Singer Red Eye and other
 

I've seen Red Eye machines in all conditions. A Red Eye tredle sold at an estate sale here recently. It was in really nice shape and so was the cabinet. I saw an electrified one on GW today that looked virtually new in the photos. It was in a case. Of course, I've seen many Red Eye rust buckets. Are all Red Eyes the same age? When were they sold? I understand they can be a couple of different models.

Then there's this one on GW. To my untrained eye, it looks pretty much like a red eye. What's it called? Is it the same time frame?

bk

I believe this is the "Lotus" pattern. That's all I know about it!

More info here:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_mach...ic-decals.html

That link is pretty interesting and full of great photos and information. Thanks for that!

bk, I hope you are thinking about getting that machine and are lucky enough to do so if you are.

I have a Singer 66 Lotus treadle like that one. It's a very FINE machine. It moves with such precision.

Thanks so much for the link. That's exactly what I wanted to know. I keep looking for photos to ID machines and they were right there all the time.

I was right!!! It's the same machine. Yea! (They are getting past the point of all looking the same to me.)

bk

For the most part, the Lotus decal was put on model 66 machines made in the UK, and the Red Eye was put on model 66 machines made in the USA. However I have seen a few Lotus decal 66's that had US serial numbers on them.

Singer switched to the side clamp right near the end of the time using the Red Eye decals (and after UK stopped using Lotus) so you'll find some Red Eye side clamp machines, but not many.

Right now I have a lotus 66 in a parlor treadle cabinet, a lotus 66 hand crank in the older style bentwood case (with ribbed sides), a Red Eye side clamp hand crank in a newer style bentwood case and a Red Eye back clamp on the shelf. I've also collected 5 different sets of back clamp attachments. It's interesting that some of the designs for the attachments I have for the back clamp - I have never seen Singer use for any other model.

bkay, lucky you! To me the models still all look pretty much the same from model 15 to 101. Singers, while great machines, haven't really struck my fancy yet. I do know many of the decal sets though, so I'm not a complete goober.

MacyBaby, do you know why Singer used back clamping feet for the 66? I've always wondered about that. Did they just have lots of feet left over from the Wheeler & Willson 9/W9? I've also seen the back clamping feet on several W&W clones and one or two smaller manufacturers machines.

Do you have any of the glass inserts for back clamping feet? I think those are just the bee's knees! See through feet on an antique sewing machine, such a rare and wonderful treat!

Singer "inherited" the back clamp from Wheeler Wilson. I have read that the rotary system they developed for the 66 used some of the patents they bought from WW. the exact attachment type is not the same, but similar.

The Singer D9 is the same machine as the W9 - so that is where Singer used up those supplies. Though they ended up making more feet, there is a difference and the Singer ones are made with slightly thinner metal so they have a metal slip added to the attachment end to make them the same width as the original WW where they clamp into the machine.

They early Chainstitch machines also have a type of back clamp foot - though it's a bit different. Singer went to something different later, but I have an early 1900's machine that takes the older style foot.

Most of the feet for the W9 are solid, Most of the glass ones I've seen are for the W8 - they look very similar, and it's likely the early W9's had the glass inserts before they went to the solid feet. I had a really neat set I sold to SteveH back when I was not planning on getting a W8 - and now I've got one so I've been watching to collect them again.

this is what I sent to SteveH

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps9e0f8ed7.jpg

this is a W9 set - the attachment point is a bit different.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps039da58f.jpg

This is my favorite back clamp attachment set. It fit into a molded insert for the center drawer in a treadle cabinet.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps59aff424.jpg

I have a 1916 back clamp Red Eye that was converted to a side clamp as well as a numbered tension. Sometimes you can't go by what you see. I have provenance from the family member of the owner.