Posted 2 years ago
ClassiqueO…
(1 item)
I was given this Graybar Shuttle Sewing Machine and no nothing about it, I think it is by the National Sewing Machine Company and from the time period of 1920-1940.
National Sewing Machine Company/GraybaR | ||
| Non-Singer Sewing Machines23 of 454 |  |  |
Hi, ClassiqueOmaha. :-)
You are correct. Graybar never actually made any sewing machines, but rather contracted with various sewing machine makers to make Graybar-badged machines for them, and National was one of them.
Your machine looks like the National Eldredge B vibrating shuttle:
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php?title=File:08eldredgeb2.jpg
Pardon my reformatting, but the description of its various characteristics at Needlebar dot org is in chart form, which doesn't work well here:
Model: Eldredge B (Vindex sub model?)
Size: Full
Body Shape: Rounded
Inspection Plate(s): Large Screw & Shoulder
Upper Tension: Face Plate
Stitch Length Control: Pillar Lever
Notes: (Eldredge B2) Spool pin at center of arm. Bobbin winder high
http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php?title=National_Vibrating_Shuttle_Machines
One more important tidbit from Needlebar:
"Serial number under the front slide plate, on later machines it will be under the machine bed."
Here is a sample of what your serial number might look like if it's underneath the front slide plate:
https://d3h6k4kfl8m9p0.cloudfront.net/stories/PKA2FivP-SWC.YCeqn7kxQ.png
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/301606-vintage-sewing-machine-serial-number-loc
Unfortunately, there is no central database of National sewing machine serial numbers.
The age of a particular National sewing machine can be estimated by comparing its serial number with that of another National sewing machine that has been dated by other means.
Here is a sample of one that has been dated by the amazing techno-renaissance man, retired engineer Wayne Schmidt:
http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/images/sm%20bessy%20small.jpg
*snip*
The Willamette D sewing machines were made by National for the Portland, Oregon-based chain of Meier & Frank department stores. While she has a serial number (2,296,351) there are no known lists of National sewing machine serial numbers and production dates, so that by itself doesn't help much. But, when compared to our other National machine, which has a 2,167,857 serial number and was dated to 1913 by other means, it suggests this Willamette D is slightly later, say around 1914. Additionally, assuming the name refers to the town of Willamette, which only existed from 1908 to 1917, this date seems to be reasonable.
*snip*
http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/Antique%20Sewing%20Machines.html
However, you've already divined that yours is probably a bit newer than that.
Here is some Graybar information from CW user Bernadette (she is no longer active here, which is a shame, because she was a fount of vintage sewing machine knowledge):
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/37891-1920s-graybar-sewing-machine
The short version: 1926 - 1941.
Here is a manual for the Improved Eldredge B, courtesy of one of the quiltingboard forum members:
https://d28lcup14p4e72.cloudfront.net/197085/3017798/ImprovedEldredgeB.pdf
https://www.quiltingboard.com/8096342-post2.html
About the National Sewing machine company:
https://ismacs.net/national/from_eldredge_to_national_to_janome.html