pjelis52

I found a 115 in a resale shop S# G5095108 with a date of 12/20/1916 and it has a black crinkle finish. I thought that finish was used during the 40's. Does anyone have info on this ?

Cari-in-Oly

You must have the serial # wrong, the G#s don't go that high. ISMACS shows a max of 7 digits after the letter and you're showing 8 digits.

Cari

pjelis52

Sorry, but there is only 7 there after the G.

bkay

I have a 66 that was a refurb, apparently. I was told that during the WWII, machines were scarce. So, many of the old treadle machines were converted to electric. The one I have has a black crinkle finish, applied during refurb, which covers all the Singer logos. Could that be what you have?

bkay

pjelis52

I think that seems to explain it. Thank You !

tessagin

Makes one wonder why they did it but back then people never thought about them becoming such a value later on. Like a memory that will last forever.

bkay

Yes, I think they will last forever, but they don't have much value. They're pretty ugly. The logos and decals "kind of" show through the crinkle, plus the usual chrome pieces are flat metal. I bought mine because I wanted the cabinet.
bkay

Mickey2

I think I would keep a 115, if the finish is too warped there's the option of total stripping and refinishing. The refurbishing done in those years have turned out to be unwanted so I would be as true to the original as possible in a restoration, maybe track down the correct bobbin winder and hand wheel if it's been replaced. It might not be something I would gain anything on money wise, but I would end up with a very nice rotary machine. 115 doesn't turn up as often here, I have been looking for three years now, and not seen a single one. They are easier with bobbins, feet and needles than a Wheeler and Wilson No 9.

pjelis52

I also bought this one for the cabinet. But as Mickey2 said , I may keep it. Thanks for the info !

Manalto

In the US, the 115 was produced from 1912 until 1924 (in Canada, production continued into the 1930s) Originally, the machine would have had the beautiful Tiffany (Gingerbread) decals. The cost of restoration would most certainly be higher than its value, but the 115 is considered a prize by collectors who use their machines and for them it would be a labor of love. It's the best of both worlds - like the 15, the bobbin thread travels in a straight path, so, in theory, it should be good for for FMQ (although I've never tried it) plus you have the smooth operation of a rotary machine. I think the additional cost for the rotary feature made them expensive enough to discourage sales, so today they're relatively (compared to the 15) uncommon. There were only 300,000+ made, compared to the many millions of 15s.