Gibraltar
This is a Japanese "branded" machine. Manufacturers in Japan produced any number of varying items following the Second World War for export to the United States. High on that list were sewing machines. A manufacturer would produce a machine and then "brand" them under a separate name. For these machines it is often impossible to search the history of the manufacturer for the machine was given a brand completely separate from the maker.
A Gibraltar is such a machine. Most like circa 1950 from the design.
I found this machine in near perfect condition. It was sitting in the front room of a home displayed in the window.
The owner explained it was her mother's and remembers sewing with it at a verry early age. She never completely took up sewing but kept the machine following her mother passing. Apparently her mother won the machine from a local sewing machine shop in a raffle!
Singer Red Eye Treadle
I answered an ad online a drove about an hour to see my first treadle machine that I wanted to restore. I arrived to find a young lady waiting for me with the machine in the cabinet on her driveway. After having looked closely, I informed her it was in major disrepair and not worth my effort for the price asked. She understood and told me if I wanted I could have the machine for free.
She had bought the machine for her grandmother who was living in Mexico at the time and taking sewing classes. Her grandmother was preparing to emigrate to San Diego and her granddaughter had bought the machine for her to use once she relocate. Unfortunately her grandmother had passed away before all this could take place.
Singer Red Eye Treadle (Cont'd)
This was my first attempt to restore a complete treadle machine and cabinet and spent quite a bit of time on the project. Once finished, I placed and ad and a woman from San Diego, near the Mexico border, purchased it. She learned on a treadle and wanted another . She had worked as a seamstress for nearly 30 years and is now making her own clothes again. I think the circle had been completed.
SINGER SPHINX CLONE (Cont'd)
I answered an ad online for this machine and drove up to the garage to meet a young man. This machine was given to him by his grandfather. It was his grandmother's who had recently passed. My wife has her grandmother's machine with this Singer Sphinx design. That machine dates to 1906. This machine looked similar, yet somehow different. To me, it appeared to have never been used and was in pristine shape. I first notice it had no serial number stamped on the base. The carrying cabinet was in beautiful condition, yet seemed much lighter that Singer cases of this type and the wood seemed of a different quality.
I purchased the machine and headed home to do more research online. I quickly found out that it was not an original Singer product but a "clone" from roughly 1980. I did find a serial number tag on the underside of the machine beginning with the letters NT. This serial number may mean that it was made in Taiwan. These "clones" were perhaps made in Taiwan, China, or even India from 1970 to the early 2000s.
I didn't mind that it was not an original Singer product. It was in beautiful condition. I needed to order a foot pedal and after it arrived it sewed perfectly.
SINGER SPHINX CLONE (Cont'd)
I post many of my machines and projects to online forum groups for vintage sewing machines. I gather quite a lot of information and help from these groups on my projects. Most comments are positive. Some are more critical. Many of the comments following the posting of this machine were positive. And some weren't. Basically, the major question was on the price I was asking. You can see from the pics, taken where I was displaying the machine at a local antique market, the price I originally asked. Why so much? It's not an original. These machines are poorly made and don't sew well. Some even commented they had bought a similar machine for far less.
I needed to ask myself what was the worth of the machine?
At this same market, as I was sitting at my booth, I saw a young women in the booth next to mine turn and stare toward the machine. She walked over to the machine and reached out to touch it. I approached her and asked if I can be of any help. I then notice tears forming in her eyes and she began to gentle weep. She said, "My grandmother had a machine just like this one. It reminds me of her."
Now I ask you, what is the worth of this machine?
calada and universal
I advertised both of these machines for sale at one price to include a cabinet that fit each machine. After receiving no replies I then advertised these machines for free. Over 100 people replied to this ad! The response was so great that it overwhelmed the chat messenger service and locked me out from replying to any message. I then thought that the only way out of this mess was to delete the ad.
Doing that not only deleted the ad but all of my messages. One person contacted me outside of the add messaging system and I was able to contact him and give him both machines and the cabinet. He was affiliated with a non profit group that sews childrens shoes for distribution in Africa and Mexico and desperately need more sewing machines for upcoming orders.