Pfaff 234K-6B

Sometimes the universe places a great deal in front of us and in life, sometimes the cost is just a wee bit higher than we initially calculate.

I found a Pfaff 234 in a k-leg with a .5 clutch on CL for $20.  That's a great deal on any industrial machine that's in working condition but for a Pfaff, that's a gift.  Yesterday I retrieved its filthy self, disengaged the head from the table, the table top from the legs, the attachments from the drawer, put everything in my car and went on my merry way.

I traveled north on 167 and just a few minutes prior to my reaching the spot in question, a semi jackknifed and blocked all lanes of traffic.  No one could get by the huge truck, emergency and assistance vehicles, state patrol, and tow trucks.  We sat in this spot for almost 2 hours (one hour and 56 minutes -- but who was counting?) until the truck was finally moved.  During this period, I watched cars turn around and drive on the shoulder in the wrong direction to the previous exit.  I saw a woman get out a bottle of beer.  (It could have been root beer but I'm guessing it was the real thing.  You go, girl.)  Lots of standing around and cell phones.  Finally, state patrol gave us the go ahead and we cautiously drove through the accident site (nothing to see), then back up to 60 (ahem, 70) mph.  Hey, the state patrol and police would surely understand.

Reaching the interchange between 167 and 405 in Renton, there was an accident in the opposite direction.  A bad one.  Since everyone had to personally assess the damage as they drove by, we came to a complete stop and crawled for about 30 minutes doing between 2 - 5 mph when not stopped. 

I had scheduled to meet another CL seller at 4 pm, knowing that I had plenty of time between my 12 noon Pfaff pick-up and then.  Four hours -- what could possibly happen? 

Reaching downtown Bellevue, I was informed via an overhead traffic sign that there was a 5-mile backup due to a major accident involving multiple vehicles and that I should expect major delays.  I got on my phone and called the 4 pm seller and informed her that I was stuck at a complete standstill on the freeway unable to move for the 3rd time.  She laughed, explained she'd been there, done that and said she'd be waiting.  It took about 1.5 hours to get through this mess.  (Actually, 1 hour 35 minutes, but who's counting?)

Was the Pfaff worth it?  I guess.  My head still hurts from all the tension and frustration, all the squinting, all the stress from trying to avoid drivers who were also stressed and frustrated but who were darting and swerving in order to get one car ahead.  The machine itself is a high-speed straight for long seams but is not a self-oiler.  I'm going to assume the SPM is at least 3K.  From either 1955 or '56 based upon the ISMACS master list of Pfaff allotment years (and the only anomaly on the list I found reversed the two years of my serial, so it could be either year), the heavy cast iron weighs a ton and is the same smoothness found in the 134, a mid-duty straight that is somewhat slower and slightly more robust.  A full rotary, it's smooth and quiet and fast.  I now have three such machines (this, a Juki DDL-8700 and an earlier Juki 5500 series project machine that I've yet to write up) and I need to get rid of at least one.   

In Google searching a bit, I found this is a mainly European machine and few made it to the US though they can be found.  I would write more about it except I don't know enough to do so and I hate to start guessing.  But I will provide updates as I gather information.  It's obviously a very nice machine -- well-used but still in very good shape for its age.