Help me identify this Singer
 

A co-worker has a Singer in a cabinet that she says her dad brought home about 1950-51. she says it's black and the serial # is JC719092 I haven't seen it and she's not sure of the weight. From her description it doesn't sound like a Featherweight?? She does say it only sews a straight stitch. She'd like to replace it with a newer model that has zigzag and some other features. I'm interested in a Featherweight and told her I'd buy it if it was one. I can't find any website that shows what this really is. Thanks for your help.

ISMACS http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...l-numbers.html doesn't show JC. J would date it to 1905 or so. AJ would be the right time frame but the machine would be a 52, which sound like a pure industrial of one form or the other.

My 15-91 has a serial number of JC434333. It was manufactured in 1948 and has a centennial badge. The Singer website says JC was manufactured in 1948 but doesn't give any info about type of machine.

Lyncat, thanks. It's always good to have an idea of the limits of a resource.

Thank you both! This gets me started. I'm guessing it more likely that is was made in late 1940's as that jives with what she told me. Gives me a place to start. I'm guessing not a featherweight, darn it!

According to some sites I visited, JC serial numbers came out of a factory at St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. One site said the JC dates were 1948-1954 and a different site said 1948-1959. I was unable to find anything that correlates a specific serial number to a specific model. Please let us know what model it is when you find out.

It's definitely not a Featherweight, as the 221s were only produced at Singer's Elizabethport, NJ factory (serial number starting with "A-") and the UK's Kilbowie factory (serial number starting with "E-".) Anytime you have a serial number with a two-letter prefix beginning with "J-," that means it was built at Singer's Canadian factory in Quebec.

I'm going to guess it's a model 15, as Singer's Quebec plant seems to have produced a lot of those. If it's a 15-91 those are a dime-a-dozen, but if it's a 15-90--distinguished by the belt-driving motor, as opposed to the potted motor of the 15-91--you may want to snap that up, as they're not very common in the 'States. The model 15-90 has all the benefits of the 15-91 (vertical hook, FMQ) with the added convenience of being easily able to convert to treadle.

The site below says it was made in 1948. Hope they help! Post and let me know, please.:thumbup:

http://www.singerco.com/support/machine-serial-numbers/double-letter

http://www.tandtrepair.com/Singer221/221LGR.pdf---says it is a FW:St Johns, Canada machines JB 1945 to1948
JC 1948 to 1959JD 1959 to 1963

Maybe you could call Singer for some info...