Kenmore 158.541

I'm not sure there are rules re. collecting anything including machinery but I've learned over the last few years that down to a certain price point, I can always find the same item for less. All I have to do is wait.

Now, this machine isn't exactly the same as my 158.540 (there are some cosmetic differences) but it appears to be mechanically identical with all the great features a 1960s Kenmore includes: 

• 1.2 amps
• Double needle capable
• Built-in buttonhole drive 
• Reversible plate insert for zig-zag/straight switching
• 5mm width
• Cam assembly
• Automatic bobbin winding
• Interlock light/power 
• Incremented plunger-style pressure control
• All-metal: cast iron body, steel parts
• Aggressive dogs for heavy-duty sewing
• Feed dog drop
• Reverse feed (and timed to match Forward almost exactly)

It has a few small dings but is in great shape, especially the wiring.  Even the case (a vintage '60s Sears pressboard trapezoid) is very decent.  Pretty, isn't it?

The last picture shows an inserted cam -- an E-type cam, to be exact.  Kenmore made cam assemblies in different sizes, different width capabilities, and with different numbers and styles of following arms.  The 541 is a single-arm mechanism that follows the lowest layer of a 2-level flat disc (E) cam.  This means that the stitch design you see on the top of the cam is produced by the layer on the opposite or lower side of the disc.

The 541 and several other models of this era are essentially straight stitch machines until you add cams, including zig-zag stitch, i.e. there is no built-in zig-zag.  It may seem an odd design decision but it makes perfect sense in that so much workhorse sewing is straight.  By limiting zig-zag to a following arm instead of including an internal cam mechanism, manufacturing is somewhat simpler.

These Kenmores are some of my favorites, including the fantastic 158.1503; if you sew a lot of denim, they are an excellent choice.

Kenmore 158.540

Model 54, where are you?

Bellingham, apparently.  My mom needed to visit with a sick aunt and wanted a chauffeur.  My price?  Take a side trip to purchase a machine, one I've wanted for a couple of years but twice wasn't able to buy, first due to condition and second due to price.

Here it is, paint dings and all:

It was only $35 and I've had some success with touch-up paint on another machine (a Necchi -- stay tuned) so I think I'll try to match the cream paint (oil-based white and bone, mixed with spirits) and see if I can hide some of the spots you see here.  The machine is in great mechanical condition and it came with a full set of E-cams and the buttonholer with the geared plate that fits the buttonhole drive lever in the bobbin area.

These pictures were taken after a long day and right after I cleaned up this machine.  (It was the usual filthy garage machine with a dust bunny the size of Rhode Island.)  I'll take better pictures once I do the touch-ups and get some better lighting. 

Kenmore 158.1914

Ask and you shall receive.  At least that's how it all went down today.

I found a CL ad for a Kenmore sewing machine stating that it is an 'old machine' but in working condition, including the foot pedal, all for $10.  That could mean a lot of different things and there were no pictures in the ad.  The price being right for just about any of those different things, I wrote to the seller asking whether they could post a picture or send one to me and she very promptly did so.

Every major brand of vintage sewing machine has one or more models that are considered holy grails within the line.  For Kenmore, the Gritzner-Kayser machines, the 1802, and this one -- the 1914 -- are several such machines.  Not necessarily expensive, they are recognized by collectors as particularly good examples of the best types of machines produced for the Kenmore name.  The 1914 is considered by some as the best sewing machine ever built for Kenmore.  I wouldn't go that far but it's certainly a nice one with some interesting features and a design that is a bit different from many of its predecessors: modern for the late '70s while retaining the classic durability for which Kenmore was known.

At first glance, the 1914 has a sleeker, simpler look than, say, the 1913 or the 1625.  The integrated extension bed is identical to the 1913 but there is no obvious cam assembly and the reverse lever is body-colored, the length dial is smaller and flatter, and the top is a uniform slant all across the machine save for the cleverly designed slot in which the take-up lever can barely be seen.  Where are the controls and features?

That sleek top is a hinged cover revealing most of the machine's controls including (left to right) the width dial, the cam assembly ('C' or top hat cams), cam release lever, bobbin winding tension disc post, stitch selection for cam stack stitches (including both stretch and forward-only stitches), and the bobbin winder. Reminiscent of the Singer 401A, the inside of the lid itself is a stitch chart.  Very, very cool and very conveniently located.

The spool pins (or pin, in this case) are located at the back of this lid at an angle, part of the cast aluminum lid itself -- no screwed-on plastic parts here.

The free arm is revealed at the press of a button near the back, allowing the user to pull off the extension bed.

The front top plate of this extension bed can be removed by pressing yet another button on the side of the bed, thus revealing the bobbin area and feed dog lever, great for when you don't want to take off the entire extension.

The presser foot pressure control is a dial rather than the more traditional knob with twist collar and it's located behind the hinged nose:

So how does it sew?  Well, it's an all-metal Kenmore with a 1.2 amp motor, a convertible, and has just about every feature a 1970s mass-produced sewing machine would have.  It sews extremely well and I've owned it for just a few hours, cleaned up the exterior, and given it an oiling and de-dusting inside.  It's smooth, it's powerful, and the stitches are excellent -- even straight stitches are great for a zig-zag machine, a true test of quality.

I've been looking for a 1914 for 2 years and finally found one after simply asking a seller what she had.  Go get yours.


 

Kenmore 158.1813

Here is yet another Kenmore I found at a thrift store.  This is one of the wonderful 1970s machines with a built-in cam stack, cam assembly, and many other features -- a deluxe machine.  It's in very good shape, as is the cabinet.

There's only one problem: it's missing the stitch selector knob that spins within the width dial.  These knobs are common to several Kenmore models.  Logging into eBay, I quickly found one, placed my order, and I will be fixing this machine within the next week or so.

This machine runs beautifully.  Strong, quiet, smooth, makes excellent stitches that are uniform, and the tension is balanced.  Everything you'd want in a domestic machine and all for $10.  Once the $5 knob is added, this will have been another great score that I'll enjoy using.

Kenmore 158.18023