ID and date of vintage sewing machine
 

I inherited this machine. It was my great grandmother's. After extensive research, I have been unable to find any info or date for it. She got it from Montgomery Ward.
I've included pictures.

Welcome to the board. Many older MW machines were made by National. Janey, who hangs out on the vintage and antique sewing machines area ( and perhaps you should too) posts this guide for adding pictures. it isn't easy.


We like pictures. In order to post pictures on Quilting Board, you will probably need to reduce or compress the picture to a file size that is smaller than 2MB. How to post images can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...020-01-17-.pdf
Don't forget to scroll over to the far right to find and click on the "Upload" button.

I have found that only the big red "Reply" button or "Quote" work to give me the paper clip icon to work for adding pictures.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...p-location.jpg

Some additional info regarding reducing images at post #4 and images for the scroll and upload button can be found at #5 of quilt block ID?

Another way to post pictures can be found at 2021/2022, 2.5” Birthday Swap

Or simply - Make sure pictures are smaller than 2MB
Click on red "Reply" button
Click on the paper clip icon
Click browse - choose picture/s. (only 5 allowed per post)
Once they show up as being loaded, Scroll over to the right side and click on "Upload"
After the pictures show up as being attached, you can close that window and go back to the screen to finish posting your post.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Machine ID and Date
 

See attachments for pictures

lucky you. your g grandmother and many others have take very good care of it You many know it is a vibrating shuttle machine with leaf tension. In my humble opinion it would appears to be pre 1900. The height of The top of the machine where it fits the place can be a clue, but I am not experienced enough to know.

This will be similar to your bobbin and shuttle.

Wooda, it is beautiful!! I am partial to these really different machines. Here is a link to an article that says 1872 is the start date for their machines in Chicago. https://silverbobbin.com/montgomery-...ewing-machine/ I wonder if you have one of those?? Wouldn't that be cool?

I found a picture of a leaf tension shuttle machine dating to 1886 here: https://www.icollector.com/Antique-M...-Thi_i19838045. I did a good search in images to find the look alike. Others report similar looking machines to be early 1900s. I would rather believe you have a really old one. Its great that you know how it fits in with your family history.

Thank you, Leon for posting the instructions for pictures.

Welcome, Wooda. Yes, that would be a machine made by National for Montgomery Wards. It is similar to a few different machines as seen at http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.ph...uttle_Machines Records for National machines are not available to be able to pinpoint the date it was made, but probably was made in the very early 1900s. Having a patent date just means that it could not have made before that date. It would be one of the "VB-TT" type machines.

It is quite probable that your machine would have originally used what is known as a 20x1 needle. There may be some on ebay such as https://www.ebay.com/itm/32503331306...QAAOSwVWth~fG7 There is a thread on another board titled "15x1 rather than 20x1 needles" If you search for that with the quotes, you will find that it tells how to use the 15x1 aka 130/705H needles that are widely available with many different sizes and different points for sewing wovens or knits.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

wow, I have one very similar - I believe this is older and made by Eldredge before National was formed.

The possible problem is that some of the older Eldredge take a longer shuttle than the newer National, but not all of them. The needles are the same.

Eldredge/National was the main machine supplier for Wards for years and years.