Serial number is AG349605 model 201, lot allocated Feb 1942. It's easy to mistake the G for a C - I had to hunt around a bit to find what it must be - but I knew it was a 201.

interesting, that makes it a "wartime production" machine, cool

The serial number is actually AB349605 and the chart said that is a 1926.

What a great story. Know absolutely nothing about old machines but really love it when someone finds a diamond in the rough. Please share what you decide to do with it.

well, that's very interesting that the same range of numbers was used for the same model number that many years apart. But that is why you can't always tell from a photo - I'd have never guessed that was a B.

You may want to give that serial number a quick clean with SM oil and steel wool (careful of the paint) That REALLY looks like a G to me as well

Oooh a 201! I knew it as soon as I saw it! Def. a great machine. I love gear drives!

According to ISMACS, AB349605 from 1926 belongs to a model 127, which is so much different from a 201 that there is no way anyone would mistake one for the other.

AC349605 belongs to a 66 from 1928- so while a lot closer to a 201 than a 127, still quite different

And besides, according to ISMACS list (from Singer) the 201 wasn't made until 1935.

AG349605 from 1942 belongs to a 201, which is the only match we've got.

tracking down serial numbers is rather fun.

BTW - I'm not trying to be snotty. We run into so many people who misidentify their machine because they misread the serial number (or even took one off the motor) and then they are insistant they have a machine that is Model XXX from 18XX -when they really have a model with "from the factory" electric that wasn't in production at that time.

I consider the 201 to be a great machine, that is why I wailed after reading your comments about thinking it was too far gone.

For fun, this is a 127 from the mid 20's, so you can see what I mean by saying they are very, very different looking machines.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps4cfba101.jpg

OH a 201! I have 3 in running order and one on the workbench "in progress". I can't pass a 201 up.

wow! I want another 201 but don't have time to do any fixing up :-( thanks for posting the pics! I have loads of trouble trying to make out serial numbers

I feel like I've stumbled into a show of 'History Detective'. So much to know about sewing machines, who knew?

That would be a great machine to clean up on put on display if you don't want to fix it up! So pretty!

I'm with the others. It's definitely a 201. It's one of the best straight stitch machines made and is worth the effort to make it run. Nobody here is the first or last one to misread a Singer serial number. I've done it several times already.
I hope you decide to keep it and use it. It will most likely end up being your go-to machine for piecing.
It takes standard 15x1 needles and class 66 bobbins if you didn't already know. Both are available pretty much everywhere.
Rodney

I went back and looked at the pictures again. The brown flaky stuff is dead shellac. It was used as a topcoat to protect the decals. Don't use anything but sewing machine oil and soft cloth to clean your machine or you'll destroy the decals. It really should have all the old flaky shellac cleaned off and a couple coats of fresh shellac applied. Glenn has some great tutorials on restoring the finish on these old machines here in the forum.
Rodney

The Singer 201 is a wonderful machine! The one I have is a hand crank 201k-4, its the quietest machine I own. Most of the time I treadle it. The grandkids prefer the hand crank

Now I am confused. When I looked up the serial number on IMACS, I learned it was a 127, but then you all told me it was a 201-2 , so I compared pictures and I do have a 201-2, but wonder why the serial number comes back as a different machine. I did double check and the number is definitely an AB349605.

Yes, you have a Singer 201-2. It is my favorite machine, and will likely outlast me. They are definitely worth the trouble to fix up/refurbish.

Did you look at the photo you posted? I can't know what it looks like in person, but it photographs most certainly not as AB. I've got some stamped AB and the B has a very straight back. The photo shows the second letter has a round back.

For the curious - could you take another picture of the serial number? We're all scratching our heads because we all see either a AC or AG

macybaby is correct... i would keep it- as you have time .. fix it. :)

to me it does look to be a ac or ag.

Take a small amount of oil, at this point in time it doesn't really matter if its sewing machine oil or cooking oil and put it on the stamped number. When you wipe it off the oil will make the letters and numbers stand out better. This will help even if the number/letter is faint.

thanks for getting back to us!

Update, a friend of my DD wants to learn to work on these old machines, so I am going to dig out my sewing machine repair and maintenance textbook I bought a few years ago, and let him learn by doing. I told him, that if he got it up and running, and clean, I would make him the quilt he is always begging for. (He had a "grandma made" as a child that he remembers fondly. It is long gone now, but I told him I would make him a purple replacement.) (At least it is not another blue quilt! I have made four blue quilts in the last two years.)

Madame: A really great solution. Please take pictures of his progress.+

you can print out a manual for that machine also,
http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...ine-manual.pdf
or buy the real thing on Ebay