Oh yeah, in Phoenix, AZ it was called "Operation Identification". Just call the Phx PD at 602-262-6151 (still a current Phx PD non emergency number) and they'd loan you an engraver.
I had my own engraver and put my drivers license number; D-111X1X all over my tools. They got stolen and I've never seen a one.
It was a waste of time then and still is.

Strange how I remember all that information. That had to be 35 years ago. Geeze I'm gettin old.

Miriam,

Contact Keith and see if he's the one. I would love to hear the rest of this story.

Joe

You've got to give that Keith a call. It would be hysterical if it turned out to be the same one. Oh how funny!!!

Soo funny! You really need to investigate this one!

more shocking evidence but possibly a different suspect and a more difficult case to track... [ATTACH=CONFIG]378089[/ATTACH]

Maybe there was a fad for awhile... maybe someone was tired of those 404s and thought they wanted Touch & Sew machines like we got in my home ec class... When we got the Touch and Sew machines everybody was Mad, mad, mad. we spent all our time trying to wind a bobbin. Then had to sew at home because we all ran out of class time to use the stupid Touch and Sew. Those 404 and 401 machines would at least teach you to sew - I Loved the one I had and asked my mom to get one of those - nope she had a FW and that was that... I gave up on Singer sewing machines for years after that. Then I found a 401G in the trash - it was easy to love and no going back. I'm a fan of the 403 especially. That one is very simple and it does what I tell it to do. Bobbins wind just fine - no lost time. I screwed up though - I should have invested money in the thread company - with the T & S you waste so much of it... :D:D:D

At the high school I attended the boys had to take home ec and the girls had to take shop classes for a little while. Maybe Keith carved his Own name into your machine. Contact him for further information. He can plead the 5th if he doesn't want to be convicted!

Contact Keith and at least you will know one way or the other if it is him. Go girl!!!

Miriam I think you should contact this guy! If he engraved his name, he might want the machine! Even if he didn't engrave his name - he might want to own the defaced machine with his name on it! If he is the right guy, it will bring back memories of that time frame! Bring a smile to his face if his name was engraved by a girl friend - whether he married her or not! But, of course if he carved his name during a class, he could of turned out really bad with no respect for other people's property! Or, maybe he owned the machine - put his name on it as we were all told to do with our things - then it got stolen? You might find out something very interesting!

Nancy

it was not stolen - I purchased the Singer 404s and 401s from Shelbyville High School in a round about way - loaded them all on our truck directly from the school building. I kind of doubt if the Keith Fowler I think is the guy would have been taking home ec - I just don't think with his age they would have opened it up for guys quite yet. I wonder about the first names on the other machine.... Last week, I saw a sewing machine advertised for sale - it said there were words on the machine but no porn. I guess I should be thankful...

Miriam,

Contact Keith. I'll be he gets a laugh out of it weather or not he's "that" Keith. I agree with Nancy.

A couple years ago rumors were circulating in my wife's family that one of her brothers was dead. Nobody had heard from him in a very long time. Yet nobody wanted to call him. Even my wife was tongue tied. So I called the BIL and said: "Is this XXXXX? He said tentatively .... yes. Then I told him who I was and asked , did you know you're family thinks your dead? He sputtered and then started laughing. He was just living his live and not giving the family any extra thoughts.

Contact him. I'll bet he gets a chuckle out it.

Joe