miriam

BoJangles wrote: "I just picked up a Kenmore 3/4 size machine Model 158.10400 for $5 from a swap meet. It is in great shape -- looks exactly like this machine on e-bay without all the gunk in the bobbin area! Has attachments, case and all, but this machine does not take cams? So what does the 158.1503 you are looking at look like?"

Those little 3/4 size are NICE. My sister has one - uses it in an RV - they do a couple basic stitches & pretty simple to work. Some where I thought I saw they were made by Jaguar. I've used hers it's pretty gutsy for it's size. It does have two belts. One on the side and one underneath. They are small but heavy.

Kitzone

Nancy ~ the dimensions are 14 1/2" X 7". I really didn't know how to classify it because it has similar parts to several different models. Now that you point out the tension disk, I agree it's more like a 66. (Hmmm - makes me wonder what happened to my brain cells and eye sight when I turned 50??)

Irishrose - Thank you for the leads on Jolson and Nelco. I did a quick google search and didn't find any photo's that resemble my SM but I will do some further research.

Judy

luce321

I was born in Jackson, MS, my parents moved to New Orleans when I was two. I've been here ever since. I have only been back twice, the last time when we evacuated there due to a hurricane.

Lucy

mpeters1200

I had this weird triangular shaped thing on the back of the piece that holds the needle in on my 66. Is it a thread cutter or is it just there for some type of decoration?

irishrose

Kitzone, look at this picture of the Necchi BU and note the similarities to your 'Little Black Dress."

luce321

Yesterday, at Goodwill, I found a Necchi, model no. 536FB. It's in good condition and has a desktype cabinet with three large drawers. I couldn't check the stitch, but it runs very well. Can anyone tell me what year it was made? Thanks, Lucy

Kitzone

Irishrose ~ They do look exactly alike except mine does not have the Necchi name on it. It is completely black except the chrome parts. There are numbers imprinted in the chrome and on the stitch regulator there is the letters "AV". No other indicators except a Serial Number on the bottom under the bed. Interesting??

I remember you posted a comment on how well she sews and I agree, "my little black dress" sews so nicely.

Judy

chris_quilts

Is it a "Made in Italy" machine or somewhere else? I ask because I think it's the Yahoo Necchi group who has info about what years the made in Italy machines were manufactured but they cannot help with any other Necchis manufactured elsewhere as they don't have the information.

miriam

Does it have any plastic parts? I have a Necchi Nora with a broken stitch regulator - it was about the only plastic on the machine... I keep thinking parts. It is a beautiful machine. Broke my heart to not be able to get that part. Very well made other than that plastic thing.... No stitch control. I gave a Necchi I loved to my DD's friend a while back - she needed it to make baby clothes. I had a third newer Necchi nobody liked at all - we decided it was because you had to strain your neck to see what you were doing and it chugged very slow. I think it matters how the nose is shaped whether or not you can see what you are doing. Get a flashlight and shine it inside the machine - look and see if there is any plastic in weird places. or cracked plastic parts. On the Necchi Nora the bobbin unit zigzags instead of the needle. The later ones zig zag with the needle moving side to side. I've seen some old Kenmore's that the bobbin shuttle was the zig zag, too. I think the one we liked had a lot of decorative stitches and the one we disliked was more basic with just a couple stitches.

irishrose

luce321, my understanding is that Necchi didn't keep very good records. If yours says, "Made in Italy" you can join the Yahoo group for some info. The best I could find out about mine was that it is pre 1950 because it has a VN, not just a N. Then the block N was modernized and that's another marker, but I don't the year on that. My number 600630 and it's a BF, so it only straight stitches.