Posted 2 years ago
keramikos
(20 items)
Singer was probably the single most popular maker of vintage sewing machines.
They were also the most well-documented. Chances are, if you can find the serial number on a vintage Singer sewing machine, you can find out the year it was made, its model number and even the particular factory where it was made (the latter two apply only to most of the post 1899 machines).
In the images of vintage Singers in this post, the serial numbers are circled in red. Some models have the serial number on the underside of the machine.
IMAGES CREDITS:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Singer12k.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Singer66.JPG
REFERENCES 20230815:
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SINGER SERIAL NUMBERS LOOKUP
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Singer is probably the best documented of all the vintage sewing machine companies. However, even Singer's records are neither complete nor entirely accurate.
Here are some links to various resources for looking up Singer sewing machine head serial numbers in order to find approximate ages and models.
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SINGER SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP SMART PHONE APPS
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Here are two smart phone apps for Singer serial number lookup:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.picarious.singer
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/singer-serial-db/id1493070456
I've used the android version and it appears to work well overall.
However, there are some caveats: it appears to return "Beginning 1908" for all single "C" character prefix serial numbers and "Beginning 1911" for all "W" prefix serial numbers.
Serial numbers with those two prefixes are problematic, because most of the records for them were lost.
There are a couple of resources for those who aren't satisfied with "Beginning %X%."
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WITTENBERGE SINGER FACTORY SERIAL AND MODEL NUMBERS
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The single "C" character prefix serial numbers from the Wittenberge Singer factory were lost as a result of WWII and the Cold War.
Somebody has done some research and come up with some estimates:
http://www.toolfool.org/sewing/Wittenberge_Serial_Numbers.pdf
http://www.toolfool.org/sewing/Wittenberge_Machine_Series.pdf
However, a lot of vintage sewing machine enthusiasts are skeptical about this information and even the author admits that it's speculative, so 'buyer' beware.
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BRIDGEPORT SINGER FACTORY W PREFIX SERIAL NUMBERS
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The "W" prefix serial numbers were lost for reasons unknown; however, in 2018, a relative of one of the leatherworker dot net forum members found a circa-1960 Singer slide chart tool with "W" serial number ranges:
https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/82112-singer-age-by-serial-numbers-slide-chart/
How accurate it is, I don't know, but it's way better than a sharp stick in the eye.
For anybody who has one of the Singer domestic model 9W sewing machine heads regardless of whether it has a "W" prefix serial number or one of the no prefix Weeler & Wilson heritage serial numbers, it's probably best to stick with International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society's (ISMACS) age estimate, that is, 1909 - 1913, with the no prefix serial number ones being older.
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MANUAL SERIAL NUMBER LOOKUP
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The Singer serial number tables at the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society (ISMACS) website are the result of a cooperative effort between Singer and the Veritas Club 1995 - 2002:
https://veritas-store.de/epages/3d25f25d-c48c-422d-bee5-dab1bb808782.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/3d25f25d-c48c-422d-bee5-dab1bb808782/Products/9058-RA
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ISMACS SINGER SERIAL NUMBER TABLES
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https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-sewing-machine-serial-number-database.html
The ISMACS serial number tables contain dates and models for over ninety six million Singer sewing machine heads manufactured 1850 - 1971.
However, they aren't perfect and some of the gaps have subsequently been filled by other researchers.
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TWO LETTER PREFIX SINGER SERIAL NUMBER TABLES
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https://www.singermachines.co.uk/faq/tell-sewing-machine-age-from-two-letter-serial-number.html
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SMART PHONE FRIENDLY SINGER SERIAL NUMBER TABLES
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https://s-ish.com/dating-information-for-singer-vsms/
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SINGER DOMESTIC MODEL IDENTIFICATION TOOL
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Sandman-Collectibles' Singer Sewing Machine Identification Template is a very handy tool, particularly for Singer sewing machine heads that have no prefix serial numbers.
This identification tool will help identify Singer domestic models 12, 13, 15, 27, 28, 48, 66, 99, 101, 127, 128, 191, 201, 206, 221, 222, 306, and 319 (along with some sub-models thereof).
https://www.sandman-collectibles.com/id-singer-machines.htm
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SINGER CABINETS IDENTIFICATION
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There is a pretty comprehensive collection of Singer cabinets at needlebar dot org:
http://needlebar.org/main/singercabs/index.html
The page for Singer cabinets at ISMACS is good in that it has picks for the various models of domestic Singer sewing machine heads, because not all models of heads fit into all models of cabinets:
https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_sewing_machine_cabinets.html
The British website singersewinginfo also has a good collection of cabinets:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/tables
The cabinet collection at the Singer model 301 site is good in that it has a copy of an old 1960 brochure that shows not only the newer model numbers, but the names, e.g., the Cosmopolitan:
https://www.singer301.com/cabinet/default.html
Knowing a name for a cabinet can be useful in Internet searches, e.g.:
https://millardsewing.com/product/singercosmo1/
This webpage has copies of old Singer illustrations of cabinets:
https://oldsingersewingmachineblog.com/2011/11/20/vintage-singer-cabinets-treadle-bases-and-1929-uk-prices/
Last, but definitely not least, Jim Steel of SteelSewing does a deep dive on the evolution of the model 40 cabinet. He is awesome:
https://steelsewing.blogspot.com/2018/04/four-variations-of-type-40-deluxe.html
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MISCELLANEOUS SINGER SEWING MACHINE LINKS
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A website about 1865-1970 Singer sewing machines, plus information about manuals, cabinets, decals, and factories:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/
A guide for identifying vintage Singer sewing machines from poor pictures:
http://vssmb.blogspot.com/2011/07/visual-guide-to-identifying-singers.html
How to differentiate between a Singer model 66 and 99 (hint: the Singer badge medallion is pinned lower on the upright arm of the 99):
https://oldsingersewingmachineblog.com/tag/difference-between-singer-66k-and-99k/
How to differentiate between a Singer model 15 and 115 (the 15 has two holes in the machine bed near the needle/throat/slide plates; the 115 has three):
http://www.institchessewing.ca/2019/01/06/singer-the-115/
A website created by sewing machine experts David & Lin Best:
http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/
A blog created by now retired sewing machine expert Sid, maintained by a fan:
https://oldsingersewingmachineblog.com/
A very detailed website about the Singer Featherweight machines:
https://singer-featherweight.com/
A very detailed website about the Singer model 301, which Singer introduced in their centennial year (1951), but it also has some information for 400 and 500 series models:
http://www.singer301.com
Some advice for restoration of a Singer model 66-1 (indeed, this blogger has excellent advice about other makes and models of VSMs):
https://pungolivinghome.com/2021/06/17/restoration-of-an-antique-1919-singer-model-66-red-eye-sewing-machine/
Sources for vintage Singer sewing machine parts:
https://www.vintagesingerparts.com/
https://www.singeronline.com/
About Singer's South Bend, Indiana cabinet-making factory:
https://orangebeanindiana.com/2019/06/12/south-bends-singer-sewing-machine-company/
Google Satellite view of the area that once hosted the Kilbowie Singer plant (there is still a railway station called "Singer" on the northeast corner):
Singer
Kilbowie Rd, Clydebank G81 2JN, United Kingdom
https://goo.gl/maps/ckxa4RrU85UBHXHs9
August 1934 aerial photographs of Singer's Kilbowie (Clydebank, Scotland) factory:
https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1257700
https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1257701
https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1257702
https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1257703
https://canmore.org.uk/collection/1257704
A circa 1934 documentary made at Singer's Kilbowie (Clydebank, Glasgow, Scotland) factory:
https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1592
A website for a business that services industrial Singer sewing machines (they also have an extensive collection of parts manuals for both industrial and domestic models of vintage Singer sewing machines):
http://singerco.net
Another good source for parts manuals:
https://www.hendersonsewing.com/default.asp
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SINGER PATENTS FOR THE 300/400/500 FAMILY OF MACHINES
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Below is a corrected text version of a patent label found on the base of a vintage Singer 400 series family machine head (many thanks to AnythingObscure for the nice, clear picture).
Because the patent labels are paper, they're easily damaged, but I believe that I've been able to identify all thirty of the patent numbers by looking at various pictures of similar labels:
########################################################
This sewing machine has exclusive features which are manufactured under issued and pending United States patents, including one or more of the following issued patents:
2,394,510 2,478,551 2,710,949 2,848,963 2,900,940 2,942,564
2,394,511 2,617,375 2,781,012 2,858,785 2,919,667 D-180,373
2,444,826 2,677,042 2,788,759 2,862,468 2,920,593 D-183,390
2.448,500 2,705,055 2,832,302 2,883,953 2,921,545 D-183,404
2,450.837 2,706,956 2,833,235 2,900,938 2,924,120 D-183,405
The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, New Jersey. U. S. A.
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The patents range in date from 1946 through 1960, and can be viewed using the USPTO dot gov interface:
https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/static/pages/landing.html
Here are the Google Patent versions:
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2394510/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2394511/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2444826/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2448500/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2450837/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2478551/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2617375/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2677042/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2705055/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2706956/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2710949/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2781012/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2788759/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2832302/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2833235/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2848963/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2858785/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2862468/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2883953/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2900938/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2900940/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2919667/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2920593/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2921545/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2924120/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2942564/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD180373/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD183390/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD183404/en
https://patents.google.com/patent/USD183405/en
The most interesting ones to me are the oldest, the design patents, and US2832302, which is a patent for a zig-zag mechanism, and the source of legal action in which Singer got spanked by the Supreme Court:
*snip*
United States v. Singer Mfg. Co., 374 U.S. 174 (1963), was a 1963 decision of the Supreme Court, holding that the defendant Singer violated the antitrust laws by conspiring with two European competitors to exclude Japanese sewing machine competition from the US market.[1] Singer effectuated the conspiracy by agreeing with the two European competitors to broaden US patent rights and concentrate them under Sanger's control in order to more effectively exclude the Japanese firms. A further aspect of the conspiracy was to fraudulently procure a US patent and use it as an exclusionary tool. This was the first Supreme Court decision holding that exclusionary use of a fraudulently procured patent could be an element supporting an antitrust claim.[1]
*snip*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Singer_Mfg._Co.