tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post7320095809761676888..comments2023-10-20T08:27:40.314-04:00Comments on male pattern boldness: Sewing Machines and Truth in AdvertisingPeter Lappinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-12165071151428465322012-04-29T23:15:08.899-04:002012-04-29T23:15:08.899-04:00This is why I'm a big fan of the gift certific...This is why I'm a big fan of the gift certificate! LOLPeter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-52974823459535202792012-04-27T11:15:55.391-04:002012-04-27T11:15:55.391-04:00Very late here (catching up on my blog reading), b...Very late here (catching up on my blog reading), but I had a terrible experience with this, one I'm STILL dealing with (in a manner of speaking). <br />When I first got really hooked on sewing, and it was clearly time to move on up from my $99 Walmart special that was, quite literally, falling to pieces in front of me, I asked my husband for a new machine. I wanted to buy from a dealer in town, but he's an ebay fan *and* wanted to surprise me, so I emailed him a few of my must-haves, like wanting a machine with an automatic buttonholer, etc. I ended up with a vintage White machine that my husband insisted was an industrial machine, had none of my must-haves, and - get this - NEEDED A SERVICE. My husband spent $350 on this machine and, after having emailed the seller my list of must-haves, the seller told him I didn't know what I was talking about and that what I had to have was a tough, industrial machine like the one he sold him. *sigh* The machine is still sitting under my sewing table, still in need of its service, and he still brings up the fact that I don't ever use the "industrial" machine he "spent so much money on." I thankfully love the Bernina I got from the local dealer...Birdiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04385906023374225436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-88115787879896878172012-04-05T10:30:20.630-04:002012-04-05T10:30:20.630-04:00Great topic Peter. It feels like people who sew sp...Great topic Peter. It feels like people who sew speak a special language (and no its not bullshitanese;). Thats all I have for this topic. But I was in Barnes & Noble and saw your spread in Vogue and squeaked like a schoolgirl. I felt so proud as if you were a brother. All because I stop by now and then for a taste of sewing passion. Thanks so much Peter.Franceshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06026343033105589597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-3137928461992843092012-04-04T11:56:38.139-04:002012-04-04T11:56:38.139-04:00Heh. That's why I like the proxy bid system t...Heh. That's why I like the proxy bid system that ebay put in. I set a limit and leave it. If someone does a snipe bid and beats my limit, I'm okay with that.geogrrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16935352129240009810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-23988665685980949392012-04-04T02:09:37.605-04:002012-04-04T02:09:37.605-04:00Maybe the listing should have read "Free Sawd...Maybe the listing should have read "Free Sawdust."Peter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-80604711318116241822012-04-03T23:56:16.524-04:002012-04-03T23:56:16.524-04:00>wipes eyes after laughing< At least you did...>wipes eyes after laughing< At least you didn't pay any money for it! That would truly have been insult added to injuries! I guess they added the part about "except for that one gear a bit of sawdust, and a few bare wires" in the Craigslist equivalent of "sotto voce"Sufiyanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-45650569862735605372012-04-03T22:02:14.218-04:002012-04-03T22:02:14.218-04:00I picked up a free sewing machine on the local equ...I picked up a free sewing machine on the local equivalent of Craigslist that was in "excellent condition".<br /><br />Well, I opened it up to clean it and it was FULL OF SAWDUST! It had obviously been stored in a workshop for quite some time. After I cleaned up that mess, I plugged it in and got an electric shock! Then I put my foot on the pedal and heard CLUNK. CLUNK. CLUNK. Turned out that all the gears were metal except for one plastic gear... which was cracked in half. Oh, and I also got a big splinter in my finger from the wooden cabinet!<br /><br />Excellent condition, my arse. She was just too lazy to haul the thing to the recycling depot.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11175728119875214529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-70639821122525753092012-04-03T19:03:19.337-04:002012-04-03T19:03:19.337-04:00Of course you're right, as always Rain. I was ...Of course you're right, as always Rain. I was trying to remember with my one brain cell all the different posts from group members about the 1200. I've only ever seen one in the wild, the seller listed it as a 201 and no convincing her otherwise. I guess my main point was that not all industrials are huge monster machines.Carinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-80765520857940612352012-04-03T18:47:26.065-04:002012-04-03T18:47:26.065-04:00Hi Anna, I sincerely doubt that domestic machines ...Hi Anna, I sincerely doubt that domestic machines were used in factory settings at the turn of the century or in the 20s and 30s, but if you could send me a link to those photos, I'd be happy to correct myself. (Singer produced industrial machines from early on in their history and did an excellent job of connecting with the factories that needed them, which played a large role in their 19th and early 20th century success.) I don't mean to be rude in my contradiction, but I'm taking issue here because statements like this are what sellers will read, believe, and use to bolster their arguments.<br /><br />Peter, I believe it was routine for tailors to use domestic models, as their workflow was considerably different from assembly-line construction. And also, of course, the tailoring profession antedated electricity and industrial motors. Must've been funny to walk into a tailor shop back in the day and see the guy pumping his feet on a treadle.<br /><br />- RainNicholas Rain Noehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12644468824283007784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-205902845129267762012-04-03T18:20:38.731-04:002012-04-03T18:20:38.731-04:00Hi Cari and Peter. Peter, thanks for the link. Car...Hi Cari and Peter. Peter, thanks for the link. Cari, the Singer 1200-1 is in fact a model 201 that was modified at the factory with a knee-operated presser foot, but it was not designed for industrial applications; it was designed for use in tailor shops and mounted in a table known colloquially as the "power table." It was not a treadle; it had a treadle-style pedal connected to a pitman rod that powered the motor through a hanging motor controller, effectively turning what looks like a treadle pedal into a gas pedal.<br /><br />It is important to note that the 1200-1 is not an industrial, nor designed for industrial applications; even the busiest tailor did not work at the pace of a factory worker and the nature of the work was intrinsically different. Thus the 1200-1 is outfitted with the same domestic motor as the 201.<br /><br />Although the 1200-1 is considered numerically rare, I was able to find and purchase two in the tri-state area around NYC. I've heard wildly varying reports on how many of these machines were made, but the truth is that no one really knows; as you pointed out, Cari, because Singer listed them in their records as a 201 (probably because they came off of the same production lines, with the presser-bar modification made at the end) there is no definitive record.<br /><br />- RainNicholas Rain Noehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12644468824283007784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-5276510092458033252012-04-03T18:03:23.130-04:002012-04-03T18:03:23.130-04:00I swear by esnipe.com, myself (he he).I swear by esnipe.com, myself (he he).Peter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-36659678937513281052012-04-03T17:19:48.182-04:002012-04-03T17:19:48.182-04:00Another eBay tip: You can use a sniper service, l...Another eBay tip: You can use a sniper service, like auctionsniper.com that keeps you out of the risks of bidding wars. There is no guarantee, but you can determine the most you are willing to spend, and auctionsniper places your bid 5 or 6 seconds prior to the end of the auction. I love auctionsniper.com, and no I do not work for them.Tacomapathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12464690580618237508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-10111325422823566892012-04-03T16:37:12.806-04:002012-04-03T16:37:12.806-04:00Hello Peter,
New to your blog and love it. In res...Hello Peter, <br />New to your blog and love it. In response to your last reply to Anna, there are Singer factory(industrial) machines same size as domestics. Take the 1200 for example. It's the true "dressmaker" or "seamstress" machine, not the 201 shown in the misleading ad you posted. It is essentially a 201 outfitted for factory use, set in a factory treadle table and having a presser foot knee lift bar. In fact, for many years of production, it's shown in the Singer records as a 201. It wasn't until the last few years it was made that it shows in the records as a 1200. So this can be another reason for uninformed people to make mistakes in listing thier machines.Carinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-65137314990241528422012-04-03T15:55:37.793-04:002012-04-03T15:55:37.793-04:00Exactly. If I'm certain the price is reasonab...Exactly. If I'm certain the price is reasonable, there are times when I've gone straight to the BIN option.geogrrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16935352129240009810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-36038418840025960862012-04-03T12:57:38.972-04:002012-04-03T12:57:38.972-04:00People definitely get caught up in the sport of it...People definitely get caught up in the sport of it, trying to outbid each other. Sometimes "Buy It Now" is a well-priced option. There are sellers who don't want to deal with the uncertainly of auctions and just want a decent price for their item, which may be quite reasonable.Peter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-6638837272019085302012-04-03T12:40:07.160-04:002012-04-03T12:40:07.160-04:00That kind of thing seems to be a function of aucti...That kind of thing seems to be a function of auctions and I've seen it happen more than once in real life as well as ebay. I try to make sure going in that I've got an idea of what kind of money these things usually fetch. I also set myself a limit. I learned those two strategies early on when I attended auctions with my Mom and with my husband.<br /><br />I've auctions where bidding reached a price that far exceeded retail because the people involved were caught up in the bidding war. Same thing on ebay. I've also been at auctions where there were obvious "shills" in the audience, driving the price up.<br /><br />And like you said, I've seen ebay auctions where the final price was far above the price for an identical item listed as BIN.<br /><br />It's very weird.geogrrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16935352129240009810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-74765734597492829252012-04-03T11:25:04.133-04:002012-04-03T11:25:04.133-04:00Oil that machine frequently and enjoy it Ann! She ...Oil that machine frequently and enjoy it Ann! She will serve you well. I've just spent the last three days un-seizing, cleaning and adjusting a 1955 201k i was given on Saturday afternoon. I figured if i couldn't get her going (i have limited experience with the meatier aspects of servicing and repair) then at least i got a nice cabinet out of the freebie. So now i have two working 201's; one an electric foot pedal aluminium model and a 1948 black japanned treadle; they both sew fabulously. Forget about what you paid for the machine and just enjoy the pure delight that it is to sew with a 201. Download the service and repair manual (it's free) and you'll be ready if you need to do any adjustments. :)suziwong66http://www.suziwongcreations.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-52925077810830871802012-04-03T09:27:27.528-04:002012-04-03T09:27:27.528-04:00Peter - Thank you so much for your informative pos...Peter - Thank you so much for your informative post and the link to Rain's. You both really cleared up what I suspected all along. Now I realize there's no reason to buy a "heavy duty" machine. My Bernina will do the same things. Thanks againBarbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06923819162280887272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-88368633451938875142012-04-03T08:50:47.971-04:002012-04-03T08:50:47.971-04:00Ann, there's no reason not to be happy with th...Ann, there's no reason not to be happy with the machine you bought. Singer 201's are wonderful machines and "overpaying" is a very relative term. (Think of how much people spend on camera lenses, for example -- thousands of dollars!) There's no reason to assume that the machine you bought wasn't rebuilt as the seller says. Enjoy your machine -- I'm sure it can tackle curtains beautifully!Peter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-53687875238939847362012-04-03T08:47:10.418-04:002012-04-03T08:47:10.418-04:00Excellent point, Anna! I remember in the "O&...Excellent point, Anna! I remember in the "O'Mast" documentary about Neapolitan tailors, I could have sworn they were using old Singer treadles like the 66, as opposed to industrial machines, in their work.Peter Lappinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109154527996679077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-73858280113090515982012-04-03T08:43:11.338-04:002012-04-03T08:43:11.338-04:00I would also note that old "household" m...I would also note that old "household" models were used in some factories at least back at the turn of the last century, and possibly into the 20s and 30s for manufacturing shirtwaists and similar items. Once in a while a photo of a production room floor will surface and old machines like these will be in use in that context. Obviously, these machines weren't used to manufacture saddlebags, but they were used for lighter weight work. Having an extremely fast machine wasn't as important at the time due to the extremely low wages that were paid to workers. So, there's also the issue of how one defines or contextualizes the whole issue of industrial machines.Annanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-30696832450654820462012-04-02T23:12:32.454-04:002012-04-02T23:12:32.454-04:00Well, I was real happy with my eBay-purchased Sing...Well, I was real happy with my eBay-purchased Singer 201-2 that arrived last Friday from Florida. That is, until I read this. I base my purchase on the number of posts on sewing blogs singing the praises of these machines and their ability to sew jeans, etc. She's alleged to have been rebuilt and purrs like a kitten. I know I overpaid, but I don't know what's a repairable machine and what's not. I paid about $100 more for her than the rusty ones that are seized up in the junk shops out here in So Cal. So does that make me a chump or ignorant or just a woman who saw what she wanted and went for it. I guess I'll find out when I tackle those curtains for the den.<br />Ann in southern californiaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-39748157436159587522012-04-02T22:38:25.371-04:002012-04-02T22:38:25.371-04:00The crazy thing is that people seem to be misled b...The crazy thing is that people seem to be misled by it. A lot of those machines sell for more than ones with accurate information. Another thing that bugs me: if you use the handwheel you can force the needle through just about anything especially on a gear-driven machine,. Yet, its pretty unlikely that a machine with a domestic motor can pierce 8 layers of leather without a lot of help.Sigridhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08946180982433360417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-15380416287155277702012-04-02T22:11:30.286-04:002012-04-02T22:11:30.286-04:00Rain; reason #14 why you are the center of the sew...Rain; reason #14 why you are the center of the sewing universe.Testosteronenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1991166428290808171.post-25972298346050584342012-04-02T21:59:58.829-04:002012-04-02T21:59:58.829-04:00SOME EBay sellers know exactly what they are listi...SOME EBay sellers know exactly what they are listing and do inflate their prices to match their descriptions (and dupe their buyers). See this lovely Rocketeer with all its barely visible samples -http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Heavy-duty-Singer-500J-sewing-machine-sew-up-8-layers-Jeans-/330707616331?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cffb5c24b)<br />There used to be a great open forum - needlebar.org - which had a huge gallery of vintage machines. Apparently its owner got tired of EBay and other sellers swiping his pictures and other information and has virtually closed his site down. <br />OT -I had posted a picture of my FW knockoff, complete with wooden extension table there. According to his terms and conditions, he now owns that image?kellymisty (KM)noreply@blogger.com