Has anyone heard of this brand. It has a patent starting in 1902 until 1913.

You neglected to name the brand.

Was the brand "Free" or was the treadle "free" to you??? :)

I have seen pictures on line. Looks just like the Singers, just has 'Free' on the decale.

havnt seen that one before, would love to see a pic

Yes I see the Brand "Free" every once in a while pop up on ebay...

The ones I've seen all say "The Free" in very fancy letters and some have a number after it like, "The Free No. 5" or something.

But, yes, they made a really good sewing machine and there are tons still in service, today. I believe they were bought by White or White Westinghouse. I see them once oro twice a month on craigslist here and you can usually buy parts for them on eBay.

Yes, the brand is Free and it does look just like a Singer. I saw it at an antique store. She was asking 100 for it. The cabinet was in good condition. The word Free was even on the foot pedal.

I was looking on Craig's list today and saw a 'Free Westinghouse' listed. It is not a treadle but I have seen Free treadles.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/okl/atq/2452309862.html

This one is in really good condition and the cabinet. It has not been converted to electricity which I think is a good thing. I'm thinking the $100 asking price may be a good deal.

Some things to check are the presence of a good shuttle and at least one bobbin - sometimes the long bobbins are of some obscure size that's difficult to find. Or maybe it isn't of the long-bobbin type, in which case you want to make sure that the bobbin system is all present and contains a good bobbin.

If there is a manual present, try to follow it - thread up the machine and sew with it, just turning the wheel with your hand. Most will turn over the top toward you, or counter-clockwise. White brand machines will probably turn away from you, or clockwise. Take some scrap fabric and a spool of thread and a needle with you when you go.

It may require a needle that's no longer manufactured and there may not be an appropriate needle present.

There are equivalent needles made for a lot of the old machines and sometimes, you can use a standard 15x1, but just don't push it quite all the way up into the needle clamp and it will function just fine. You will need to do some research on this, though. If you're lucky, it takes a standard 15x1 domestic machine needle like you'd use on any of your other machines. :)

The first thing to do is find out what model it is and make sure that all the parts are present.

To me, if it's pretty, it could be worth $100 just for looks. If it sews well and runs on standard needles, it would be worth at least twice that to me.

If it's a parlor cabinet or a "Mission" style treadle, all bets are off and I'll be stopping at the ATM on the way to pick it up. :mrgreen:

thanks for the advice. I don't know what style of cabinet it is. I did turn the wheel. It did have a belt and the needle was free to move. She said it used a long style bobbin but she didn't know if it would actually sew.

The Free Sewing Machine Company made machines for many years starting before 1900. The company was eventually bought out, and the name changed. But The Free or Free is found on many antique/vintage machines, and they are good quality machines.

there is no patent number only the date and where it was built. the cabinet opens in front to the left and maybe a door on the side. I called the store to find this info. I couldn't remember details.