Vintage Japanese 'Badged' Zig Zag and Straight Sew Sewing Machines
 

A really cool Fabri-mate - 1.5 amp motor - sweet zz and straight stitches!
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The Fabri-mate has a dedicated left hand needle. When you straight stitch the needle is on the left. It is a good solid machine - very quiet - well made.

I have a Good Houskeeper Zig Zag with needle settings LRC. This one has a good motor, good solid machine - well built. I really like the big stitches it makes.
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Some were made for Kenmore. This is like one my Grandma got one summer - must have cost about $39 new.
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New Home - very basic - this one is in bad shape and will be for parts
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Montgomery Ward - very simple well made machine - JC Penny and other department stores had their own 'badged' machine as well.
Picture heavy here - I'll post more in a while.

New Home is another sewing machine badge I have seen a lot. This machine looks like it might be ok but inside is a mess.
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I have also seen some just zz White machines - this one has some plastic parts - the top and nose plate - both have no way to stay on the machine
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I like what it says:
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This machine is very cool - but it only does straight and zz
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Oh I had the wrong picture - this is also on the White sewing machine
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And another fancy machine that just does ZZ
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I think that gold one is a Good Housekeeper

I think these are very fun to look at. I hope you enjoy and I hope you post yours on here, too. Any information is always fun and helpful.

the elusive Montgomery Ward ZZer
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Vogue Stitch
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This machine is one my boss owns - it is only straight stitch - very nice machine and willing to sew anything - he loves to sew costumes for plays.
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Sewmor machines make a very nice straight stitch and come in a variety of styles
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Another Sewmor in a different style
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Those Sewmor machines are not 15 clones because of the tension on the front they are straight stitch only. The gray one has a drop in bobbin like a Singer 66 - the blue one is like a clone except for the tension on the front

When I got the gray machine it was totally brown. I keep cleaning more stuff off it all the time - I think it wants to be petted or something. It turns so well - nice machine.

I'm not sure how to count this straight stitching Singer 293 - I'm betting it was made in Japan - the blue Sewmor is very much like this machine - but the 293 threads from right to left like a Featherweight.
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Brother Model 280
 

It amazes me what a beating those old machines will take and then come out running like a champ - you can not say as much for the plastic wonders of the age of GREEN... LOL

Methinks gonna learn something new. A lot of new. Only one I thinks I gots is a silver kenmore. Weighs a ton and purs like a kitten when it is sewing along. No wait, there is a New home and I think my favorite one is a Janome, badged, not sure. Still have not figured out how to post pics though. Might try to for this. Thanks Miriam.

I am so enjoying looking at your pics! I can't post any because all of my vintage machines are Singers. Thanks for doing this thread!

Caroline,

I've never seen a yellow rubber band belt. Is it good or cracked and rotted?
That poor machine, why people let their sewing machines get in such condition is beyond me. They make wonderful things on clean material with filthy machines and somehow expect the end products to be nice and clean too. Amazing logic.

Joe

Some of those old Japanese machines turn better than the old Singers. Singer had a better reputation at the time. I think there was a lot of prejudice against Japan because of the war. Any you might look to see if any of your Singer machines were made in Japan. I'm not sure about the 293 - I will look at it some more today. Last night I pulled pics off my archives to post. Somewhere think I had a pic of a pretty pink Brother zz machine.

Joe, a lot of women smoked and sewed at the same time. When those machines go into storage, they don't age any better than the women who were smoking. Some times storage is what gets the machine looking bad, - the foot control rattling around scratches up the whole thing pretty bad. So sad.

Well, if Miriam is going to show off her SEWMOR 404 I'll show mine too:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...backathome.jpg
This is the black version. SS only of course and one of my favorite machines.
Other than the decals and badge that says:
NEW YORK
"Sewmore
MODEL 404
MADE IN JAPAN
there is no other markings on this machine.

Joe

Oh, and with the exception of the stitch length regulator which is reminiscent of the Singer Model 15, the SEWMOR 404 is pure Singer 66 underneath.

Joe

I think the gray Sewmor is a 303

I am sure that the machine had not been used for years and sat in a garage for a very long time. It is possible that the previous owner gave up on it because when I first test drove her the top thread kept breaking. I finally figured out it was likely the ZZ stitch plate which had lots of jagged edges from needle strikes. Got a new one yesterday from the OSMG and solved the problem.

As for the yellow belt, I should have mentioned it in my post. I have never seen one either but it is in perfect shape. I am thinking the the original one was white as the bobbin tire is white. It will have to be replaced as it is hard, dry and has a flat spot on it. Too bad it will be a black one, can't find bobbin tires in any color other than black.

I can't see the badge clearly in your pic, but the one I took in August is readable and says 404.

Joe

Bobbin tires are like Ford Model T's. You can have any color you want as long as it's black.

Joe

your camera serves better than my feeble memory.

hurray for reverse stitches!

Oh Yeah! I've been toying with an idea I haven't told anyone about yet. Since I like the Singer 66 but prefer a back tack or reverse, and the 66s with a back tack don't have a stitch length lock, I've been thinking about putting a SEWMOR 404 in a treadle.

Not my black one, cos it works great and I don't wanna take a chance on messing something up.

Joe

Sewmor Model 606
 

Sewmor 606 straight stitch, serial number S30828. This is a mystery machine as to who made it. There are not any JA numbers stamped on the underside. The motor is a Dayson Power Motor, 115V/.05 HP.

First, my favorite, a 1977 Kenmore 158.13571, recently gifted to my son's family:
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Next, another Kenmore, model 158.351 (had to have a pink one :D
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and the last of my vintage zigzags, my mother's White model 1563, sn 3885. This machine includes manual, attachments, and complete set of cams for "fancy" stitches.
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Caroline,

You better keep that SEWMOR 606 away from me. I'll stick it up under my shirt and make off with it. It's a perfect match to my S M 404.

Joe