BoJangles

Wow, love both the treadles! You got a great deal on the Wilcox and Gibbs for sure! I have two Wilcox and Gibbs - one is a teadle like yours, one is electric! Those machines are so much fun to use - beautiful chain stitch you can use for decorating. The Wilcox and Gibbs was a machine used to put the pretty decorative stitch on Civil War uniforms!

Your Sphinx Model 27 is also a very nice machine. Those treadles will sew through almost anything without a hiccup! I use mine all the time to hem jeans!

Nancy

SteveH

Ok, I just got my early Christmas present..... E-bay deities were smiling on me today.

Just under $60 + $16 shipping.

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JudyTheSewer

The under side of that machine is very interesting. What machine is that?

SteveH

"If you have a Howe sewing machine and it has a brass badge on it with the image of Elias Howe (see below) then you will have one of the Stockwell Brothers machines made between 1865 and 1886."

The picture below is from the machine I purchased

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SteveH

Here is a picture from a museum with an AMAZING one...

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JudyTheSewer

Oh wow! What a find AND great price. Congratulations. Unfortunately, these images remain in my head and if I EVER see one for sale I will have to try to own it! I like the old ones. Thanks for sharing and for the info.

Monroe

Congrats on the Howe! I have one also, with the stand but a non-original bonnet. Lightly rusted, never tried to use it. I think the mechanism underneath is very interesting!

SteveH

truth is I had not considered one of these an option until I saw a post in "what is on your wishlist" from JennB and so I looked it up on ebay and lo-n-behold! there was one with a current bid of $40something with $16 shipping 1 hour left......
I decided to go up to $100 total and set max bid to $84. Never even passed $60. amazing.

So, NOW the big question: Preserve or Restore? I will not do anything to it until I have done some research. I know these are not "significant treasures" but they are IMHO historically significant and therefore deserving of som elevel of conservation. Just not sure what the right this to do is yet.

Any opinions folks want to share in that regard?

SteveH

I would love it if you would e-mail me any photos you have of yours. I'll PM my address if case you are open to it.

Monroe

Sure- give me a few days to get through the holidays. I've seen some on Ebay in crummy condition sell for a lot more than yours. Haven't touched mine- afraid of making a mistake and ruining it.