Posted 3 years ago
markmil1
(1 item)
This was my grandmothers who used this until she passed, then it was passed down to me. The SN/Model number makes no sense to me looking at charts because although it starts (slight hypen) with a 2 (Number), its then followed by 13 more numbers...Would mean 27 TRILLION...So any help with this? I'm obviously mis-reading something.
Thanks but i don't do FB...I found a email address to Singer, so hopefully they can tell me but thanks!
Hi, markmil1. Your grandmother's sewing machine, huh? Very cool. :-)
I believe that what you have is a pre-1900 Singer with two serial numbers. Yes, that did happen. Read British sewing machine expert Alex Askaroff on the subject:
https://sewalot.com/dating_singer_sewing_machine_by_serial_number.htm
It looks to me like your machine has these two serial numbers:
2718508 7157508
Using Askaroff's advice, we go with the higher of the two (7157508), and get this range of serial numbers and year:
*snip*
7,046,500 7,471,599 1886
*snip*
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-no-prefix-serial-numbers.html
Of course, there is no model number information in the table for the prefix-less, pre-1900 serial numbers, but I think it's a model 12. That cross-shaped configuration of slide and needle/throat plates was the tip off for me.
However, there's help for people who aren't acquainted with the peculiarities of vintage Singer domestic sewing machines. This tool identifies about eighteen different models of Singer domestic machines, and some minor variations thereon:
https://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm
Sandman concurs:
https://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm#48
About the model 12:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/12
A manual:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-12k-manual.pdf
Your treadle table:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/extlf_cab.html
I can't really tell which factory made your grandmother's machine, so I'll give you some links for the two biggest ones:
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/
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/kilbowie
Just for the heck of it, here's a post of mine with a collection of vintage sewing machine links that I've accumulated over the last couple of years:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/285089-vintage-sewing-machine-help
P. S. Although I do have a link for the big Facebook group for vintage sewing machines in the comments section of that post, I don't have an account there. I don't do Facebook, either. };-)
HI again, markmil1. :-)
I thought I'd try to find another example of a treadle-mounted Singer model 12, and found an '1884' vintage (with serial numbers 5074612 and 944612, I think it's more likely to be of 1882 vintage) one here:
http://silkmothsewing.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-singer-12-sewing-machine-and-how-to.html