Kenmore 117 questions

Old 10-25-2018, 12:55 PM
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Default Kenmore 117 questions

Kenmore liked to use the same number for different machines. As I understand it the 117 can be the football machine, the one with harsh angles like a stealth fighter and the Gritzner dashboard machine. Do the footballs and the fighter have the same running gear? Did the fighter some in aluminum also? Some seem much lighter.
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Old 10-25-2018, 01:00 PM
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]603049[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]603050[/ATTACH]
Attached Thumbnails 117-kenmore-football-b.jpg   kenmore-f-117-front-b.jpg  
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Old 10-25-2018, 02:48 PM
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Leon the 117 isn't the model number, it's the source code, or rather who built the machine. 117.xxx so it's the digits after the source code that denote the model #.

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Old 10-25-2018, 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by leonf View Post
Kenmore liked to use the same number for different machines. As I understand it the 117 can be the football machine, the one with harsh angles like a stealth fighter and the Gritzner dashboard machine. Do the footballs and the fighter have the same running gear? Did the fighter some in aluminum also? Some seem much lighter.
Sorry can't help. I find it kind of interesting that the Gritzner 117 were from 1956 & 1958 whereas the numbers fall between 117.831 & 117.85, which were produced in 1938. I know there are some numbers that were not in numerical order in http://www.searsarchives.com/history.../sewing_id.pdf but do not remember which ones.

Also there is the thread http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...n-t259833.html that talks about the "source code" used by Sears. Another informative page about Kenmore machines is http://steelsewing.blogspot.com/2018...-machines.html


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Old 10-26-2018, 04:21 PM
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I think they assigned model numbers at Sears by tossing little pieces of paper in a hat. None of it makes any sense. The 117 number does at least indicate the manufacturer. In this case it's White Manufacturing of Cleveland Ohio. White made both machines above. The "Franklin Deluxe Rotary" could be a model 87 or 871 (1938) a 123 (1939) or a 21, 217, or 227 (all 1948).

I'm not so sure on the football because Sears didn't call it that, LOL.

As to whether or not the parts are interchangeable... that's a really good question. It's not one I can answer... but I'd bet that many of them might be. Giving it a try sounds like fun!

In the late fifties White contracted out for the Gritzner-Kayser machines. So White became a middle-man so to speak. The 117.740, 117.840, and 117.841 are all G/K machines. When White lost it's exclusive contract with Sears, G/K continued to produce labelled machines for the store chain under the manufacturer number 516 (Lady Kenmore model 89).

Now if I could only remember important things... *wink*

Last edited by Steelsewing; 10-26-2018 at 04:24 PM.
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