High shank vs low shank
 

Is there any way to tell which a machine is by looking at the machine or at the attachments?

Ken

AFAIK, most home machines are low shank. High shank is usually an industrial machine.
From where the screw goes to attach the shank to the machine down to the bottom of the foot is about 1/2" on a low shank. On a high shank, it's about 1".

My 1950's Kenmore home machine uses high shank feet!

During the 50s-60s and maybe the 70s the Japanese used high shank feet on lots of different machines. I don't know if those high shank feet are the same as the ones used on industrial machines or not.

Be interesting to find out.

Joe

I've found after looking at many, many machines and attachments you can look at them and tell what most of them are.

I know that some Pfaff and Necchi domestic (home) machines are high shanks. Some Kenmores are "super high" shanks.

Another thing to remember when looking at attachments with the machine, is that frequently they aren't necessarily the ones that belong to the machine. A White machine that we got last summer which is a "top clamp" machine had not only the attachments that fit that machine, but also some "high shank" (probably for a Japanese machine) and Singer low shank feet in the drawers.

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

What prompted this is that I have a couple of Necchi Supernovas that I knew were high shank. I found a Nelco N-200 (which was remotely related to the Necchi's) and brought it home, but I have no manual, so I am trying to figure out what I can about it.

Thanks for educating me
Ken

Yup - I have no trouble what so ever telling a high shank from a low shank from a slant shank from a top clamp from a back clamp from a bar mount . . .

but you have to look a bit closer to determine left and center homing for zigzag machines.

Some modern domestic machines are high shank too. My Janome 6600 is high shank. It says "Professional" on it but it's not an industrial machine.

There are some charts online that you could print and take with you. Here's a link to two, there are more.

http://www.thecolorfulworldofsewing....d-accessories/

https://www.anniescatalog.com/pages/which_foot.html

My Singer Slant-O-Matic pretty much speaks for itself.