Elna 3 Automatic Flat Bed Zig-Zag w/ Cam Assembly

I bought this machine back in April of this year and had completely forgotten to blog it.  I meant to but kept sliding it onto the back burner until it slid off my range of thought completely.  Reviewing my Flickr account, I saw it sitting there and think I should do a quick write-up for the sake of housekeeping.

Elna has a very interesting history and took the domestic sewing machine industry several leaps forward.  Many of these machines bear striking familial resemblance and are referred by a few different names, so up to and including this machine:

• Elna 1 is affectionately known as the 'Grasshopper', the first Elna.
• Elna 2 is the Supermatic.
• Elna 3 is designated 'Automatic' on most but not all.  So, I use the original '3' designation to denote the generation of machine, particularly when discussing the laudable straight stitch only machines.  This, despite not using '1' or '2' for the previous models due to their titles, company-sanctioned or not. 

There are a few other subtleties but that's enough of the naming conventions to give you an idea of my madness' method.

The present machine is the flat bed version of this machine, so it's the

Elna 3 Automatic Flat Bed Zig-Zag with Cam Assembly.

Got it?  It gets a little confusing because the Elna 3 was made in all of the variations: straight only flat bed and free arm, simple zig-zag flat bed and free arm, etc.  Mix in the 'Automatic' for cams and people are soon scratching their heads.  (Is it a bit redundant to include both 'Automatic' and 'Zig-Zag w/ Cam Assembly' in the name?  Yeah, probably.  If you find that an issue, Elna is the perfect machine for you.)

OK, sorry.  Here it is:

I think it needs rewiring, come to think of it.  I knocked on the seller's door twice and after about a 5 minute wait, he answered in his PJs looking like he rolled out of bed.  He was tired and didn't want to deal with me, obviously.  However, I showed at the time he chose.  I especially liked his "Uh, OK then...yeah, OK, yeah...OK, see ya...OK, buh-bye" as I bid him a good day.  Whatever.  I've come to expect that when a seller describes a machine as 'not perfect', that means I'm in for a few hours and some cash.

I like this machine and am putting it in the Elna collection in the Swiss Wing of the Tight Acres Thrift and Flea Market Museum.