Elna 72C TSP

I'm a late bloomer in several ways and my belated appreciation of Elna machines is in keeping with my slow pate.  I get there eventually.

I really, really like the 62C to such an extent that when I saw this one for sale, my reaction was reflexive.  The 72C TSP Top Special is another fine machine in the Elna series of 1970s electronic mechanical machines.  It's very similar to the 62C except that it doesn't have a cam assembly, so stitching selection is limited to the six built-in stitches in the machine's cam stack plus a buttonhole function.

The machine is housed in a custom Elna table made of solid wood in a maple finish, a solid over plank and ply core with a single drawer.  The bottom of the drawer is the only pressboard and glides smoothly over the solid wood runners.  In that drawer was an assortment of several Elna attachments and tools, some sewing odds and ends (packages of bias tape, etc.), all lodged in a hardened hot pink goo.  The goo covered the bottom of the drawer and was thick and not quite hardened, so I was able to pry the attachments out (using latex gloves) and wash the drawer's insides, wiping with a cloth dipped in hot soapy water with a few drops of bleach.  I have no idea what the goo was and why so much of it was in the drawer.

The machine needed the usual cleaning and oiling.  Once fully oiled and de-grimed on the inside to the extent I could, I ran it for several minutes.  The sound these '70s Elnas make is really nice: quiet, smooth, rhythmic.  Thanks to the rotary horizontal hook and drop-in bobbin case, these machines are quite fast as well as quiet.  Stitch quality is about as good as it gets and the dial for length that incorporates forward and reverse lengths as well as a separate buttonhole setting is far superior to the levers found in many other machines.  The width control can be actuated differently by turning the knob right or left: detents at numerals or sliding.  (Buttonhole stitch width has a separate setting via the same knob action.)  This is a very clever feature as it incorporates user choice and two functions in a single control.

One feature I'm not so fond of is having to set the width lever at Zero prior to changing the built-in stitch pattern.  It's an extra step that I sometimes forget (and am quickly reminded by the selection dial's lack of cooperation).  Other than that, I can't think of anything I'd change except the lack of presser foot pressure; universal pressure makes these Elna machines less versatile, in my opinion.  Another missing feature is the ability to drop the feed dogs -- a serious oversight, as the feature wouldn't have added much cost to the machine.  The base doesn't include a rule (some models do, some don't) but the table does -- a nice touch.  No case was included, unfortunately but the typical Elna two-speed button-style controller is familiar and welcome.  In high speed, SPM is likely near 1000 or more, so the TSP has speed to burn.

This is a great free arm machine.  If you see one for a low price and it's in sewing condition, I recommend this or any of the related Elna machines.