Posted 1 year ago
Lucila
(1 item)
Old montgomery ward sewing machine
Does anyone now the year or model of this machine??
Thank you guys so much
Tha nks
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Posted 1 year ago
Lucila
(1 item)
Old montgomery ward sewing machine
Does anyone now the year or model of this machine??
Thank you guys so much
Tha nks
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Hi, Lucila. :-)
The minute I laid eyes on it, my brain said, "Badged National vibrating shuttle," (the dual split slide plates and circular needle plate are the vibrating shuttle tip offs), but I had to consult the needlebar dot org site to try to figure out which model:
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php/National_Vibrating_Shuttle_Machines
So let's see what yours has:
Body Shape : Angular
Inspection plates: Large Screw & Shoulder
Upper Tension: Face Plate
Stitch Length Control: Pillar Lever
I don't see an exact twin: :-(
A VSM enthusiast at the quiltingboard forum has a Montgomery Ward machine like yours, and the regulars think it's a Montgomery Model E (made by National):
https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage-antique-machine-enthusiasts-f22/montgomery-ward-model-e-machine-t290227.html
Another VSM enthusiast at the quiltingboard forum think their very similar machine is a National Improved Eldredge B (the one at this site doesn't have the trapezoidal inspection plate like yours, but it's otherwise quite close):
https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage-antique-machine-enthusiasts-f22/national-improved-eldredge-type-b-manual-t298335.html
Here is a manual for the National Improved Eldredge Type B:
https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/197085/3017798/ImprovedEldredgeB.pdf
I really don't know how old it might be, but that dull brown paint job suggests 1950s or later.
About National:
https://ismacs.net/national/from_eldredge_to_national_to_janome.html
Hi again, Lucila. :-)
Sorry, but I was operating under a bit of a time constraint earlier, and only latterly noticed that the Montgomery Wards Model E that I'd linked earlier had a forward-facing tension assembly, as well as a trapezoidal inspection plate near the needlebar.
However, if you perform an Internet search for a Montgomery Wards Model E, you'll find some variety in the various features (I'm not going to link eBay listings, because of their tendency to disappear).
In truth, even if you look at the vibrating shuttle machines at needlebar dot org, you'll see the upper tension device move around, as well as inspection plates disappearing, etc., so some of these features are 'evolutionary.'
As to age, I found this:
*snip*
In 1913, Ward launched a line of domestic machines made by Foley and Williams.
Shortly after this, the contract switched over to the National Sewing Machine Company. National made almost all models produced before 1955.
In 1955, Ward switched their contract to a Japanese manufacturer called Happy Sewing Machine Company.
*snip*
https://silverbobbin.com/montgomery-ward-sewing-machine/
I do think your machine is a badged National, rather than a Happy, so about the newest it could be is mod-1950s.
Hi again, Lucila. :-)
A few more tidbits.
Montgomery Wards seems to have sold a number of slightly different sewing machines as their model E.
In the below listing at goodwillfinds dot com, you can see in the picture of the motor assembly that it is indeed labeled as a Montgomery Wards Model E.
However, that very large stitch/slide/needle plate is not only distinctively different from your machine, but indeed from any other Montgomery Wards Model E machines that I've seen online:
https://www.goodwillfinds.com/travel-and-hobbies/arts-and-crafts/sewing-machines/vintage-sewing-machine/10011-0000-82033.html
That one is actually a National vibrating shuttle model S40 (scroll down):
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php/National_Vibrating_Shuttle_Machines
My eyes must have been pretty tired the other day to have missed it, but the National vibrating shuttle that shares almost all of the same characteristics with yours (angular shape, large screw near the needlebar, disc tension assembly protruding from the faceplate, and stitch length lever on the pillar ) is listed as the "Improved Eldredge IEB: at needlebar dot org.
The manual I linked earlier for the National Improved Eldredge "B" should be spot on for your machine, except perhaps for a motor.
It does look like your Montgomery Wards sewing machine is electric, because I see what look like bolts peeking out on either side of back of the pillar, and it would be interesting to know if the motor has a model number plate attached to it.
Hi no it is not electric it has a mechanical pedal
Thanks for the info
Lucila, You're welcome. :-)
Thank you for the clarification about your machine being purely mechanical rather than electric. I did wonder, because it does have a spoked balance wheel, but it could have been retrofitted with a motor.
So your Montgomery Wards-badged National Improved Eldredge B is mounted in a treadle cabinet. Perhaps you could add a picture to your post of the full front of the machine in its cabinet.
FYI, if you didn't already have a copy of a user manual, then you might want to download for safe-keeping that soft copy I linked earlier from user jlhmnj at the quiltingboard forum.
While it appears to have been out there for almost five years already, it might not always be around.
FYI, there's a bit of wobble room on the upper end of the age range. The National Sewing Machine Company went out of business circa 1953.
What the lower end of the age range is, I can't say for sure, either, but that matte brown color says post WWII to me.
A treadle sewing machine newer than WWII might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but there were still people after that time who didn't have commercial electricity in their homes.
Indeed, treadle and hand-crank sewing machines are popular to this day, precisely because they don't need electricity.
Welp, I shoulda thought of this before. Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine has some old Montgomery Ward catalogs.
There's one from 1941-1942 that shows some sewing machines at the bottom of page 773 described as "Head No. 2," "Head No. 3," and Head No. 4."
https://archive.org/details/montgomerywardcatalogfallwinter1941/page/n777/mode/2up
Head no. 2 and Head no. 3 are further described as have a "Special Dull Finish brown art metal," which was believed not to cause eye-straining glare, so in 1941, Montgomery Ward was already selling sewing machines in a dull brown finish.
Going back to the 1926-1927 catalog, on pages 542-545 you see sewing machines, and even though the pictures are not in color, it's pretty clear that the machines have the old-fashioned black japanned finish with elaborate decals:
https://archive.org/details/montgomery-ward-catalogue-105/page/542/mode/2up
Just as a side-bar, the 1927 catalog offers the further tidbit that Montgomery Ward's supplier has been specializing in the Damascus rotary and vibrating shuttle sewing machine models for over forty-seven years. Hmmm. That would be since about 1879.
They exaggerate a skosh, methinks.
Anyway, somewhere in between 1927 and 1941, Montgomery Ward started offering that dull brown finish, so your machine could well be older than post WWII.
I was really hoping to find some soft copies of Montgomery Ward catalogs from the 1930s, but so far, no joy. :-(
What I did find was a soft copy of the Christmas MW catalog from 1941, and one item in particular caught my eye (I've transcribed the text as faithfully as I could, but CW S&T software will probably render it a bit differently):
*snip*
Desk Model Treadle Sewing Machine
Rotary or Long Shuttle head action -- rotary sews 1/2 faster. Automatic
tension, 5-ply Walnut Veneer--28x17 1/2 x 31 in. high.
185 TA 1651--Rotary Model, Greist attach. Cash................$49.95
Time Payment Price: $5.50 Down, $5 a Month. Ship. wt. 131 lbs..54.40
185 TA 1651--Long Shuttle Model, Greist attach. Cash..........$45.95
Time Payment Price: $5.50 Down, $5 a Month. Ship. wt. 131 lbs..50.00
132 WARDS All Above Machines Shipped
from Stock
*snip*
https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1941-Montgomery-Ward-Christmas-Book/0053
Essentially, customers could still buy a vibrating shuttle sewing machine mounted in a treadle cabinet in 1941.
Looking again at the 1941/1942 catalog, I now notice four models of treadle cabinets (two desk models, one "18th Century Design" model, and one Singer-style five drawer cabinet table model) on page 774:
https://archive.org/details/montgomerywardcatalogfallwinter1941/page/n779/mode/2up
So the purely mechanical sewing machine concept was alive and well in 1941.
How long Montgomery Ward had been offering the no-glare dull brown finish on sewing machine heads is TBD.
Here is a real world sample of a MW-badged National dull brown head mounted in the Singer-style five-drawer cabinet table treadle (the National sewing machine head looks like a Vindex Type 2):
https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagesewing/comments/11gkelk/would_love_any_info_about_this_montgomery_ward/
"Randy" by way of Zorba the Veiled Male comes through with this tidbit:
*snip*
From Randy:
All post war National made machines were in Art Metal finishes [ excluding the turquoise ones which I have no documentation on ], National introduced the R40 and S40 in the last half of 1941 and they came in Brown Art Metal. National did experiment with the Brown Art Metal finish on a 1938 machine that appears to be short lived. It featured what looks like a large gold decal going up the arm of the machine and large decorative decals did not adhere well to the rough paint and that particular model seems to have been discontinued quickly - I have never seen one like it.
*snip*
https://www.doubleveil.net/zssmp/reversew.htm
So it would seem that the oldest your sewing machine head could be is 1941.
Maybe I can let this go now, huh? };-)