Oh my gosh, that triggered a memory of me in sewing class all those years ago, learned on a treadle in school, where we tied off the ends of our darts! By hand! As the years passed we got more modern but they were still black headed Singers, back in the olden days.

I'm thinking about getting it for my 12 year old daughter, she currently has a 66-16 I gave her, but I think she'd like the sphinx model a little more, at least aesthetically. Not sure what she'd think about losing the reverse feature.

I sew on my 27 treadle without reverse and it's fine, but if you want to chug through a quick project it's nice to be able to backtrack real quick.

The drop in bobbin on the 66 was the newest feature at one point, though by the time model 66 were given a backtack it certainly wasn't anymore. The 15 on the other hand is an every older model, but for some reason its' popularity has kept in high regards up to our days. In my experience, all these features has a lot to do with what we get accustomed to. I have had my 201 for well over a year know, and I haven't used my zigzagger nor my computerized machine much at all since. It has to do with the type of clothes make and projects I do. It sort of became a sport to manage on the 201. It's certainly is a smooth machine, with very nice buttonholer attachments. Either of the 66 and 15 should be equally lovely to work on in my mind. The 15 has a very good reputation when it comes to darning and quilting.

No backstitch, but that isn't at all bad, just different. This is a beautiful machine and to be treasured. You can learn which finishing technique works best for you. Baskstitch isn't very pretty anyway.

My model 15-88 (1935 release) has back stitch, but the stitch length plate is quite different from this one.

If you are doing a dart in chiffon or lace the nicest finish is to bring up a length of bobbin thread and thread it backwards up to the top spool (do not just knot it and pull it backwards, that would put lint in your tension mechanism ) then sew the dart from the point to the seam......it looks like magic ..... always remember to sink your needle into the fabric where you want your first stitch to be every seam you start to sew.......yes I used to work for a designer and everything I worked on was an original for a special group of customers. circa 1957

for production work I read where singer just recommended an in crease in hand pressure... kinda hold the favic som advancing for the first couple of stitches.... in my experience that works Very very well and a double stitched area with very short stitches is indeed quite a pain to "undo"

One helpful method to end a seam is to shorten stitch length, make very tiny stitches, at the very end of the seam. They aren't likely to come out.

I have Singer 15 from 1921 according to serial number. It seems that my machine has no stitch length scale next to the stitch length adjustment, so it’s it or miss. After a while, I think you’re supposed to know about where the various stitch lengths are located. However, when I swing the lever all the way up, there is apparently no reverse stitching. Does anyone know when reverse stitching was introduced in the Singer 15 and about what year would that have been? Thank you for your help.
Dr Michael J Elinski
East Hampton, NY

The stitch length lever was introduced around 1930 on model 15, or just before, around the same time model 201 was introduced. They were given the same stitch length lever and plate. On the older models like 15 and 99 you develop a feel for the stitch length setting, it's a minor issue when you get to know the machine better, and there's usually a bit of test sewing involved before starting to sew. The older type model 15 with out reverse were made up until 1950 at least, not too long ago a lady in the UK told me hers was made in 1950 and had the old type nut and bolt type stitch length setting with out reverse. Maybe it was particular to the Kilbowie factory in Scotland, I'm not sure.