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International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society

The purpose of the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society is to foster the collecting of, and research into, sewing machines.

Wanzer Update

Chuck and Elaine Oslakovic asked whether anyone could positively identify their ‘Wanzer’ machine in the last issue and as promised we can give you some feedback.

Wanzer Sewing Machine Guess by Martin Gregory

Martin Gregory responded

Looking at my photos and notes on the Lowell auction machines I see I had lot 92 as identical to the ‘Little Wanzer’ (layout, mechanism etc.) save for the base casting. Thus the mystery machine could be a Wanzer badged for somebody else or a pirate copy.

In the UK the ‘Little Wanzer’ was available on a wooden base (earliest version), a rectangular marble block (most common) or a single pillar treadle stand. There are also several minor variations: solid or pierced flywheel, brass or steel front plate with Wanzer logo, and two different cloth plates (both round).

My guess, for what it is worth, is that it was made by Wanzer. Badging for customers who bought 100 or more machines was very common in the s.m. industry. Wanzer was a large Canadian manufacturer and probably badged. As the machines evolved the Wanzer ‘A’ acquired a bolt-on cast iron base, so why not cast one integral with the frame for the ‘Little Wanzer’ since it is too light to use without a base? Several manufacturers using small cloth plates often added a cover for the lower shuttle shaft as has been done on this machine.


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