Sixty Fiver

There are parallels between sewing and cycling in that the steps taken to assist Japan in rebuilding after World War 2 (like tax and import exemptions) was the end for many manufacturers, at first the Japanese copied existing designs and then started making improvements that made their products superior. White Sewing Machine was one of the dominant players but the Japanese killed them off and their biggest customer was of course Sears who moved to Japanese machines in the 1950's.

Through the later 60's and 70's and before the yen crash the best machines came out of Japan and then production was sent to Thailand.

A few European companies survived and Bernina might be the Campagnolo of the sewing industry although they too eventually started outsourcing to stay competitive.

Singer has subsequently merged with Viking and Pfaff which is kind of like SRAM... they are making some pretty decent equipment again. albeit across the pond.

cyclotoine

Wow this thread goes on forever and there are some really interesting folk on this forum.

Myself, I was a professional student for about 8 years which included some time as a tree planter, then a field assistant to grad students, then a field assistant to myself, 4 years of TA'ing in grad school (I actually liked this job a lot), and then part time bike mechanic, becoming a full time mechanic following graduation, I was considering moving on and either trying to start my own bike shop or spend some time as a professional team mechanic. In the end I followed a girl (not the first time) and fell back on my education. I am a surface water hydrologist (though I studied hillslope/small catchment scale run-off processes) for a small environmental consulting company. I might like to work for a government agency in the future working on larger scale stuff though the challenges in monitoring small streams keeps it interesting. I almost went to school for business. I like to tell people I am a water accountant which is pretty accurate description of what I do though that is really selling myself short as the reports I write interpret the data to describe processes and hydrometric character of an area including flood forecasting and water balance modelling.

southpawboston

Did you run into those weirdos from San Diego when you tried to intercept the Hale-Bopp?

Ed.

[img]https://www.oldsewingear.com/uploads/...99142_orig.jpg[/img]

A Featherweight??? The only sewing I've ever done was on a Featherweight.

dunno why the pic doesn't show...

clubman 

Featherweights (Model #221 ) were the quilters machine of choice and have good market value.

Sixty Fiver

That is a 201.

This is a 1964 Featherweight I picked up on Christmas eve... in this colour and near mint condition they are worth $700.00 - $800.00



The black models were made for 40 years and number in the millions and usually sell for $200.00 - $400.00

wahoonc

I am betting this is the one he was thinking of...

Singer used the "Featherweight" moniker on 3 different generations of machines IIRC. This is the 221 model.

Aaron

jacksbike

I have worked for the past 20 years in Statistical Analysis for the US Postal Service. For 17 years previously, I owned and operated my own independent bike shop. I grew up working for my Dad's bike shop, who owned and operated it from 1952 until 1978.

rootboy 

You said it. When I first dived into my 201 I was a bit over-whelmed by the complexity. I'm going to take THAT apart?! But then, after looking at it carefully, and a bit of studying, I became more confident. And it turns out I didn't have to totally disassemble it anyway. Cleaned it up carefully, re-lubed and adjusted it and, it runs like a Swiss clock. A very impressive mechanism. And built to last. My 201 was built in 1937.

rootboy 

That is beautiful.

southpawboston

This seriously makes me want to start collecting sewing machines!

clubman 

That's the one, it comes in a small wooden box, perfect for heading off to the "bee?

My Mother has one in mint condition...I've put my red dot on it, as morbid as that sounds.
@Sixty Fiver...the white one is spectacular.

thinktubes 

Do we need a "show me your sewing machine" thread?

Sixty Fiver

There is also a 222 Featherweight... it has a free arm and is the most sought after version, one of these in very fine shape can fetch 4 figures. At the end of their run (1970) they cost $150.00 new and had not gained the reputation they do now, in comparison a top of the line home machine cost twice that at the time.

The 201 is widely considered to be the finest sewing machine ever built, in comparison to later machines it is still very simple (mechanically) but the build quality is over the top and they were very expensive machines... when the average house cost $5000.00 and a car cost $2500.00 a 201 would have cost close to $500.00.

seedsbelize 

I learned to sew the fabric covers to wooden framed aircraft, back in the late 70s while getting my A & P. Can't say what machines we used. My favorite part of the course.

mountaindave 

It seams sew. If we don't stop dogging other posters, the mods might put a foot down and shuttle us off to somewhere else. We shouldn't needle our way into a great thread. I know, I know, I've got you in stitches with my puns - I'll stop now.

The other thing I love about my Bernina is that 98% of the internals are all metal. After a nuclear holocaust, someone in a ragged radiation suit will uncover that bad boy from the rubble of our house and sew himself a new radiation suit.

schwinnman67

I'm a used car tech for a Hyundai dealer...

badger_biker 

Nice to see a couple of other USPS family members here. I've spent the past 30 years with them. Mostly in IT but with periods in processing and HR. Prior to that I was a landscape designer making use of my BS in Horticulture.

Lascauxcaveman 

"Certifiable." Heh


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lotek 

I'm a serious computer geek, mostly IBM Mainframe assembler language, working on Banking software when not writing parallel sysplex code.

greg3rd48 

I am a brand new dad of one week and a sergeant in the best group of men and women in blue in the country. I wouldn't change either for the world. It is wonderful to see such a wide spectrum of individuals with an array of talents and interests in this Forum. I appreciate the C&V community more and more every day.

Deal4Fuji

Partied too hard in college to get a degree in something useful, so a Sociology degree it was. Started out of school in retail management in the catalog showroom industry (remember Best Products / Service Merch ? ), when Circuit City & Wal-Mart put that COT out of business I went into grocery broker business, but the whole time I was in that, I was buying foreclosed properties cheap & fixing them up on weekends to be rentals. Started working for myself full time in '06 doing investment real estate.

Deal4Fuji

Greg congrats on the new child - a life changing event ! Were you at the funeral for the slain officers this past week? Some tough times for the guys in blue right now, but know how much you are appreciated !

ergillma

I teach high school physics and geometry. I guess that's why I enjoy working on bikes!

greg3rd48 

Much appreciated Deal4Fuji. I was not able to because of the days old baby unfortunately but I have been over there to the memorial to pay my respect. Thanks again!