Household SM Co.
 

My dear, sweet hubby, who always says I have too many machines, just walked through the door with a head made by the Household SM Co. of Providence, RI. It is a fiddle base with the bobbin and shuttle still in it. Two numbers stamped on it: 89389. And 126389. I will post pics as soon as my camera is returned. Anyone have any info on it? The first paten on it is from 1874 and the last one from 1882, so I am assuming it is very old...
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Wow its beautiful!

Linda,

Your Household is from the 1880s. It takes a 13x1 or Boye #2 needle. The 13x1 needle is unusual in that the flat is on the same side as the long groove, where a normal needle has the long groove on the front with the flat on the back. You still thread it from the long groove side.

Hope that this helps some,
Cathy

Cathy,
Thanks! Are 13x1 needles still available? DH just oiled it and it is moving smoothly.

Linda,

You can PM me. They can also be found on eBay, but make sure the seller does know what he is selling.

Cathy

Hi Linda-
I have a Household treadle too. My DH and I picked it up at an estate sale last year, in a nice cabinet with a "coffin top" on it. I found some history on the company, mostly that they went broke because they had a contract to make 1000's of rifles for a war (Spanish-American?) and were never paid for them. Like Mizkaki said, they take Boye #2 needles (I find them on Ebay occasionally) and the shuttle bobbin is a Boye #1. I haven't got to play with mine a lot yet, since it's at our other house in northern Wyoming ( I have two treadles here that I play with). There is a Househhold treadle in a cabinet on Ebay right now if you wanted to get a look at what the cabinet looks like. It's amazing what a new belt and some sewing machine oil will do for these wonderful old machines! Have fun!!!

very nice, turning green with envy here...

What a beautiful machine!!