Phyllis, I looked at your posting of you new vintage machine, the Davis NVF. A couple of the items in your attachment grouping do NOT go with the Davis. They are for another machine. Yes, you are missing the knob for the reverse button, but I doubt that will keep the machine from working for you. It should clean up nicely. These are rugged and sturdy machine that love to sew through layers of fabric. Enjoy!

Evacuate......Hmmmm...I think my kids are hoping that a tornado takes my house and belongings so they won't have to deal with it. I think I'd grab my FWs....if DH wants to save the Domestic..HE can carry it out! LOL!

On a side note...my sister was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and she has a collection too.....none cleaned up or useable. She told me since I was the only one with interest in the old timers, I was getting hers should she not outlive me. I wanted to tell her, if she passes first, I'll be right behind, cuz my husband will KILL me if I try to get hers in here too!!! LOL

Here's about the only information I could find on Sears Franklin, about 3/4 page down:
http://www.ismacs.net/sears/sears.html

Since Davis had about a gazillion badged names, there might very well be a Davis Franklin out there.

Jon

Jon that sounds like we are talking about the same machine, but who knows as the manufacturer back then is kind of a gray area because the companies were changing so much. It is confusing when you read what ISMACS wrote because the paragraph above states that Davis was the sole supplier of sewing machines - with a few exceptions - to Sears until about 1912. If you go to the ISMACS needle list site there is a Franklin made by White/Free (not sure ISMACS knows which one made it) then a Davis made Franklin, a Domestic made Franklin, and a National made Franklin, and of course a Franklin made by White for sure! I think some of the sewing machine historians are not positively sure who made what when the companies were switching around so much!

Nancy

Randa, I am so sorry to hear about your sister! I bet it will make her feel better if you agree to at least take her favorite/s machine if she does go before you!

I have two machines that I could not leave - that is if we have time and all the animals are safely out! My Mother's beloved Pfaff 130 and my first machine my Pfaff 1222e! I would have a hard time leaving most of my machines, but I do have favorites, like my 1935 FW - one of 5 FW's, but the only really sentimental one because my DH bought that one for me and it was my 1st FW! I guess out of the 50 + machines, I'd next have to get out my 319w, my 503a Rocketeer, my Pfaff 260, my Pfaff treadle, my first treadle the 27 Sphinx, my 15-88, one of my 301's, the Wheeler and Wilson from Portugal, the Wilcox and Gibbs we had to completely restore, my Two Spools, my Davis Vertical Feel, my Hitachi treadle, my Hales Crescent treadle, oh geeze - I'd take them all but the last to go would be my 3 Japanese 15's - I think I am going to sell them anyway as I don't use nor need them now that I have two 301's!

Nancy

Is there 'any' way to tell other than to say that Franklin - A looks like a Domestic and Franklin- B looks like a Davis and so forth?
I'd like to nail down manufacturer and date of manufacture on mine if at all possible.

Joe

Well, I have been bummed out for a couple days as I had a chance on Saturday to get a really nice Lotus that was featured at a yard sale! This Lotus was in the really small treadle cabinet - the only other time I have seen that cabinet was with a different Lotus in it! The cabinet is a coffin top with one drawer and a drop leaf side so for a treadle it didn't take up much space! DH was with me and we had just bought my second 301a - the long bed mocha one! I could tell he did not want me to get another cabinet, but the Lotus is the one 66 I do not have! Now I wish I had tried to get that machine - she only wanted $125 so I know I could of gotten it for $100! Oh well, one of these days I will get a Lotus to go with my other four 66's! Those are another machine that I really need to thin out and sell at least 2 of them!

Nancy

Joe, I think you can pretty much 'guess' by the shape, form but when the companies copy another machine like the Franklin that looks like a 27/127 - who knows for sure unless you can find an original receipt. You know we can go to one site and read who made what and it sounds so definitive, but then at another site it gets gray or changes completely. It is very confusing unless you are talking about a Singer since Singer is the one company who did not badge anything!

Nancy

Charlee, your machine looks so much like the 25 I had to always be fixing for my sewing class back in the early 70's. If I'd known then what I know now. They were used every day for my home-ec classes and jr-hi students aren't very kind..... even back in the day. They got some pretty rough use.

Nancy, do it. Thin the herd. It makes buying new machines much easier with the spouse. You can just tell them you sold such and such recently to pay for this one or now you have the room. It works for me:>