how do vintage sewing machines compare to new ones? im looking to buy a machine to replace the one I have and I am unsure which to buy. can anyone recommend something? also, can anyone recommend places to go to in NYC for sewing machines, either new or vintage? thanks!
no surprise here, i go for vintage. i like that they are incredibly sturdy and well made (all metal)-- super-machines that you can fix yourself without worry of messing up computers or breaking plastic parts... you'd have to do some serious wrenching to break these. but i've always liked opening things up and seeing how they work.
my featherweight dates from the 40s, and my singer 403A slant-o-matic from the 50's. both run like new. i got the 403A at an estate sale, it had sat in a corner since the day it was bought, never used, never oiled, looked HORRIBLE. i cleaned it up and oiled it (and through a very kind gesture even got some cool parts for it)-- and the first time i ran it, it gave a beautiful even stitch like it had never sat under a 5 inch coating of 50 years of dust.
i search craigslist for vintage machines-- just put "sewing" in the search box on the main oage, as many people don't know what category to put them under :)
whichever way you go, i hope you find what you're looking for!
OOOOH, my favourite topic, I should tell you upfront that I am an avowed fan of vintage machines over any new machine you can get for the same price, and often, even more expensive new machines. In general, machines by Bernina, Elna, and HusqvarnaViking from about the mid-80's and older are built like tanks (and seem about as heavy! Go to the store in a car!). The all-metal Singers from the 50's and earlier are excellent- but bear in mind these will likely only do straightstitch, though you can get attachments to make them do buttonholes and zigzag. I have not owned a plastic, 60's-and-later era machine but have heard that while they were good in their day, they have plastic gears inside that are now, of course, 30+ years old and starting to break, without replacements being easily available.
You might want to have a look at the machine reviews on www.patternreview.com ; many people who have older machines have written reviews of them so you can get a feel for what are the good models to go for.
I personally have a Husqvarna 2000-series (model 6020) from 1972-ish that I would not part with. I have a Singer 15-91 from 1954 or so that I LOOOVE. I just picked up a Bernina Nova 900 from 1983 and don't know much about it, but I got it at a yard sale for $10 and took a chance because to my knowledge Berninas are never duds (well you know unless somebody abused it of course), and it seems really good so far.
With ANY machine, you want to be able to try it out first, taking along samples of the kinds of fabrics you will want to be sewing. If you know anyone who has an older sewing machine, ask if you can try theirs out for an afternoon. You might even find that someone like a mom or female relative has a machine in a cupboard that you can try out- and its not unheard-of for people to offer to let you keep a machine that they aren't using on an extended loan...
Another point to think about is the kind of feet the machine uses. If you get a low shank machine with screw-on feet (the dealer will be able to tell you if a given machine is of this type) you will be able to buy generic feet for it. My Husqvarna and Singer machines are both lowshank and can take the generic feet. Bernina feet are generally more costly...
I have a 1953 Singer given to me by a kind old quilter who was shocked that I hand pieced a quilt. I really like that it does it's straight stitches perfectly and that I've been able to repair it when a belt broke. I also like that it's pedal isn't on the floor; instead it's attached inside the cabinet so that you use your outer thigh to control it. I love that the cabinet has an extended table to hold gowns and longer pieces, but at the same time dislike that the cabinet is so low (I'm 5'10" so i have to slouch to get under there and see my work) and that I can't slip a sleeve around the machine like in newer models since the machine is flush with the cabinet. I dislike that it doesn't do zigzag stitches or buttonholes and that the pedal can be a little finicky. I'd love to get a newer old machine that does zigzag's and buttonholes, but is still a workhorse like my Singer. Any suggestions would be great! Tried to upload a picture but it didn't work. Will attempt to put the pic on my profile.
Thank you so much! I took your advice and got myself a vintage machine. I found it on craigslist so I was able to go to the persons home and try it out before. It sews amazing! Its a Singer Stylist 416 in a table for $100. more than I wanted to spend but it came with the table too which I needed. I had really nothing to sew on before, having to sew on my coffee table hunched over which killed my back and made me not want to sew. I feel like with this machine, itll be impossible to break and Ill want to sew all the time now!
Hi everyone,
Good work starrgirl, that sounds fabulous. I would love to see a photo of it on your profile!?
And for all the vintage sewing machine lovers out there, I thought I would share some links:
http://zigzaggers.typepad.com/zigzaggers/
http://needlebar.org/
http://www.ismacs.net/
POSTS (5)
no surprise here, i go for vintage. i like that they are incredibly sturdy and well made (all metal)-- super-machines that you can fix yourself without worry of messing up computers or breaking plastic parts... you'd have to do some serious wrenching to break these. but i've always liked opening things up and seeing how they work.
my featherweight dates from the 40s, and my singer 403A slant-o-matic from the 50's. both run like new. i got the 403A at an estate sale, it had sat in a corner since the day it was bought, never used, never oiled, looked HORRIBLE. i cleaned it up and oiled it (and through a very kind gesture even got some cool parts for it)-- and the first time i ran it, it gave a beautiful even stitch like it had never sat under a 5 inch coating of 50 years of dust.
i search craigslist for vintage machines-- just put "sewing" in the search box on the main oage, as many people don't know what category to put them under :) whichever way you go, i hope you find what you're looking for!
OOOOH, my favourite topic, I should tell you upfront that I am an avowed fan of vintage machines over any new machine you can get for the same price, and often, even more expensive new machines. In general, machines by Bernina, Elna, and HusqvarnaViking from about the mid-80's and older are built like tanks (and seem about as heavy! Go to the store in a car!). The all-metal Singers from the 50's and earlier are excellent- but bear in mind these will likely only do straightstitch, though you can get attachments to make them do buttonholes and zigzag. I have not owned a plastic, 60's-and-later era machine but have heard that while they were good in their day, they have plastic gears inside that are now, of course, 30+ years old and starting to break, without replacements being easily available.
You might want to have a look at the machine reviews on www.patternreview.com ; many people who have older machines have written reviews of them so you can get a feel for what are the good models to go for.
I personally have a Husqvarna 2000-series (model 6020) from 1972-ish that I would not part with. I have a Singer 15-91 from 1954 or so that I LOOOVE. I just picked up a Bernina Nova 900 from 1983 and don't know much about it, but I got it at a yard sale for $10 and took a chance because to my knowledge Berninas are never duds (well you know unless somebody abused it of course), and it seems really good so far.
With ANY machine, you want to be able to try it out first, taking along samples of the kinds of fabrics you will want to be sewing. If you know anyone who has an older sewing machine, ask if you can try theirs out for an afternoon. You might even find that someone like a mom or female relative has a machine in a cupboard that you can try out- and its not unheard-of for people to offer to let you keep a machine that they aren't using on an extended loan...
Another point to think about is the kind of feet the machine uses. If you get a low shank machine with screw-on feet (the dealer will be able to tell you if a given machine is of this type) you will be able to buy generic feet for it. My Husqvarna and Singer machines are both lowshank and can take the generic feet. Bernina feet are generally more costly...
I have a 1953 Singer given to me by a kind old quilter who was shocked that I hand pieced a quilt. I really like that it does it's straight stitches perfectly and that I've been able to repair it when a belt broke. I also like that it's pedal isn't on the floor; instead it's attached inside the cabinet so that you use your outer thigh to control it. I love that the cabinet has an extended table to hold gowns and longer pieces, but at the same time dislike that the cabinet is so low (I'm 5'10" so i have to slouch to get under there and see my work) and that I can't slip a sleeve around the machine like in newer models since the machine is flush with the cabinet. I dislike that it doesn't do zigzag stitches or buttonholes and that the pedal can be a little finicky. I'd love to get a newer old machine that does zigzag's and buttonholes, but is still a workhorse like my Singer. Any suggestions would be great! Tried to upload a picture but it didn't work. Will attempt to put the pic on my profile.
Thank you so much! I took your advice and got myself a vintage machine. I found it on craigslist so I was able to go to the persons home and try it out before. It sews amazing! Its a Singer Stylist 416 in a table for $100. more than I wanted to spend but it came with the table too which I needed. I had really nothing to sew on before, having to sew on my coffee table hunched over which killed my back and made me not want to sew. I feel like with this machine, itll be impossible to break and Ill want to sew all the time now!
Hi everyone, Good work starrgirl, that sounds fabulous. I would love to see a photo of it on your profile!? And for all the vintage sewing machine lovers out there, I thought I would share some links: http://zigzaggers.typepad.com/zigzaggers/ http://needlebar.org/ http://www.ismacs.net/