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SINGER 201 CLASS SUBMODELS |
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HISTORICAL NOTES ON THE SINGER 201 CLASSThe Singer 201 class is a horizontal rotating hook, reverse feed intended for household (domestic) use but one of the most popular and successful models in the mid 20th century and one favoured by home dressmakers. While the model was used in atelier studios and by semi-professional home based dressmakers, the story that it was used to stitch leather detailing for the interior upholstery of Rolls Royce motorcars doesn't stand up to any kind of critical scrutiny; I have personally worked with the type of hide and threads used by Rolls Royce and I know that though a very fine dressmaker's machine it is not a practical machine for sewing leather, and especially not in a commercial setting. There were Singer 15 class submodels specially designed for sewing leather (with roller feed or walking foot) which were used in commercial factory settings, so there is a possibility the rumour started with a misidentified industrial use 15 class. It took much sleuthing, but according to my research the 201 class was
developed at Singer's Wittenberge factory in the early to mid 1920s as
the 201D. The 201-1 treadle went into production at Singer's main plant
at Elizabethport in NJ USA around 1930, however the most popular submodel
was the 201-2 with a direct drive potted motor. Far fewer belt drive 201-3
or hand crank 201-4 were produced for the USA market which means sewing
machine collectors there are usually only familiar with the 201-2 so please
keep that in mind when researching your machine. The body was remodelled in cast in aluminium and designated; 201K21 treadle, 201K23 belt drive motor, 201K24 hand crank. The body shape of the aluminium machines are slightly different but this does not affect their function. There is no record of a potted motor aluminium submodel being manufactured, but if it was it would have the designation “22”. |
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201D |
The original 201 developed and manufactured in the Wittenberge Singer
Factory (Prussia, Germany) The "D" stands for Duitsland (German
for Germany) as Singer had already designated "W" to the former
Wheeler and Wilson factory.
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201–1 Treadle
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Going into production at Singer's Elizabethport factory around 1930.
Though many people still believe the model was developed in the USA, since
the 201D production predates the first 201–1, that belief is highly
problematic. |
201K1 Treadle
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The 201 class went into production at the Kilbowie factory (Scotland
Great Britain) in 1935.The same year King George V celebrated the Silver
Jubilee of his reign, so Singer took the opportunity to advertise the
201K as the Jubilee model. The 201K1 (and 201K2, 201K3 and 201K4) was
manufactured at Kilbowie till the late '50s. Only small numbers of the
201K2 were manufactured. It is unlikely that the direct drive potted motor
was ever officially marketed in Australia.
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201K21 Treadle
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In the early 1950s the body was remodelled in cast in aluminium and designated; 201K21 treadle, 201K23 belt drive motor, 201K24 hand crank. The body shape of the aluminium machines are slightly different but this does not affect their function. There is no record of a potted motor aluminium submodel being manufactured, but if it was it would have the designation “22”. There is also no record of a US made "aluminum" 201.
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201P21 Treadle
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Singer opened a factory in Penrith in 1959 where they initially finished off 201K23 as 201P, these have a serial number with a double letter E– prefix. 201P with a serial with a double letter V– prefix were cast in the Penrith factory, unfortunately the records for the Penrith Singer factory were not kept.
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New Parts |
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Take care when buying from sellers who are not also clollectors as not all #172222 bobbins are equal |
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