Macybaby: Rules were meant to be broken.
I understand no more treadles. Any cabinet machine eats space and you're already pretty much out of room. If you absolutely MUST get rid of a machine, I'd make it the newer Davis vertical feed or a more common machine first.

Why no boat shuttles? I know you have to draw the line somewhere or it can get overwhelming but I'm sure there's a practical reason for this rule. Now you have 1 example of a boat shuttle machine in a very cool package.

1900-1930 or any time period is a great way to limit yourself to but you don't have to stay inside the lines every time.

It's not for everyone but one of the things that fascinates me about sewing machines is how many ways people came up with a way to sew. I like the oddballs and deadends from when the manufacturers were still working everything out.
Rodney

Cathy,

Pics from Davis- Phila. Centennial Exhibition of 1876 catalog. Prices seem to be quite a bit on the high side. I have a No. 4 low arm cabinet with "Davis" only on the treadle pedal c. 1880. I also have quite a few invoices from Davis to a Davis dealer- Baker and Eberly of Mt Olive Virginia with dated serial numbers if your curious as to when your Low arm was made.

Jon

totally envious I am! Sweet deal?

What are those prices back then? A month's salary, maybe more? Beautiful catalog prints and you could get MOP inlays for only $5 more.
From the looks of it, if it had the drawer stack it was one of the top end models.
Rodney

Thanks - mine would be like one of the last two, with a row of drawers along the drop leave.

Wow - it sold for about the same as I paid for it in today's $$ - some of these old machines were very spendy for the time!

That is so cool!!

There's a treadle butcher not far from here, he sells it all piecemeal. If you want a machine, you have to buy the shuttle/bobbin case and bobbins separately. Same for cabinet pieces and irons. Just makes me want to scream!
Sharon