Kenmore 158.13413

I was up north, innocently purchasing a sewing machine of all things.  How innocuous, right?

I dropped by the local Value Village to shop for a few things and just happened to walk through the furniture aisle.  You never know what you'll find, AM I RIGHT?  Now, I love a good formica end table with one end of the handle falling off, a side strip of the laminate coming unglued, and a water stain from a houseplant.  Don't you?

OK, let's cut the crap.  I went in that store determined to find a sewing machine -- hoping and praying for a Kenmore -- and lo and behold, this 8-stitch beauty was sitting fat and sassy, ready for my greedy mitts.  Perhaps that water stain was my drool, I'm not sure.

It was filthy and still has a fair amount of dirt in the crevices and seams.  I'm going to be cleaning this one every time I run it, seeing little lines of dirt and old oil between every panel.  Ah, the price we collectors must pay for our indulgences.

It's one of the lower-end Jaguar/Maruzen Kenmores built in Taiwan in the late '70s, probably 1977 or '78.  (No wonder the transition to Janome was so uneventful.)  I'm happy to report that it is as smooth and heavy as its Japanese counterparts.

It has plenty of small dings and fine scratches but all the knobs, spool pins, thread guides, etc. are present and in good working order.  It's been sitting in the sun, as it has a light case of UV on several of the plastic panels.  No attachments or manual were included -- not even the power cord/pedal.  Fortunately, I have an extra cord/pedal that I believe will work, once I dig it out and see if it has the proper plug configuration.

The model tag states 'Simpsons-Sears, LTD. (LTEE.) - Canada.'  It's possible this machine was purchased in Canada and brought south, as I found it near the Canadian border.  I haven't seen many of these 8-stitch models; perhaps these were made primarily for non-U.S. markets.  Once I get it fully oiled and running, I'll update this post and hopefully give two thumbs up.

This is exactly the kind of machine I love to find and the $4.99 price tag makes it all the sweeter.

Bernina 807 Minimatic

Now here's a cute little machine.

I like Berninas but I'm not too fond of the prices they fetch, so I only own machines that I can find at low prices.  I found this one on CL, drove up north to pick it up, and stopped by a Value Village where I found some patterns, a box of Kenmore accessories, and, yes, another Kenmore.  This Bernina is a slightly smaller machine, perhaps a 3/4 and has its own extension table, case, pedal/cord, and sewing table.

I haven't opened it up to take a look but I did open the lamp cover on the machine's nose and oiled all the usual suspects.  It runs and sews beautifully, especially for a machine that has been in storage for quite a while.  I didn't run it for very long, though, as I don't want to stress any parts that need lubrication.  All the dials and controls seem to work perfectly.

There is a total of 7 stitches including straight.  The top-most dial on the face controls width (outer) and needle position (inner).  The center lever controls length and reverse with a dial limiter.  The lower knob controls the feed dogs and the switch at the very bottom is a much-appreciated speed override switch: Max and Min settings.  This machine is pretty quick, so the slower speed is good for concentrating on one's project rather than feathering the pedal speed as well as everything going on with the needle.

Cosmetically, it's very good.  There are some very small paint dings and hairline scratches here and there and two slightly larger paint dings near the back of the free arm (probably caused by careless wielding of the bed extension).

As you can see, the motor housing, plate below the hand wheel, and the spool pin platform all suffer from UV suntan.  Were I more retentive than I already am, I'd take those pieces and apply hair salon peroxide cream to bring them back to the original off-white.  It's an easy process but since I probably won't keep this machine very long, I'll let the next owner have the honor.

I don't want to step on any toes as I mount my soapbox.  We collectors all have our preferences and I am not nearly enough of an expert at any of this to question the judgment of anyone.  However, I don't really understand the Singer Featherweight (221/222) fixation.  They seem like nice little machines but $300 - $500 (or $1000 for a 222) buys several excellent machines that may arguably be superior at what its devotees claim it does.  Here is a beautiful, lightweight, and extremely capable machine that offers multiple built-in patterns, plenty of power, and a sleek, modern design.  When even a small Bernina can be used as a comparison against such price inflation, I'm given pause to reflect on the conception of value.  I'm all about cheap machines and I understand that others may not be.  But if my blog pages illustrate at least one thing successfully -- I believe, it is that quantity and quality are far from exclusive.  I'm not a quilter.  In fact, I'm not much of a sewer at all, so take my words with all the salt you can carry.

What do you think?   

Me: shop around.  Great deals can be had.