Meister sewing machine

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06-16-2014, 10:28 AM

#21

fauxquilter

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Join Date: Apr 2014

Posts: 9

Just read your post again. The bobbin is a vertical bobbin (duh). It is not one of the top loading horizontal bobbins you see on some Singers. I was multi-tasking when I read your question. Not a good idea. :-/

06-16-2014, 10:36 AM

#22

Cecilia S.

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2013

Posts: 670

Fauxquilter, you are terrible.

And I love it.

Thank you for all your amazing input. Dang it, Ireally do not need this machine... but I am sooooooooooooooo tempted. I will pop back in a day or two and let you know.......

and p.s. Congrats on your grand-bebe!

06-16-2014, 04:04 PM

#23

fauxquilter

Member

Join Date: Apr 2014

Posts: 9

That's what my partner (Grandpa) says all the time. ;-) if you're really torn, consider what you'll probably have to put into it: cleaning/servicing plus parts--motor, light, light bulb, foot pedal, probably a new belt plus the rubber donut that goes on the bobbin assembly--possibly a case, which is a really good idea because these weigh a ton. There may be worn parts inside the head too but I've never encountered that and given Meister quality, it's unlikely unless it's been through a flood or something.

On the other hand, by the time you clean it up and get it working, you may have a really good machine for about as much or less than you'd pay for a comparable machine from the same era. I recently read a blog by a guy who rescued a Pfaff 130 from the trash (literally), fixed it up and now has a good, sturdy sewing machine. I'd take a flyer on it but I'm the one with two Klasse 101s on my work bench and I have a passion for this particular make and model. As I said in an earlier post, these machines aren't rare but sometimes it takes a little while for one to surface and chances are good that you'd pay more than $20 when one does.

Keep me posted!

10-12-2015, 09:16 PM

#24

Tally Fifth

Member

Join Date: Oct 2015

Posts: 5

This looks like my Mom's Meister that my sisters and I all learned on. We're not sure where she got it. She was in Spokane in 1940, but was in high school (and thereafter) in Vancouver, Wa. Shows some wear, but very very beautiful to me. [ATTACH=CONFIG]533234[/ATTACH]

Attached Thumbnails

10-13-2015, 01:06 AM

#25

Mickey2

Super Member

Join Date: Sep 2015

Posts: 1,963

These early zigzaggers always get my attention. They don't turn up that often. Pfaff 130 and Bernina 117 were introduced in the 1930s. The Meister looks like it could be of the same age, but could equally well have been made in the 1950s. Is it still running fine?

10-13-2015, 09:03 AM

#26

Tally Fifth

Member

Join Date: Oct 2015

Posts: 5

It still runs. Not the original motor. In the 1980's my husband replaced that with an old clothes dryer motor. Man, that could do thick seams! I ran over my finger with it once! So then he replaced that motor with an ordinary sewing machine motor, I don't know what brand. The foot pedal is original though it still sports a couple of my husband's repairs to it. He had to wire onto it a little piece of sawed-off toothbrush handle with a hole drilled through it for some reason. I think it was something to do with its hinge. The top of the carrying case was lost to mildew. The machine has lain fallow for at least a decade but now we are trying to assemble a replacement beehive tension coil to get it running. We think he's figured it out, but I just want to know for sure, how many little red felt washers belong in the thread tension stack, if any? I thought those were for underneath the spool rods. Also we never used the plastic disks, are they for embroidery or for quilting and what are they called?

10-13-2015, 11:48 AM

#27

Mickey2

Super Member

Join Date: Sep 2015

Posts: 1,963

I have never seel felt bits in tensioners, only on the spool pins. These days there's probably more help and advice to fine, since the w.w.w. has grown enormeously since the machie were put in storage. I seen these machines both on US bogs as well a mentioned on German sites. For the top tesion I would expect something like two or three chromed metal disks, the tread would slide in between two of them, and. The arm on the spring should be placed so there's a bit of tension on the thread as the lifter arm drags the thread. They can be a bit difficult to assemble right if there's noting to go by. Usually you can get replacement springs for these old machines.

10-13-2015, 06:02 PM

#28

Tally Fifth

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Join Date: Oct 2015

Posts: 5

Thanks, Mickey2

09-05-2023, 09:48 AM

#29

Son of A Singer Man

Member

Join Date: Apr 2017

Posts: 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tally Fifth

Tally Fifth, This is way, way late, but I have to wonder: having just read your message dated October 12, 2015, it got me to thinking: In the link to a Meister-Klasse 101 Instruction Manual below, in the information of the 'Guarantee Bond" in the manual it reads that its Meister-Klasse 101 sewing machine was sold by "The Spokane Sewing Center" on February 15, 1954. The buyer's name was: Mrs. Doris L. Wilken. Could that instruction manual have possibly belonged to your mother? https://drive.google.com/file/d/14-Y...u4KRTtRc&pli=1

03-18-2024, 08:20 PM

#30

ellellbee

Member

Join Date: Aug 2014

Posts: 5

Quote:

Originally Posted by fauxquilter

In case anyone is still interested, your machine is a later version of the Meister Klasse 101 sewing machine which was manufactured in Germany starting in 1948. There are several pictures of the Klasse 101 in the NeedleBar Picture Library Archive. The Meister Klasse 101s did not have the light built in behind the face plate, as yours does. The light was attached to the back. Meister also produced the same machine for an Australian department store. It was marketed under the name "Sewmaster" and was identical to the German machine with a few slight variations in decal placement.

These machines are dependable, heavy-duty domestic, all-metal workhorses with a high shank and 1 amp motors. They are comparable to the Japanese class 15 machines, with a forward-reverse mechanism and they sew both straight and zigzag stitches. The Klasse 101s often come with a tin accessory box that contains a zig-zag foot, a straight stitch presser foot and needle plate, a button attacher, a zipper foot, a quilting foot with guide, a rolled hem foot, a seam guide and what appears to be a felling foot. They take a #7 vintage Greist buttonhole attachment.

I own three of these machines, all circa 1952. I got the first one over 20 years ago and it is terrific. I am currently restoring the second one, and another (a white one) is on its way from eBay. Looks to be in rough shape but if it's anything like my others, is probably mechanically sound even if the paint needs to be restored.

These machines, although unusual, are not rare. I found two on eBay within the last three months. I have also seen a handful of listings on local Craigslists, Worthpoint and on the German eBay site within the last few years, so they surface from time to time. They are well worth the money if you stumble across one.

Hope this helps. The original post in this thread was very helpful to me when I went looking for info a couple of months ago and I hope someone can use what I found out.

I just got a Meister Klasse 101. I know there are no database records for the serial numbers but am wondering if you can tell me what the serial numbers are on yours? I am focusing on the earlier models with the rear light and chrome faceplate like mine is.

Would you tell me your serial numbers, please and how you determined that they were 1952 or so? Unfortunately the Needlebar site is no longer there for me to get that valuable info.
Thank you.