It means that my head does not rust but instead acquires a lovely patina as the years go by. (My wife offers a different analysis, similar to yours.)

Means he is a bit green around the gills.

I have 4 featherweights as well, one white. I love each of them, although the white is harder for me to sew with because of that second internal gear, makes the wheel stiffer. I recently got a 301 and I love it almost as much as the featherweights, have you sewn with your 301 much? I have others, 99,66,128,201 and a Necchi. I just love them all and use most of them, except the treadles, didn't care for that much. These machines are like potato chips!

I swore I would only do Singer. Then came the Wheeler, the Willcox, the National, the New Home. Ok, then no Whites. Now I have 3. But I have decided that I want to keep only those I enjoy working with which would be the 401, Featherweight, 66 and 12 treadles, Davis treadle...ok. I don’t like the Elna, the 185, and I’m not very fond of the 115. But, I will never do plastic. Crumbles after 40 years.

But you ran from the second Vigorelli, JPwest. You have learned.

I'm a proud owner of two Featherweights 221's, a sixty-one year old 401A, an a in-operational 1932 White e-machine. But, I'd own a Singer 201 if I had a larger apartment. The only thing is now apartment managers assess how much clutter you acquire. So, with that said I envy all that can collect whatever you can. Have a good day.

Cherry

Yes, I have said same several times. When I was up to 12, again at 15, now at 20. And expected a new one tomorrow that I watched for a week on CL thinking I had talked myself down. But a friend who doesn't mind driving in traffic said she would enable, I mean help, me so now I'm getting my first New Home, high shank machine...and it's green...and comes with manual and attachments...and less than my bargain price. I had to get it because I have 4 orphan high shank feet in the foot collection.
I just noticed that I seem to get the itch after I have made progress in repairing an existing machine. The New Home came after I wired a new foot control to my Bernina racer (he only sewed at top speed so I named him Secretariat, Big Red for short) and repaired my leaky faucet. There is always a justification.

Certainly, if you didn't pay a plumber, you can buy a machine. I get that.

That makes sense to me:D

I am in the process of downsizing. However, I went to go look at a white Featherweight last night. I actually turned it down as it wasn't in the best condition (The price wasn't awful, though, either.) While I did leave the FW behind, 2 long bed mocha 301s, and a FW card table DID somehow jump into the truck and follow me home. :o :o

Moral of this story: "Downsizing" is a relative term.