Standard Sewing Machine Co. Paragon
 

My wife has received her great grandmother's Paragon sewing machine and treadle cabinet. It's all there and turns pretty freely. I'm looking for some way to date it by the serial number and any documentation I can get. The user manual was in dust in one of the drawers.

Welcome to Quilting Board. It warms my heart when inherited machines get used for their original purpose. Unfortunately, dating some of these old machines as records were not kept or archived. I did find an ad in a 1899 "Sewing Machine Times" that lists Paragon as being a machine, but didn't have a picture. I also saw one from 1902. Most of the ads for Standard up to 1911 referred to the Rotary machines. If there are any patent dates on the machine, you know that your machine can not be any older than that.

I believe you can find a manual at https://groups.io/g/LancasterCountyT...ardParagon.pdf

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 https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f...d-t312607.html

Another way to post pictures can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/showpo...postcount=1143
And how to use an ipad to post pictures can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/qb-hel...s-t318147.html

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.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

Thanks for the info
 

That link to the manual was a big help, HEre are some pictures. The bobbin winder on this uses an arm to engage the big gear not a worm gear. Intersting.

I'm not sure I quite understand about the worm gear. By any chance does it have a hand crank?

Unfortunately the pictures didn't show up. Maybe because you didn't Scroll over to the right side and click on "Upload"
the following show where you need to click and scroll, then where the "Upload" button is.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...34317-qb-1.jpg

https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...134317-qb2.jpg


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

Thanks for the info
 

Thanks for the tip on photo's, They should be attached now. It's a treadle, dating between1895 and 1910 I'm guessing,

According to the Boye needle/shuttle dispenser I have, this takes a Boye #6 needle, which suggests substituting a Boye 2 1/2 for the latest. A Boye 2 1/2, on my wheel anyway, is a CC1221. I hope you have extra needles.

needles
 

I have two that came with the machine, one looks to be a little heavier duty than the other.

Do have another sewing machine to check the ones with this machine against? I'm not at my computer to look up comparison. We are concerned mainly about the total length of the needle and from the shaft end to the eye.

Joe, is it possible that would be for the Davis Paragon? I checked ISMACS needle list and the Standard Paragon takes 15x1. Actually, the needle list didn't list the Davis Paragon, but I have seen them on the net.

I see what you mean about the bobbin winder. Have you tried to wind a bobbin?

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

My dispenser lists for Paragon Needle 6 shuttle 5.
For Davis it has Davis New needle 10 shuttle 9, Davis rotary needle 6, Davis old style needle 20.
On this dispenser a 15x1 is Boye #16 needle.

On the chart at the top the needles 6 and 16 are almost identical, will post a picture when I can, so maybe a 15x1 works just fine?

Here's the picture.