| One of the most unusual sewing-machine designs ever: instead of a bobbin, it takes an entire spool of thread! This is a fabulous machine for a quilter, lots and lots of thread down below, so you can sew forever without having to wind a bobbin. |
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| The spool of thread fits into a barrel-shaped bobbin case. |
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| The machine is in beautiful condition, as is the case. A few scratches here and there, but at least an "8" on a "1 to 10" scale, with "10" being perfect. |
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| The badge is Western Electric, but it was manufactured by National. According to the National expert, Anne Kusilek (a.k.a., Damascus Annie), this one was made around 1925. |
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| The decals and finish on this machine are remarkable, particularly considering it's almost 100 years old. |
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Detail of bed decals:
The silver button at center front of bed is the latch to tilt the machine back in its case.
And note the crease in the bed; Annie tells me this is characteristic of National-made machines. Neither of us has a good guess why. |
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The machine is serial number H33733.
The silver lever controls stitch length. |
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| The bobbin winder accommodates empty wooden spools, so you can "roll your own" if you don't have a small spool of the right thread. |
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Back of the machine...
Note there is no controller, nor a power cord. Two-prong plug is in good shape. Motor seems sound. But this is a machine I'd put in a treadle, if I were going to keep her for myself... |
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| Pretty faceplate... |
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| Slide plate with patent dates... |
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| "Drawer" slides open... |
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| Lots of feet and attachments, including an original packet of needles... |
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| The spring wrapped around handwheel is for winding bobbins (spools) when the machine is electrified. It was originally designed as a treadle, in which case the bobbin winder worked off the treadle belt. The spring was a work-around to adapt it to electric use. |
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| Underneath the machine... Clean as a whistle!
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