Posted 4 years ago
Kanyan
(1 item)
This is a 1899 Singer Model 39 that I purchased in San Diego, Ca. I can find no information on it. I wish to restore it to a fully functional machine and am looking for any documentation to assist me. Thank you.
Welcome to CW!! Lots of Sewing machine people here!!! should get answers here!!!
Stuff
Hand crank, very nice.
Thank you Keramikos. That is about as much as I could find. I have had two sources tell me it was made for export but not to where. I have seen the old article in CW and was hope that after a few years more information may be added.
I have no information prior to 1900 other then the date per the serial number on my machine and the one on CW about 7 years ago. So they were being made in the 1890s.
This is what I found about the serial numbers after 1900.
Alex Askaroff's list shows serial numbers beginning with B and D as being made in Elizabeth Port, NJ and the ISMACS list shows 3000 numbers issued on January 2, 1904 to Model Number 39 (B015001 through 018000) as well as 2000 numbers issued on August 4, 1908 to Model Number 39 (D440201 through D442200).
The question is: were the numbers issued and then made in Scotland?
And the made for export only – Did they go to British Hong Kong in exchange for tea? Britain was doing a lot of trade with China during this time period.
Nice puzzle.
WOW. Thank you keramikos. That's a lot of information and pretty much leaves Kilbowie out.
They were made over a 15 year period as there is a documented Singer 39 with a 1895 manufacture date.
Models like the Singer 101 were made in small quantities but they still can be found as can the Singer 9W.
Where did they go?
I thought about the WWII metal drives because I think that is what happened to a lot of Junker & Ruh German machines that where built up until 1930 (They are very heavy cast iron) but then it came to mind, why that model? It is about 20% smaller and lighter then a model 28 and a handcrank. The large treadle models would provide much more metal. Something to keep researching while "sheltering in place" ; )