teacherbailey

I have just been offered a Jones machine in a big cabinet with the treadle inside the cabinet. Since I ONLY use a 1941 Singer, I said yes immediately! However, I've never heard of this brand. Does anybody use a Jones? Will my bobbins and needles interchange? Any info that you can give me will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

manicmike

I've had a couple of them. Both were long bobbin machines and stitched as well as a Singer. They were a major Singer rival in their time. Newest one I had was 1930s and can't vouch for anything newer. They were sold to Brother in the '60s I think, so wouldn't touch any of those.
Their factory was in Manchester. Google them: Alex Askaroff has a bit of info on the company at his sewalot site.

SteveH

I have the other end of the spectrum, an Early Jones "Catback" or "Serpentine" hand crank from the 1880's and it is my hands down favorite to sew with.

I had one of the treadles for about a week before I shipped it to a QB member in Texas, but that was enough to let me see it was a well made machine.

barny

I'm sorry, I can't help you, but there are a lot of people on here that will be along. Maybe they will be on later. You'll get help.

manicmike

I thought that's what Steve and I were engaging in, or am I dreaming all of this??

Oh, and teacherbailey: Do you have a picture of it?

SteveH

rotflmbo......

BTW - The Jones I was referring to is my avatar pic

teacherbailey

All I have of it is a picture since a friend of my daughters wanted it to go to a good home where it would be appreciated! However, the picture is pretty bad. I'll post a better one once I get it home in a couple of weeks; it's a 3 hour drive away. Originally I thought it was a Singer from the blurry picture but it's a Jones, according to my daughter. She's going to send me the serial number tonight so perhaps I can look it up online like you do a Singer and get its age. I think I'm naming it Clementine since that seems to fit a machine with British heritage....and because my daughter's boys have eaten what seems like hundreds of clementines in their two week visit here while she had training 3 hours away......I live in GA and they live in UT so this is our yearly visit!

teacherbailey

Thanks! I'm betting it's around 30's or 40's....looks a lot like yours and has no hand crank like a lot of online pics have.

manicmike

You won't be able to look up the serial number. Jones haven't manufactured a machine since about the early '50s. Singer are still around today which is why their records are also.

Clementine is not a common name in England, but it was Winston Churchill's wife's name.

manicmike

If it looks like Steve's it'll likely be much older: They stopped making the serpentine around 1900 IIRC (1909, just looked it up)