Watch Out For Fake Singer Sewing Machines
*This post may include affiliate links, which allow me to make a small commission off your purchases. The money is earned at no additional cost to you.
I had no idea there were fake Singer sewing machines on the market. However, many fakes were made. These knock offs are called vintage reproduction machines and are of less build quality than the real thing.
Common problems with fake Singer sewing machines.
Reproduction machines often make very loud noise due to ill fitting internal parts. Also, many of the electric models have poor speed control.
Here’s how to identify a fake.
The first thing you want to do is look for any decals on the machine. Then, you will need to visit ISMACs to figure out the name of your decal. Once you find out the name of the decal, you can search google images for other machines like yours. Look carefully to see if all functions and features of the original sewing machine match yours.
For machines without decals, it is always best to visit ISMACs and look up model and serial number . Once you have looked up the information, you’ll be able to find detailed information about when your machines was made. This will give you all the information you need to find pictures and an original manual. Compare notes between the pictures to see if your machine is the real thing. Below, I have one example of how to identify a fake machine.
Fake Singer 15
The machine pictured above has “RAF” decals, which were only made at a Singer manufacturing plant in Scotland from 1935 to the 1950s. But, features on the fake come from several different makes and models. The discrepancies are as follows. Fake “RAF” Singer 15 includes:
- A circular stitch length dial (This dial is only supposed to be on 15-91 & Singer 201)
- One spool pin hole (real Singer 15’s have 3)
- Features a pink and gold badge found on Singer 400 series machines
- Includes a feed dog drop dial from Singer 191
- Hand wheel spokes are much thinner
Other Helpful Articles
2 Comments
Leave a response
I have a suggestion for your consideration due to some facts that I have researched: Singer licensed some machines to be made as nostalgia machines to celebrate the success of machines like the 15. Singer had a factory in Taichung, Taiwan and licensed them to make some nostalgia models. The Kilbowie, Clydebank, Scotland factory also made nostalgia models, but just a few. I don’t have exact production numbers from each and every factory. What I am certain of is that there were very fine machines made at both Taichung and Kilbowie, as I have a Taichung Singer model 15-90. I have used it for 55 years (acquired it in 1972) and personally know that there were 2 family members who used it before me. I think the machine was made in the 1950-1959 range. Mine sits in a mahogany cabinet made in Kilbowie, Scotland– a # 47 cabinet with swivel drawers. My machine sews like butter. It is not loud, jerky, or too fast. I didn’t even know that it was made probably in Taichung until recently when I researched the serial number. And the factories did share decal sets to complete production runs.
So please don’t announce that all machines not made in Kilbowie, Elizabethport, St Johns CA, etc, are fake or bad machines. I’m aware that China and India have nostalgia machines too, of varying quality. The best way to test quality is to use it and inspect the mechanical parts of the machine. The parts on my machine are all Simanco and have the appropriate parts numbers. Our understanding of “fake” is as a “knockoff”. This isn’t the case with the Taichung Taiwan Singer Factory. The machines were properly licensed and manufactured.
You are correct. There are nostalgia machines, many of which work beautifully. My emphasis is always to check ISMACS and other databases for serial number so you know if the machine is authentic or not. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂