My Singer 201k Collection

[HillBill]

Hope so

I've got a couple of huge italian leather hides for upholstery stuff, 2 tone dyed brown. Really nice veg tanned stuff, each one will easily cover a snooker table. I have lots of ideas what to do with it...

 

[Macaroon]

PM sent Mark.

 

[Angst]

here she is........!

 

[MartinK9]

Very nice.

 

[Macaroon]

Very nice Sonni - she shines nicely, that one! You gonna blame me for this one as well?

 

[Angst]

in a word....yes

and for the 1937 direct drive 201 i just won tonight...will be here in a coupla days...fingers crossed it gets here safe!

s

 

[Macaroon]

Are you dreaming about them yet? Are you skimping on meals just to get more time stroking them? Do you worry that you're treating them all equally? You're in deep now, matey

 

[TurboGirl]

Are you dreaming about them yet? Are you skimping on meals just to get more time stroking them? Do you worry that you're treating them all equally? You're in deep now, matey

There's levels of addictive symptoms and posing them with lovely backdrops, from many different and ever-sexier angles, stroking and polishing for that elusive deep gleam...it all proves you're at the chronic incurable stage. You'll start hoarding 100% cotton flannelette, developing your own dedicated soaps and polish recipes and writing and sharing pictures on a specialist forum..... oh.

Sympathies from a fellow sufferer

 

[GGTBod]

Are you dreaming about them yet? Are you skimping on meals just to get more time stroking them? Do you worry that you're treating them all equally? You're in deep now, matey

For a second i thought you were talking about me and my bike collection, if this applies to you Angst in regards to your Singers you are definitely in deep, gotta admit thought they are lovely looking machines from an era when things were built to last

 

[Angst]

i have absolutely no idea what you both mean.

Are you dreaming about them yet? Are you skimping on meals just to get more time stroking them? Do you worry that you're treating them all equally? You're in deep now, matey

There's levels of addictive symptoms and posing them with lovely backdrops, from many different and ever-sexier angles, stroking and polishing for that elusive deep gleam...it all proves you're at the chronic incurable stage. You'll start hoarding 100% cotton flannelette, developing your own dedicated soaps and polish recipes and writing and sharing pictures on a specialist forum..... oh.

Sympathies from a fellow sufferer

 

[Angst]

hi....ok heres the latest....its a bitter sweet story and a real shame but i'm in a lot better mood now than i was yesterday....if i could get my hands on the person...........

this is a rarer direct drive 201k-2 from 1937....rather than having a 'separate' motor and light this one has them 'fixed on'....and it has no rubber drive belt connecting the motor to the wheel....rather a typically-singer-massive teethed drive shaft that goes straight into the machine to directly drive the main shaft....i took the back off yesterday and was even more blown away by singers engineering than i thought possible...i bought it on ebay for £123 which for its condition is a decent price....there are a couple on ebay at the moment similar at £183 and £195....however....despite my advice to the seller he went with u.p.s. and also didnt pack it to my recommendation and that added to u.p.s.' habit of treating parcels like footballs resulted in the case being written off completely, a bent spool pin, bent bobbin winder arm and worst of all enamel damage to the top of this beautiful machine.

needless to say i went completely MENTAL (i had a new home 535 arrive by them with a broken base and smashed off hinge also....no biggy, it cost me £20)....this to me is about 1000 straws breaking the camels back all in one go....anyway, i opened a dispute on ebay and received a £70 refund so in the end this machine has cost me £38 + £15 postage....i've already ordered a replacement pin and have repaired the bobbin arm....the enamel damage is out of my league but i may well look to have it restored if possible....but i cant complain, its now immaculate apart from the enamel damage and for £38 i'm happy and at least she's now in a place where she'll get the respect and love she deserves....the 'potted motor' is something else!!! she sews like a dream and makes a wonderful sound....just need to get her a nice case which i'm sure will turn up cheap on ebay at some point....for now shes going in one of my bentwood ones.

lesson learned....collect if you can...if you cant DO NOT USE U.P.S.!!!! Unbelievably Poor Service!!!

horrible pictures first....nice pictures after....









hurts dont it?????????????????????????? anyway....

 

[Macaroon]

At least you got some dosh back, Sonni; many don't! And it's not just UPS, they all do it with sewing machines unless they're on contract to somebody who sells them regular, and the other thing is that NONE of the sellers EVER pack them properly; you advise them how to do it, they agree and then it arrives smashed to bits..............I would never even consider it unless it was a deal with somebody I knew and trusted.

Anyway, it's another lovely machine and as you say it's gone to a good home now................it'll be a knee-lever jobby next, you won't be able to rest easy 'till you've got one of those, they're creamy, man!!!

 

[TurboGirl]

I know you can rebuild that case given your love of the machine! You got everything to pattern and the knocks and dints are part of their history. That front engraved panel is spectacular and I never seen a direct drive before- awesome! The price, though, Angst.... stunning. What a great slice of engineering history you're custodian of there matey. Priviledged to see that and delighted its got someone so devoted to own it!

 

[Angst]

hiya....yup i was heartbroken though when i unboxed it....then the RAGE took over lol! u.p.s. hung up on me.....then today the delivery guy came round to collect it (i'd not asked for that but i guess the poor lady on the phone presumed i wanted it returned)...he is actually ok and not to blame and had said he'll back me all the way and apparently he had a go at the guys in despatch when he found it laying on its back...hes delivered a few to me now so we have a decent rapport....i invited him in to witness the damage and he once more told me i've got his support.....

anyway....now to try and get it restored....if anyone can advise on that it would be appreciated....but yeah, for £38 not bad at all (just the foot pedal alone is worth that...its absolutely mint!)....apart from the top damage shes perfect,

s

 

[bilmo-p5]

Transit damage is almost invariably down to the sender. No parcels get treated particularly gently; there's too many of them and speed in loading and unloading vehicles is order of the day. Sewing machine suffer because they are heavy and awkward parcels. If a parcel, regardless of what it is, can't stand the rigours of transit, then the person who packed it is at fault. These sellers who say its not their responsibility once it leaves them are wrong. It is their responsibility to ensure that their parcel is adequately packaged to withstand, barring shipwreck or similar disaster, its journey to its destination.

I've had a number of items; some quite expensive, arrive damaged through poor packaging and sellers trying to shirk their responsibilities by blaming the carriers.

You did the right thing opening a case directly. A full description backed up with plenty of pics is also a must. Glad to see you received some refund.

This is one of the few things I have a rant about because it really pi$$es me off.

Handsome machine,BTW.

 

[SteveW]

Hope you dont mind me asking on the end of your thread, but im after a hand crank 201 and im just wondering if the later square-ish models are as good as the earlier more curvaceous ones? I understand they are a bit lighter and thats a good thing, but do they sew as well and can they handle similar materials. I admit I prefer the curvey ones on looks alone, but I have seen a later model for about £35, that nice and tidy.

 

[ozzy1977]

For £35 if it works get it.

 

[Dansvidania]

Hey! I got one too!

My father bought it just because we like mechanical things, but I had no idea they had such value and they are so capable! I do some amateur leather working too, do you think I can use her without danger of damaging anything? She's been retired since we have her and I never did think once about the possibility of it being functional! It's too beautiful!

PS: is it a 201 too?

 

[Macaroon]

Hope you dont mind me asking on the end of your thread, but im after a hand crank 201 and im just wondering if the later square-ish models are as good as the earlier more curvaceous ones? I understand they are a bit lighter and thats a good thing, but do they sew as well and can they handle similar materials. I admit I prefer the curvey ones on looks alone, but I have seen a later model for about £35, that nice and tidy.

The only difference 'twixt the two machines is the metal casing - mechanically, they are identical and will perform exactly as well as each other - purely cosmetic

 

[Macaroon]

Hey! I got one too!

My father bought it just because we like mechanical things, but I had no idea they had such value and they are so capable! I do some amateur leather working too, do you think I can use her without danger of damaging anything? She's been retired since we have her and I never did think once about the possibility of it being functional! It's too beautiful!

PS: is it a 201 too?

Yours is not a 201, but a lovely machine nonetheless; there's a number on a plate at the base of the pillar, google that and you'll get all the info you need