And I just have to say it. If you are retiring you may have more time to keep this Siinger working.

I'm guessing about bout 30 years off for the stitch length lever. A machine from 1905 has a nut and screw type of stitch length adjustment, and I'm imagining more elaborate and fancy decals too. I have a 201 with the same lever, and the 15 was given the same lever with reverse about the same time the 201 was introduced. That's why I remember it. Maybe I was a bit direct with the info, I didn't mean to be rude or anyting.

The art nouveau decor on the chromed plates dates the machine to about 1950 or older, that's when they striated plates were introduced. There seem to be a bit of overlap a couple of years, but by 1950 (spot on) most have the striated plates.

I don't see the thread take-up lever either. Am I missing something? Oh I see it now, right up from the tension. Sorry about that.ha

We are moving into an RV and travelling for a while, that's why I was thinking of selling it. That said, I bet someone handy can really restore these nice :-)

That's what I was going to say. Time to buy a second Singer!

Maybe a featherweight for the RV.. Or a 3/4 handcrank.

Maybe ISMACS got it wrong? That serial # listed on their site shows the result khogue mentioned above: 15K-Jan-June 1905. No clue about the stitch length lever stop. I know my '26 15K has the rotary stop plate like the one shown in the OP's pic. About the irons... doesn't mean this head hasn't been fitted into a different base. I'm going with the ISMACS listing, which has no "JC" prefix in their database- only "J."

I have JC788228. It's a 15-91 and says right on top of the machine, in Old English Text:

The Singer Manufacturing Company
Made in Canada

bkay

I'm not one of the knowledgeable people here, but enjoy reading how they respond to questions like yours. I always learn stuff.

Welcome to QB and happy retirement! Hope you'll hang around and catch the vintage machine bug.

I concur Liz.