BTW - do you have both slides? for a lot of these machines, the serial number was engraved on the slide.

Hopefully we'll get it figured out and we won't be left hanging. If it's a US mfg, I have no doubt we can figure out who.

Macybaby- Thanks for that site. I have spent hours on it already. The closest I have come to the La Reine I have is under the US machines letter I. The New Royal model K Stiletto machine. Mine was patented June 29, 1897 & it has the Presser foot bar like mine. It also shows two different face plates & the one like mine is on the left, but the decals & a few other things are different. I will try & see if I can get a friend to take a picture of it To show you. It may take me a few days to get this done. The only # I have found on it is 53797.

The Stilleto on teh Needlebar site is VERY similar to the back machine in my picture. Loosen the nut above the foot and slide the foot off - there will be a gap, measure it.

Look very closely at the tension release on the leaf tension, because that is also very unique to this mfg machine.

Decals don't mean much - and the different faceplate is due to a different model, usually helps determine exact age.

I can see why people would get this mixed up with a Davis - it's about as close to looking like a Davis as they get. But one big difference - the belt goes on the inside of the flywheel toward the machine. With Davis - it's on the outside.

I went and looked at my two Free made New Royal machines - and from what you've said -it's a match.

To confirm - here are some pictures of them.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psxno7fb0e.jpg

Some sort of inspection plate on the front (notice, my two are not the same, but they both have one).

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psds6rwmmj.jpg


Patent date on the front slide plate - slides are SQUARE on back end, not with a rounded notch.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psmjlqhrqr.jpg

Number on back right corner (behind pillar)


http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psulujws9i.jpg

Foot gap- if yours is 1/8" - Free is the only one that used the narrow gap - all others used 3/16" gap. (I'm gonna check the measurements in case I got them wrong, but Free is the only narrow one)

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psaji2l3wa.jpg

Tension release - like this

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psgfobmhlr.jpg

My tension release is just like the one you show.The foot on mine is missing, but I did measure the lift & measured where it fits & it is 1/8 inch. Behind the pillar is where I found the # 53797 (no letter in front of the #) & the slide plate is just like the one you show. The inspection plate is totally different. Mine is square with a 4 pointed star in each corner & round in the middle with a half sun raidiating up & the bottom half is plain. No writing at all on it. I will still try & get a picture for you.

Pictures are always welcome - and now you know who made your machine.

If you want attachments - look for those for New Royal. It's an open toe set, and a lot like the set for the Davis- except it has the narrow gap.

So, you are saying that my machine is a New Royal? That is what I am understanding. Mine looks just like your Elder's Special other than the inspection plate. Also with the front slide plate that has the patent date. Is that the year it was made?

Patent date, very helpful in research:

http://needlebar.org/nbwiki/index.php/Illinois

Good Luck and Enjoy.

Jon

Yes - without a doubt - yours is a New Royal - and no, the patent date is not the date it was made. It's very common to find patent dates that are way, way older than the machine. All a patent date means is it was not made BEFORE that date.

Wilcox & Gibbs put the same patent date on all their chainstich machines - I think the most recent is 1894 - and I believe they continuned doing that until they stopped making the particualr machine- some time in the 1940's or 50's.

I believe yours was made after Free took over the Illinois Sewing Machine Company. Needlebar indicates New Home took over, but I know I read it differently somewhere else. Free took over New Home, but at a later date than these machines were made. That is why it uses the same narrow foot that Free has (when no other company used it).

The only drawback, this machine takes a unique shuttle and needle that no other Mfg used (not even Free). That is why I bought one, I have been collection machines so I have one for each of the 12 different aftermarket shuttles that Boye sold. It takes shuttle #19 and needle #24, if you look for vintage Boye stock.