Hello all!
I very recently sent an email to
www.singersewinginfo.co.uk because I bought a Singer Fashion Mate 237 (and a 239, different seller) off eBay. Most of the manuals I came across showed a knob switch on the front of the machine, below the stitch length lever. The one I purchased does not have that. I am usually interested in the history of vintage purchases and noticing this difference intrigued me. I saw a manual on their site and emailed to inquire. I also asked about where the 237 was made, and sent a picture of a label on the machine that says "Made in France". Here is part of the reply, from Judy:
"It doesn’t state the machine was made in France. That only refers to the motor. You need to look at the serial number under the machine. It has 2 letters followed by a 6 digit number. If the first letter is 'M' then it was made in Italy. If it starts with an 'S' then it was made in France.
Where machines were made is a matter of debate. For example the main body may have been cast and machined in Germany, then sent to Italy to be assembled with other parts such as a motor made in France etc. Often for tax reasons they would make 90% of a machine in one place and then send it to another for the last 10% to be completed, so they could claim it was made in the final country.
Where machines were made is of no significance. They often made the same models in several places and they would all have been identical. However not all machines of the same Class are the same, even if made in the same place because most classes had sub-versions with optional features or changes over time."
Since my machines are in transit to me, I wont see the SN's until they arrive. The label's on the motors lead some people to believe their machine is from a certain place. As I wondered. I have read in several places online to use the SN, but still had a little confusion. Of course, newer machines do not have the external motor. Not to mention, finding more descriptive history is difficult, it's repetitive for the most part.
At any rate, I read this post and thought Judy's information relevant, in a small way. I am happy that others enjoy vintage machines and share experience with them!