Comprehensive Singer Sewing Machine Model List
A descriptive list of all* Singer's sewing machine production...
Classes 300 to 399 Classes 400 to 999 Classes 500 to 9999
This catalogue largely reflects the output of Singer's factories in
Elizabethport, Bridgeport (USA) and Clydebank (UK). Some German and
Canadian models are included and, from later years, a few from Japan,
Italy, France and Brazil. The rule of thumb is: a 'K' between the
class number and variety (or sub model) number, e.g. 29k58, indicates
Clydebank; a 'W' (e.g.12w1) is Bridgeport; 'A' is Anderson; 'J' is St.
Johns, Canada; 'M' is Italy; 'G' is Germany; 'C' is Brazil; 'U' is
Japan, etc. Just a hyphen was used by the flagship factory in
Elizabethport. This is almost always reliable but there are anomalies.
Often, machines with the same class and variety, but produced in
different factories, are identical - but not always. I've duplicated
the information, however, where differences might occur. They are in
number order first, then by factory order alphabetically.
Not all the class numbers are unique. There is no similarity, for
example, between the model 12k and the model 12w. Singer inherited the
W numbers from Wheeler and Wilson - maybe it had already established a
strong customer base used to W&W numbering - anyway, the numbers
were preserved (along with many of W&W's unique design features).
Occasionally there will be a domestic that apparently has the same
number as another industrial model; I have no idea why. The numbering
is loosely chronological; they started around No.1 and sort of worked
their way up.
Abbreviations should be obvious and will include:
SDA = Singer Driving Attachment (to allow many machines to share a
common rotating shaft)
SPI = Stitches Per Inch (stitch length)
SPM = Stitches Per Minute (speed)
Most of the data is compiled directly from Singer documentation,
service manuals, etc. I've noted where successive versions of a manual
showed conflicting data. I am still compiling more details as I find
them and if anyone has details of missing machines and could scan the
manual's 'description' page, I'd be delighted to continue expanding
the list.
The dates are not always reliable and are presented solely as a guide. Some discrepancies occur because the production and availability of machines differed between USA and UK factories, which didn't necessarily follow the same marketing plans. Details of the more modern models from The Sewing Machine Blue Book and the T.E.F.A.C. Sewing Machine Guide & Directory .
John Langdon
*Author's exaggeration.