwards? Nope. The other interesting piece of information was that the serial number on Davis Underfeeds was -always- stamped on the front bobbin slide plate - and never on the cast deck.
So how? Why? This doesn't make sense!
It took awhile. Probably a week of chasing down photos of other antique sewing machines before I found a match. Your Service machine -as well as my Service machine- wasn't made by Davis. It was manufactured by the "Illinois Sewing Machine Company" which would be a part of the "Free Sewing Machine Company" and from everything I could find the "Service" would be a twin to the "New Royal" labelled machine. Both of these were produced (from what I could find online with similar machines) in or around 1915."
myrandam82, Oh, excellent. :-)
Good Man, Jim! *waves*
So, the big difference between the Davis Underfeed machines and the similar New Royals is the location of the pulley --and the serial number.
At needlebar, I see a couple New Royals with top leaf tension, rectangular needle plate, dual slide plates, and stitch length control on the bed in front of the pillar.
Plus, a square inspection plate at the shoulder, but if I recall correctly, there is a hole in the sewing machine head casting in that location on yours, so somewhere along the line, the inspection plate was removed and lost.
The Stiletto has a serial number in the right range (scroll down):
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php/Illinois
Well, I feel better now. :-)
Now that I have a clue what it is, it turns out that there is a Yale badged New Royal K here at CW S&T, identified nine years ago by the late great Bernadette:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/92084-yale-sewing-machine
The inspection plate at the shoulder is circular, and the serial number is much higher (899681), but other than that, very similar.
Keramikos,
I have some catching up to do on all the new info. Thanks for all your help.