Posted 3 years ago
dingbathero
(1 item)
I am glad I’ve found this resource website!
I have had many questions about the machine and haven’t been able to find the answers. After some digging I think it’s a model from 1936. That is all I could find about the model based on it’s serial #. It’s been in our family for a very very long time. Any insight and information would be very much welcome. Thank you.
Hi, dingbathero. :-)
I'm glad you found this resource, too.
Now I'm hoping you won't get discouraged and run off again before I tell you a few things about your machine. That seems to have happened yesterday with another vintage sewing machine owner's post when I was away from CW S&T for more than a few hours. :-(
Anyway, so you have a family machine. Very cool.
Per the serial number tables at the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society website, your serial number (EA717877) was one of a block of 100,000 consecutive serial numbers (685565 through 785564) allotted October 8th, 1936, and all were destined to be stamped into the beds of model 15K machines (the "K" suffix means that the machine was made in Singer's Kilbowie factory):
*snip*
EA- 685565 785564 15K 100000 October 8 1936
*snip*
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-ea-series-serial-numbers.html
Your machine certainly does look like a model 15. That tension disc assembly protruding from the face plate is a feature all model 15 machines have in common.
About the model 15:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/15
Your decal set is called Trefoil:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/decals/decal17
Your cabinet is a slightly more modern version of cabinet table no. 5 or 6:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/5-6_cab.html
I can't tell you about your face plate, because I can't see much of it, but here is a gallery of face place and access panels:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/gallery_faceplates
About the Kilbowie factory:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/kilbowie
Now we get into a slightly murky corner trying to figure out the minor version of model 15 you have.
Per Sandman, your machine should be a model 15-96, but I'm not convinced that's correct:
https://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm
https://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm#10
I actually think that you might have a model 15-88 (or more correctly, a 15K-88):
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/model-list/images0-99/15-88_bp.jpg
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/model-list/classes-1-99.html
Of course, it could be one of the other minor versions. Here's a chart with pictures. Only you can tell about things like the bobbin case finger position:
http://needlebar.org/main/15chart/
I'll give you a link for a model 15-88 manual for now:
https://www.singer.com/sites/default/files/outdated_product/SINGER%2015-88_15-89%20and%2015-90%20Sewing%20Machines.pdf
The slide plate seems to be missing. If it's not stashed away in a drawer, and you wish to replace it, you can get a modern one directly from Singer, or this outfit that specializes in replacement parts for vintage sewing machines:
https://www.singeronline.com/sislpl.html
https://www.vintagesingerparts.com/collections/singer-model-15/products/singer-bobbin-cover-fits-models-15-30-15-88-15-90-15-91
The latter had an original, but they're currently out of stock:
https://www.vintagesingerparts.com/products/original-singer-sewing-machine-bobbin-cover-fits-15-86-15-88-15-90-15-91?variant=6031610085406
Just for the heck of it, here is a circa 1934 documentary made at the Kilbowie factory:
https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1592
Starting at around the 14:17 mark, you'll see in action the machine that stamped the serial numbers into the machine beds.
One more link for you just in case I forgot anything:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/285089-vintage-sewing-machine-help
It's a collection of vintage sewing machine links I've accumulated in the last couple of years. It's by no means the be all end all, but it can be a lot to sift through if you're not used to it, so if you have any more questions, just post a question here in the comments. If I don't know the answer, I'll go back out there in the wilds of the Internet and try to find one for you.