Antique Singer Sewing Machine

Singer by TheAntiqueHobbit posted Sep 6, 2021 at 3:57 PM

Singer by TheAntiqueHobbit posted Sep 6, 2021 at 3:57 PM

Singer by TheAntiqueHobbit posted Sep 6, 2021 at 3:57 PM

Singer by TheAntiqueHobbit posted Sep 6, 2021 at 3:57 PM

Singer by TheAntiqueHobbit posted Sep 6, 2021 at 3:57 PM

Singer by TheAntiqueHobbit posted Sep 6, 2021 at 3:57 PM

Hey all! Been a bit since I’ve posted (started law school so been out of the buying business for a bit) but we just hit up another estate sale and found this beauty. I noticed in the paint job that there’s a Sphinx which I thought was cool.

Bigger question I had though was how old is it, and what model might it be? We buy things in bulk so we don’t always know what we’re getting and this is wayyyyy outside my realm of knowledge. Is it fairly rare or unique? It looks like it still had the original belt for the foot pedal; is that a good thing?

 

@Shangas is our go-to sewing machine guy. Hopefully he'll get my tag and stop by next time he's on.

 

Hey folks.

The machine is a Singer Model 27 / 28 (there's not much difference between them), likely from the early 1900s.

I can't see the serial-number in the photos, so I can't be more precise than that.

It is a treadle-powered vibrating-shuttle sewing machine, and it's missing the two slide-plates that go across the machine-bed over the bobbin-race.

Having the original belt is useful, but not always great. These belts were leather, and often wore out, so it's a good thing that they can be easily replaced. You can easily find a new one on eBay for just a few bucks.

Is it rare? Not really. The singer vibrating shuttle models were produced in vast numbers. It is rarer in the sense that it's a much older model, though.

With a LOT of effort, it could be restored. The missing slide-plates, and the missing/replacement-needing treadle-belt are easily found on eBay. Slide-plates go missing ALL THE TIME, so there's an active industry manufacturing replacements.

Finding the original bobbins and shuttles...that's...doable. It's not easy, but it can be done, if you know where and how to look. They do make reproductions of these, but the reproductions are not as good quality as the antique originals.

All that aside, it can likely be made to run again, if you're willing to put in the effort. These machines are bomb-proof. Short of welding it together with a flamethrower that spits lava, these things will withstand just about anything you can throw at them. I bought a Singer 128 (this machine's little brother) as a "display model" for $20.00.

It's now my main machine for fixing & altering my clothes.

 

I’ll freely ad it out purpose is to sell it. We flip stuff from estate sales and whatnot as a side hustle while I’m in law school. If we can get fifty bucks for it we’ll be happy lol.
I’ll take a picture of the serial code when I get a chance. Didn’t realize those were important for identifying the piece.
Thanks for all the help!

 

In good working condition a quilter would take it off your hands in jig time. It's probably going to cost more than you can sell it for to do a proper restoration, but if you were keeping it that would be a different story.

 

CAN it be restored? Most definitely. To like-new condition, if you really wanted to try, but as Evelyb says, it'd cost far more to do that than the machine is worth. And it being a treadle machine only makes that harder.

 

I thought it was mainly the Singer Featherweight 221/222 that was popular with quilters?

 

I know this is a little off the point. But I got this beautiful condition one for very little money a while ago. Not normally something that I would buy but I just loved the details.

 

That's the model I have. Been using it for over a decade.

 

They like the treadles too - sew through anything. And if you ever see an old leather machine, bag it!

 

Serial by TheAntiqueHobbit posted Sep 17, 2021 at 12:09 PM

Here’s the serial number. Out of curiosity where do you look those up to find out age and stuff?

 

There’s several websites with a number database where you can look-up the manufacturing period and number of units made using your serial no

 

Good call! Looks like this one is from 1901!

 

That's my understanding also, and they sell.