According to Bruce L. Bergman :
On Wed, 7 Nov 2007 17:12:09 -0800, "SteveB" wrote:
"DoN. Nichols" wrote...
Interestingly enough, I use my little Singer 221B (folding
portable) occasionally for sewing leather, and it works quite well for
the task.
[ ... ]
The Featherweight is a great little machine, Mom found several in
her wanderings - in some ways she Out-Gunner'd Gunner by a mile. ;-)
Mine came from a dealer at an antique dealer cluster. He was a
dealer in clocks, and I happened to notice the black box with a carrying
handle, and ask what it was. (It looked like it might do as a case for
a small button accordion, and I was buying concertinas and the
occasional button accordion in those days.) Well ... I decided that it
might prove useful, and bought it for a quite reasonable amount. It
turns out that he had bought it for his wife when they got married or
not too long afterwards. Then, she never used it, and he used it only
to repair his Masonic regalia a time or two. His wife was no longer
with us, and he decided that he had no more need for it, so that is why
he was selling it. By now, I presume that he, also, is no longer with
us, as I am now about the age he was when he sold it.
Walks in with a Ridgid #2 pipe cutter in pristine condition ($160),
and she had the balls to say "It was $2 - did I pay too much?"
Nice! My wife finds tools for me on eBay -- but she doesn't
*pay* for them. :-)
(Good night Mrs. Bergman, wherever you are.)
The one I grabbed to see "which model is he talking about..." was
the sole 221K White (Made in Great Britain) she had. There's at least
two each of the Green and Black variety around here somewhere. But I
won't say where here is, in case there are any rabid quilt makers
waiting to mug me for a sewing machine.
Mine is black, with some gold decorative trim over the black
enamel.
I had to go back to the bedroom to check mine. I apparently
mis-remembered. It is a "221-", but whatever character follows the '-'
is hiding under the head of a drive screw. It might be a 'G' or an 'O',
or perhaps anything else. I guess the 'B' came from Sherlock Holmes'
address -- 221B Baker street. :-)
FWIW -- the serial number (if this helps any) is "AM402355", and
the copyright date in the manual is 1955. Can that serial number refine
the date of manufacture any better than that? It appears to have the
full standard set of accessories -- as well as *two* of the buttonhole
attachments.
So -- I should guard mine against raids by quilters?
(Satire Alert - put down the Mountain Dew before reading further,
unless you want a good excuse to go buy a new monitor.)
Remember The Rules: Guys don't make clothing - and we sure as HELL
don't make matching His And Hers outfits - matter of fact it's your
sacred duty under the Man Code to burn anything resembling them if
found, and never allow yourself to be seen in public in same. :-P
:-)
But we are allowed to repair holes and ripped out inseams in work
clothes, and hem our Levis and Carhartts, make sails and spray covers
and light covers and shifter boots and upholstery, and do other Guy
Things with a sewing machine. It still qualifies as a Power Tool, but
only when used properly. ;-)
Aside from using it to stitch up the leather thumbstraps for
English system concertinas, I've used it for various repairs of everyday
clothing -- including repairing what my niece calls a "blowout" (the
rear seam of the pants). :-)
Oh yes -- also to put blood red buttonholes on the red-lined
black vampire cape prior to some Halloween in the past -- since I got
married.
Oh yes -- and I have to do all the sewing in the house, since my
wife just won't do that kind of thing. :-)
Enjoy,
DoN.
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