A few months ago, I came upon this vintage gem in perfect working order, with a tag that aptly read "The hot rod of sewing machines," at a shop in my neighborhood called Kill Devil Hill. My friend actually spotted it first, but after a little debate, I emerged victorious, as she already had a good machine.
I haven't found much information about the background of Gimbels though. If anyone knows anything more about the company, I could be curious to know! Wikipedia has this entry about Gimbels, an iconic American department store, open from 1887-1987, so perhaps there is a connection there. My machine has the model number 3346 printed on it, and my guess is that it was made in the 1950s. The sewing machine is made from all metal components and is incredibly heavy. The manual is still intact, and details the special zig-zag features.
I have finally made a special spot for this machine in my new apartment, and I look forward to many sewing adventures!http://www.etsy.com/listing/82349036/gimbels-sewing-machine-manual
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9 comments:
This machine looks a LOT like a Singer from the 40s...at least from the picture. My mom had one, probably still does. I wonder if it's possible that Gimbels department store ever put its label on a Singer.
The bright teal is so beautiful and I can't wait to see where it's living in Tiny Palace.
It's a beauty - love it!
So, here is a cool ad from the Pittsburgh Press from 1964. Apparently Gimbels did have their own brand of sewing machines...
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19640122&id=dEcqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=D08EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5873,2034520
Wow, so beautiful - it has so much character. Love the color!
I have the same machine as you, same color. Mine sits in it's own desk like stand, they could almost be twins. When I had to replace the drive belt last year, I found out a little history about the machine. It is a 1950's model and Gimbel's did not make it, they only sold it with their name attached. The machine was made by Singer for the Gimbel's department stores. Intersting for me because I grew up in Philadelphia where Gimbels had a store for many years.
I have the same machine as you, same color. Mine sits in it's own desk like stand, they could almost be twins. When I had to replace the drive belt last year, I found out a little history about the machine. It is a 1950's model and Gimbel's did not make it, they only sold it with their name attached. The machine was made by Singer for the Gimbel's department stores. Intersting for me because I grew up in Philadelphia where Gimbels had a store for many years.
I have the same machine as you, same color. Mine sits in it's own desk like stand, they could almost be twins. When I had to replace the drive belt last year, I found out a little history about the machine. It is a 1950's model and Gimbel's did not make it, they only sold it with their name attached. The machine was made by Singer for the Gimbel's department stores. Intersting for me because I grew up in Philadelphia where Gimbels had a store for many years.
That's what I call a sewing machine. I mean, if you look at a more recent model you wouldn't get the detail of the machine like you do with this one. This one actually looks like it'd allow you to do the sewing rather than having the machine do it all. I mean this is a machine that you'd want, if you really appreciate sewing. http://www.sewingtradeequipment.com.au
Michael, I couldn't agree more!
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