Cast Iron Singers so sad!!!
The original cast iron Singer Sewing Machine was one of the finest machines of any kind ever built. It was virtually indestructible and capable of performing smoothly for decades. The only flaw it had was a poorly designed bobbin. By the early part of the 20th Century, the Singer company feared it had built it's machines TOO well. They were beginning to be passed down to the children and grandchildren of the original owners, still working fine. The company feared they were in danger of saturating the market. So, they designed newer, snazzier, flimsier models with an improved bobbin design and built-in features that were designed to break in a few years. They then instituted a buy-back policy for their original machines. Once the old machines were traded in, they were hauled out to the local dump and smashed with sledgehammers to keep them off the market. That's what it took to destroy a cast iron Singer....Debbie Shinn