Vintage Millinery Singer Sewing Machines (Sweatbands, Binding, Ribbons, ETC)

[hatsRme]

Have you given it a decent burial? Ceremony?

I'm still in mourning, Art! Loved that shirt, they shrunk it, and since it had been put away for the winter and was more than one year before I realized the crime, she refused to even give me credit, or anything. That was a huge business (marketing, specifically) error on her part, because I'm telling EVERYBODY. To do some free cleaning would cost her a LOT less than what she's going to get in negative publicity. Short-sighted, that's what she is!! Too bad. I liked her, and her husband, and as an owner of one myself, I'm a BIG supporter of small business.

 

[Art Fawcett]

but, how do you REALLY feel Sir?

 

[Miamibruno]

I'm visiting Toronto and by chance walked into "The Saucy Milliner" and found this about the Singer 46-100. Not much more than I had before, but it was interesting running into the actual physical brochure.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

Sigh ... Maybe someday, if I win the lottery ...

 

[Johnny J]

Picked this one up a few weeks ago:

1928 SINGER 112-4 Straw braid sewing machine. This one does zig zag and straight stitch.

 

[Johnny J]

Singer 107W53

I use this one to sew leather sweatbands into my caps.

 

[Selco hatters]

I've been doing some research on vintage Singer sewing machines that were used to stitch Reeded and Un-Reeded sweatbands into golden era hats. I love working on vintage hats, but any time that I have a project, I always find that I can redo a good portion of the hat by hand, except for the sweatband. I would love to buy one of these vintage machines so that I could possibly cut and fabricate my own wide sweatbands and duplicate some of the same stitching used in the early 20th century.

I've found some pictures of early Singer Sewing machines and obviously there are probably later models that were used to stitch sweatbands, I just haven't found the numbers and pictures of the later ones yet. If anybody has any more pictures, information, etc about these vintage Millinery Singers, please post them here. I think this will be a very valuable thread for anybody that wants to learn a little more about the machines that helped make those early hats that we all know and love.

Singer 46-100 & 46-101
(Used for un-reeded sweatbands which were sewn right to the felt)

Singer 107-1
(Used for Reeded sweatbands which attached the sweatbands reed tape to the felt itself and was usually visible under the ribbon)

Singer 107-2
(Also used for Reeded sweatbands. This is a slightly later model)

I was also able to find a website that lists thousands of Singer Model numbers for every purpose under the sun.

Singer Sewing Machines for Manufacturing Purposes

Here is the list from the Millinery section of the website:

HATS, MILLINERY (Singer Sewing Machines) (List Published in 1926)

Over-edging brims: 81-2
Multiple stitching, brims and crowns: 52-52 to 52-60, 52-62
Stitching (straw): 117-2, 25-56
Stitching paper linings: 107-1
Binding (felt): 59-1
Snapping binding: 116-1
Sweat bands: 107-1, 75-1, 46-100, 37-10, 37-3, 32-62, 32-61
Cases, leather: 78-1, 43-4, 19-12, 19-10, 17-24
Making linings: 24-57
Tacking bands and bows: 114-21
Wiring: 112-1
Abutting and stitching (ribbon, straw braid and Pyroxylin braid): 112-3


Like I said before, there are more models out there for the purposes listed, but because this list was dated 1926, these are the models that were used to create my favorite type of hats, those beautiful pre-1930 hats.

Hi! Thank you so much for posting the info you found its very helpful! i have a singer tacker 114-21 that i use for tacking the ribbons/bows. a part broke and its impossible to find the part, my only option is to have it welded together (im scared a regular guy wont be able to do it since it has to done precisely otherwise it wont work) does anyone know where i can get parts for this machine or if the actual machine is for sale anywhere? or is there an alternative tacker that would work for hats with wide brims? (there has to be enough space for the brim in order to tack the ribbon on the crown) Thank you in advance!

 

[humanshoes]

Hi! Thank you so much for posting the info you found its very helpful! i have a singer tacker 114-21 that i use for tacking the ribbons/bows. a part broke and its impossible to find the part, my only option is to have it welded together (im scared a regular guy wont be able to do it since it has to done precisely otherwise it wont work) does anyone know where i can get parts for this machine or if the actual machine is for sale anywhere? or is there an alternative tacker that would work for hats with wide brims? (there has to be enough space for the brim in order to tack the ribbon on the crown) Thank you in advance!

If you haven't already, you may want to consider a trip to your local machinist. My guy just made a part for my Willcox-Gibbs straw braid sewing machine that is almost impossible to tell from the original.

 

[RJR]

If you haven't already, you may want to consider a trip to your local machinist. My guy just made a part for my Willcox-Gibbs straw braid sewing machine that is almost impossible to tell from the original.

Machinist or gunsmith.

 

[LuvMyMan]

Machinist or gunsmith.

Good choices and maybe if the part is small enough, even a good watch maker as they have to do some accurate manufacturing of small parts for a watch or clock.

 

[ItsJacob]

Picked this one up a few weeks ago:

1928 SINGER 112-4 Straw braid sewing machine. This one does zig zag and straight stitch.

How is this model working out for you?? I have my eyes on one for the very same reason.

 

[Johnny J]

I was never able to make time to learn how to use it so I ended up selling it.

 

[Mustang Mike's Hats]

I was never able to make time to learn how to use it so I ended up selling it.

I'm dying here... I've been looking for one for some time now ...

 

[ItsJacob]

I'm dying here... I've been looking for one for some time now ...

I purchased one from eBay last week. I believe I saw more than one in good condition on the site. Hopefully I have more time to learn to use it! Haha

 

[Ryan Ram]

hi there,

I was lucky enough to acquire a singer 107-1 and am having difficulty keeping the sweatband aligned with the brim break of the hat as I sew. I’m sure it takes some practice, which I’ve been doing, but it seems to want to veer away from the brim break as I sew and up into the crown of the hat.

I’m not sure if this is total user error or if there is a certain technique in holding the hat and guiding it as you use the machine.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[humanshoes]

hi there,

I was lucky enough to acquire a singer 107-1 and am having difficulty keeping the sweatband aligned with the brim break of the hat as I sew. I’m sure it takes some practice, which I’ve been doing, but it seems to want to veer away from the brim break as I sew and up into the crown of the hat.

I’m not sure if this is total user error or if there is a certain technique in holding the hat and guiding it as you use the machine.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Congratulation on your acquisition! Definitely a rare machine and a real time saver when used properly. Do you have the sweatband guide attachment and the adjustable presser foot?

 

[Ryan Ram]

Yes, I do but I’m not sure they are positioned properly

 

[humanshoes]

There should be just enough space for the brim to fit between the presser foot and the sweatband guide. The next obvious question; are you "belling" your sweatbands prior to installation? If not, then there will be nothing to prevent the sweatband from sliding up into the crown.

 

[Ryan Ram]

That may be the issue. I haven’t been doing that.

 

[humanshoes]

Buried deep in the bowels of the "Photos of Hatter's Tools" thread there is a great picture tutorial on how to properly bell a sweatband posted by a guy that went by the handle "John Galt". Invaluable.