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"Blacksides" - Singer Featherweights

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    Posted 13 years ago

    Pam-and-J.…
    (45 items)

    We began this collection of Singer Featherweights - "Blackside Editions" with the hope of gifting each, to one of our "5" daughters. That collection is now complete! "3" are of the earlier "July 1st, 1941" production run and "2" are from the post WW II period "Sept. 19th, 1945" run. We are now in the process "accessoring" each, with "Blackside" attachments, bobbins, etc.... We find this unique variation of the Featherweight, just Charming.... (Thanks to "Darla Trenner" for the expert guidance!)

    ps. A few of our other 221's are pictured "inside" the cabinet - more on those, later....
    Pam & J.C.

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    Comments

    1. officialfuel officialfuel, 13 years ago
      One of the finest collections I have ever seen.
    2. Savoychina1 Savoychina1, 13 years ago
      Outstanding. Looking forward to seeing more of your collection.
    3. Pam-and-J.C.Elliott Pam-and-J.C.Elliott, 13 years ago
      Thank you so much for the kind comments. We appreciate it.
      Truth be told, of the Featherweights we do have, one, the first my wife purchased in the late '80's, a Pre-War II 1936 model, is her most prized, most worn, has pieced the most quilts, & is her absolute favorite!
    4. P. Lappin, 13 years ago
      I have a pre-WW II Singer 221K I'd like to know where to go to get its worth. Any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. It is in great shape!

      Thanks.
    5. J.C. Elliott, 13 years ago
      P. Lappin,
      There are many - many variations , even in the Pre-War II Singer Featherweights. Their value is determined by rarity, desirability, completeness, & condition.
      Can you tell us more about yours?
    6. toolate2 toolate2, 13 years ago
      Such cool machines! Are you guys still using these?
    7. J.C. Elliott, 13 years ago
      Certainly! They're all in fine running condition...My wife Pam uses a '37 221-1 at home for piecing quilt tops and a '35 at the quilt store. She prfers the "Pre-War" machines.
      Thanks for the comment!
      J.C.
    8. P. Lappin, 13 years ago
      Thanks for responding. First I'd like to correct my initial statement that this machine is a pre-WWII machine. I don't know. I bought it in 1951 in Baytown, Texas - new. I really don't see much about the machine to further describe it. There is quite a lot of information on the Motor in the way of Serial numbers, etc., but not much on the machine itself, other than the identifying Singer logo, .etc. In one place it does say St. Johns P.O., and another Made in Canada. What kind of more information would help to identify it?
    9. J.C. Elliott, 13 years ago
      The serial # will tell us much. It is located on the bottom of the machine starting with "2" Letters e.g., AG 92xxx. Other features might be a descitption of what is on the "badge", does the case have a tray, are the bed decals in good condition?, etc...
    10. P. Lappin, 13 years ago
      "continued" from recent comment. Maybe the motor info would be helpful in identifying this machine of mine. Cat CAJ6-8; 110-120 volts; 0.4 amp; 24-75 cyc & DC; SSAU61-11-8. I no longer have the Instruction Book, but do have the Button Hole attachment instruction book and the attachment.
      It is a little beauty of a machine. I've used it very little. I worked all my life and my job was all consuming - so I had very little "spare time", but I held onto the machine for "someday". Now that "someday" is here and I bought one of the newer - do everything machines. I'm not ready to give this machine up, but am interested in its value. I recently took the machine in to be cleaned, oiled, etc., just a routine check-up and had a tough time getting it back. It was declared "lost" - but I perservered, and did finally get the machine returned - and that was the second time I had this occur - in different shops. Just got me to wondering.
      Thanks.
    11. cis2you cis2you, 13 years ago
      go to the Singer website. They have a history of serial numbers matching where the machines were built and when.
      To my way of thinking, Featherweights are the greatest. I have two and I am not a quilter!!
    12. P. Lappin, 13 years ago
      On the bottom of my Singer Featherweight there are the following numbers:

      ES6577253

      SIMANCO

      45855

      457728 23

      HGL
      3
    13. Breadmaker, 13 years ago
      Replying to P.Lappin, you seem to have too many numbers in the serial number so eliminating one of the 7's,in ES6577253 and using ES657253, I have the following:
      ES- 648144 658143 221K 10000 May 15 1961
      On the Singer site all ES models seem to have been made 1960 and later.
    14. braprut, 13 years ago
      Priceless. I'm in search for the blackside face plate too. You are lucky to have 5 of them.
    15. Pam-and-J.C.Elliott Pam-and-J.C.Elliott, 13 years ago
      Thanks for your comments,
      We've been fortunate in acquiring the pieces to our group...there are many more "Rare" "Scarce", & "one-of-a-kinds" out there!
    16. Pam-and-J.C.Elliott Pam-and-J.C.Elliott, 12 years ago
      The "5" Blacksides" have now found their new homes with our daughters. The girls arrived from around the country to celebrate their Mother's Birthday and Mom's Day, assembled "Burrito Pillowcases", ate much, had a "Sleepover" and a movie, and left with their machines, hopefully to pass on to another generation!
    17. Dinatale, 3 years ago
      I have a 1941 blackside Featherweight with silver decals. The Singer on the lamp shade and on the back of the arm are also silver. How many Featherweights had silver decals and were Featherweights the only machines with silver decals?
    18. keramikos, 3 years ago
      Hi, Dinatale. :-)

      I wonder whether the decals on your featherweight were damaged through improper cleaning. Gold decals turned silver is unfortunately a not uncommon mishap.

      *snip*

      If the clearcoat has worn off or been removed from your Featherweight machine, and your decals are exposed, be very gentle with any cleaning and waxing around the decals, or avoid them as much as possible. Exposed decals can sometimes be the wild card depending on what they have been exposed to over the years. If the decals are silver, the machine has no clearcoat left in that area, so proceed very carefully. A light coat of wax, however, will help to keep them from diminishing further but too much friction from rubbing too hard isn’t good either. You need to find a happy medium in being gentle but still giving it a good wax to protect it.

      *snip*

      https://singer-featherweight.com/blogs/schoolhouse/cleaning-and-polishing

      Here are replacement decal sets for Featherweights, but they're all gold:

      https://singer-featherweight.com/search?q=waterslide+decals

      It still would be interesting to read what Pam-and-J.C.Elliott have to say on the subject.
    19. keramikos, 3 years ago
      Hmmm, this purveyor sells silver decal sets for several different Singer models:

      https://www.singerdecals.com/singer-201-sewing-machine-waterslide-restoration-decals-silver/

      However, one of the silver decal sets they offer for the Featherweights is based on a model 66:

      https://www.singerdecals.com/custom-singer-221-featherweight-decals-for-restorations-filigree-design-silver/
    20. Dinatale, 3 years ago
      At first I thought the decals were worn but then I noticed the Singer name is painted silver.
    21. keramikos, 3 years ago
      Dinatale, I'm not sure that I understand what you mean by the Singer name being painted silver.

      If you're talking about the Singer name that appears in the middle of the horizontal arm, that's a decal, or it was originally.

      See a worker removing the decal transfer materials here at around the 17:33 mark in the circa 1934 documentary made at Singer's Kilbowie/Clydebank factory:

      https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1592

      Or are you talking about something else?
    22. Dinatale, 3 years ago
      Yes, I realize the Singer on the lamp shade and horizontal arm are decals. I was just trying to explain that all the markings are silver. I've taken photos and will post those soon.
    23. keramikos, 3 years ago
      Dinatale, OK, that would be best. :-)
    24. keramikos, 3 years ago
      FWIW, the Singer Featherweight site offers three different varieties of decal sets for Featherweights:

      https://singer-featherweight.com/search?q=waterslide+decals

      There are two basic patterns (Celtic Knot, and Paperclip), but the Celtic Knot decal set for 1937-1953 Featherweights is available in Gold, Silver, Gold/Silver, and Black:

      https://singer-featherweight.com/products/decals-gold-celtic-knot-style-1937-1953?variant=12262066978908

      So it does appear that Featherweights produced 1937-1953 might have come in a variety of different colored decals.

      How many were produced with silver decals, I don't know. Hopefully, Pam-and-J.C.Elliott will weigh in on this, as they are the experts.
    25. JTodd89 JTodd89, 1 year ago
      https://www.facebook.com/groups/744634088944400/permalink/8358395684234831/?mibextid=apRVKm

      Check out my post 1942 singer 15-@1 “Blackside”

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