Singer Sewing Machine Company

From the moment that Isaac Meritt Singer invented the very first practical sewing machine  in 1850 just 11 days after observing the first machine prototype, Singer Sewing Machine Company has been synonymous with quality sewing and continues to evolve into a world-class manufacturer of many more types of machines as well.

First established as I.M. Singer and Co by Singer and New York lawyer Edward Clark, the company started by producing the patent of the lockstitch sewing machine that he invented the year before.  Within two years, they conquered the market and became the leading manufacturer and marketer of sewing machines in the United States.  And by 1855, Singer became the world’s first truly international company by opening operations in Paris, France.  Shortly thereafter Singer Sewing Machine Company became the world’s largest sewing company – in the late 1800’s Singer had 80% of the worldwide market in sewing machines.

The very first sewing machine manufactured had a straight eye-pointed needle and transverse shuttle, an overhanging arm, a table to support the cloth, a presser foot to hold the material against the upward stroke of the needle, and a roughened feed wheel extending through a slot in the table.  Over the years, Singer continued to produce other models that continued the evolution of the product.

Let’s take a look at some of the more famous sewing machine models that Singer introduced to the market.

The Singer Model A, introduced in 1859, had bevel gears and a wider working space but was too bulky for most users. And so in 1865, Singer Sewing Machine Company introduced the New Family machine that totally revolutionized the industry. It was compact and efficient, plus aesthetically more pleasing than most machines. It made use of a transverse shuttle that could make stitches on almost any fabric at that time.

Unfortunately, Isaac Singer passed away in 1874 and did not live to see the launch of model 15, which became the longest manufactured sewing machine in history.  It is still made in some Indian and Chinese provinces today.

But it was the 1939 Singer Model 201 that was the pinnacle of Singer sewing machines. It was their most expensive machine, but it was also the most reliable and nothing could compare to its stitch quality, which professional sewers still seek to this day.

Once again Singer was at the forefront of the technology when they introduced the world’s first electronic sewing machine with the Athena 2000 in 1975.  And in 1978, they brought the world the first computer-controlled machine, the Touchtronic 2001.  In the early 90s Singer brought out a new state-of-the-art machine, the 9900 which had the largest microprocessor ever incorporated into a sewing machine.  The company also introduced a new addition to their product line, the Magic Steam Ironing Press, which cut ironing time in half.

Singer got into the professional embroidering and monogramming business with the Embroidery Unlimited Machine. The Quantum XL-1000 came with a memory card to store data for the really serious embroiderers. And in 2001, Singer Sewing Machine Company unveiled the Quantum XL-5000 which featured a fully automated re-threading system, wind-in-place bobbin winding system and the next generation of Professional Sew-Ware™ that kept the machine user-friendly in spite of its state-of-the-art features.

There are currently four kinds of Singer sewing machines available in the market. Let’s take a look at them and see what machine may best fit your needs.

The Quantum series, as mentioned above, is the top of the line and is mainly used for embroidery. But even if you are new to embroidering, the machines make it easy for you because they have a touch screen that can help you come up with new designs.

The basic sewing machines are known as the Economical sewing machines and as the name suggests, this is best for home use and for basic and utility stitching, with simplicity and cost affordability being the most attractive features. Among these are the Simple, Esteem, Inspiration and Prelude.

The Scholastic series offers basic instructions for the newbie sewer. It comes with a free workbook and instructional video and is ideal for small colleges and training centers that offer sewing courses.

The commercial-grade sewing machines are the ones that you need if you’re involved in an industrial business. They are equipped with stainless steel bed plates to lessen the wear and tear of the machines. They are also rust-free so your fabric won’t be ruined. What’s more the machines are 60% stronger and faster than the standard sewing machines and can produce more than 1,000 stitches per minute.

Even with the proliferation of other sewing machines companies, owning a machine from the Singer Sewing Machine Company typically provides you with a product from a company that has had a long tradition of creating both timeless and quality sewing machines.