ISMACS NEEDLE LIST

1 1 ISMACS NEEDLE LIST 2 sewing machine NEEDLES AND EQUIVALENTS (updated June 1, 2010) This is a compilation of information published by NEEDLE suppliers and manufacturers, mostly during the first half of the twentieth century. It is logically reduced from numerous sources which, for the most part, self-corroborated. Many apparent anomalies remain, especially with conflicting NEEDLE classes for the same machine . There may have been several versions of the model, for which different needles were specified; or it may have been merely an equivalent supplied by that maker who believed the substitute was similar enough to work.

2 Each column contains the codes prescribed by the manufacturer named at the top; this may also help identify uses for those odd packets of vintage needles that turn up. Finding the correct NEEDLE for a very old machine can be difficult. Some of the earlier NEEDLE classes are long obsolete (though they do appear occasionally on Ebay and specialist websites) and scarcity has made even the fairly recently popular 20x1* NEEDLE quite expensive. Fortunately, there are equivalents for most of them. Most NEEDLE manufacturers adopted their own classification system, both to provide a comprehensive replacement service and to avoid copyright issues.

3 Some systems are more specific than others. Singer and Free, for example, lump all 20x1 needles together, while the Boye system divides them further into three slightly different categories others into more - sometimes varying by a few thousandths of an inch. All sewing machines wear differently, however, and this difference may or may not be critical. NEEDLE catalogues usually provided drawings of their needles to aid identification, though how helpful this was freehand drawings, often on absorbent paper in an ultimately grubby booklet remains a mystery. Certainly it allowed for greater tolerances than a few thou.

4 I ve attached one as an example (appendix 1); all the American companies featured an almost identical list. *In place of a 20x1 NEEDLE , it is often possible to compensate for the difference in NEEDLE length by setting a (shorter) 15x1 NEEDLE correspondingly lower in the NEEDLE clamp. ------------------------------- Anything in the Model list in curved brackets indicates an alternative. Often the same NEEDLE information applied to two or more closely-named models that originally appeared with just a slight variation in the nomenclature a letter missing or transposed, say, or a word added. These have been combined, with the variations in (curved) parentheses.

5 Hackett, Hackett s and Hackett s Beauty would appear as Hackett( s) (Beauty). Confusions caused when models appeared with their names reversed were unavoidable ( Sewer Queen or Queen Sewer?). To avoid doubt, I ve tried to include both versions. There are duplications; sometimes through abbreviation or poor spelling in catalogs but mostly intentionally, to facilitate simpler searching and to resolve ambiguities. Obvious spelling mistakes have been corrected but there are some very old machines featured about which little is known (and no-one seemed the slightest bit concerned about the correct spelling of jewel ).

6 Apostrophes were mostly omitted by the catalog compilers, as they are here. Inaccurate, but faithful. Manufacturers names, where originally stated, have been included. Not all of them have been checked and some represent makers subsequently lost to mergers and take-overs. Whenever two manufacturers were indicated for the same model name, with the same NEEDLE data, both would be included ( Free/New Home). Every effort has been made to ensure that catalog data was copied faithfully and, therefore, any mistakes in the originals may have survived. This is only a guide and no responsibility can be accepted for misinformation.

7 When experimenting with a new NEEDLE , try getting it to make one stitch first; then two or three, turning the machine by hand, before trying to sew. Every effort will be made to correct and update this list; meanwhile, errors and omissions will be gratefully received at 3 Sources: NEEDLE lists and catalogues from Beka (Belgium), Free, Brewer (manuf. By Torrington), Blelock, Brysons, Boye, Diamond, , Hart (Torrington), Lammertz (Germany), Muva (Holland), Schmetz (Germany), Singer, Torrington, Wheeler & Wilson, the Interchangeable NEEDLE List from the Smithsonian ( the most complete and accurate ever published ).

8 And a good twenty minutes chatting to an old sewing machine guy. ABBREVIATIONS - mostly in square brackets: [ ] = Chainstitch [Elec.] = Electric [Fam.] = Family [ ] = Flat shank [ ] = High Arm [Hd.] = Hand [Imp.] = Improved AND Imperial; confusingly used for both [Knobfloch] = Buttonhole [Lng. Sht.] = Long shuttle [ ] = New style = Notch Top [ ] = Old style [Osc.] = Oscillating [Rot.] = Rotary [ ] = Reciprocating shuttle (in a machine description) [Rd. Sh.]/[ ] = Round shank (in a NEEDLE description) [Sd. Tnsn.] = Side Tension [Spec.] = Special [Tp. Tnsn.] = Top Tension [Trdl.] = Treadle [Var.]

9 ] = Variable [Vib.] = Vibrator [ ] = Vibrating shuttle < = lower than, prior > = greater than, ! = this was the information provided, but it appears conflicting (needs resolving) NEEDLE MANUFACTURERS (& distributors who used their own NEEDLE codes) Brwr. = Brewer Brys. = Bryson Boye = Boye Torr. = Torrington Free = Free Natnl. = National Crwly. = Crowley Chry. = Christy Supply Co., Chicago Blck. = Blelock F&W = Foley & Williams Cont. = European Note: A. Bryson published this list of machines with the following note: Davis Co. machines with tention (sic) on top of arm take NEEDLE X (1X is given as 1x2); those with the tension on the side, or on the face plate, take NEEDLE Y (15x1) v.

10 2 April 2010 Updates: see page 99 - June 2010 Headers replaced. My apologies for the oversight. Manufacturer Model Singer Brewer Bryson Boye Torr. Free Natnl. Crwly. Chry. Foley & Wiliams Blck European 4 Mason 4 Seasons 20x1 P Z 12, KK BB C 66 4 - - - White Standard 400, The 15x1 M Y 6 BB JJ D 62 7 BB;CC M;N 705 Standard Rot. National 500 Special 20x1 K Z 4 X BB C 60 9 X K 712;805 Singer Davis W. , Y (Note: A) & Co. 20x1 K Z 4 X BB C 60 9 X K 712;805 Singer National Abbott 20x1 E Z 14 J BB C 56 15 J;K E 53 Eldredge (InterNL) Mason Abelone Furn. Co. 20x1 P Z 12 KK BB C 66 4 KK;C;D P 712;805 National Abendale 20x1 E Z 14 J BB C 56 15 - - 53 Eldredge National Abenschule 20x1 K Z 4 X BB C 60 9 X K 712;805 Singer Davis Aberdeen , Y (Note: A) White Abilene 20x1 P Z 12 KK BB C 66 4 KK;C;D P 712;805 Mason Abney (Marshall) Mach.