100 year old sewing machine VS Brand new Singer Heavy Duty

In this video I will compare the skills of a 100 year old Singer 66 and a modern Singer Heavy duty. I made 5 leather bags with the machines, can you tell the difference in quality and design ?

I'm an engineer based in Europe. I made this channel to challenge my creativity and test my skills in all fields. Definitely building up some confidence in planning, definitely need more experience in execution.
Thanks for watching,
--One

The previous videos in the series:

What It takes to use a 100 year old singer sewing machine:

100 Year Old Original Singer Machine Restored, so much rust removed !

Restoring a 1920's Singer Sewing Machine Table, A World-Class Antique

Other popular projects:

Sewing a bag for my Mother in law:
Sewing a backpack for my girlfriend:
Woodworking like a pro
Working with a super rare material:
Making an OP router jig:

[susankuhlman]

I saw a man sewing with a Singer like yours on "Skid Row"' a area where homeless people live. He just sets up on the sidewalk on Saturdays, has a curtain people can stand behind, and they can have him mend their clothes on the old non electric Singer. The man said that his wife uses this machine to make quilts and it has been in his family over one hundred years. What a nice way to give support to the people who suffer the most.

[taylortomblin]

I have two antique machines and two modern ones. I love my antiques, one of which is a Singer treadle machine. While it can’t sew in reverse, a good alternative to backtacking is as follows. At the beginning or end of your seam where you would normally backtack to lock your stitches, sew forward a bit, lift the presser foot and move your fabric back a little, and then sew over that small section of seam a second time. Basically, you provide the “reverse” function by just backing the fabric up a tiny bit. It’s less annoying than actually turning the whole piece 180 degrees and works just as good. I hope this helps!

[dawn]

What you call a French seam is actually a butterfly seam. A French seam is sewn twice. Once with the right sides out. Then it's turn and its sewn with wrong sides out. So that the edges are fully encased. This sort of seam is used in garments to reduce fabric from fraying. It also creates a much neater inside seam.

[sosuhob]

A tip for flatbed sewing machines: always sew on the inside of the circle. In that way your fabric folds away from the needle in an easy manner. And for backstitching: start a little early, cross over and finish a little late.

[HobbyOrganist]

I have a Singer 101-3 on a #40 library table from 1923, it's electric and I am restoring it now in fact. The machine itself is in excellent condition, no rust, but all oil dried out, it only needs a decent cleaning a relubricating.

[patriciapost]

Beautiful work. I sooo regret selling my granny’s treadle machine-such a relaxing sound. Don’t know how old it was but I’m 77 so it was old but still working.

[kcyarn]

It's a bit easier to start going and you'll have a more control if you put the ball of one foot on the back edge of the treadle and ball of the other on the front edge of the treadle. I sew on a New Home Rotary treadle (my grandmother's from the late 1930s). If you ever decide to look for another vintage machine, there are a lot of post WW1 options with a back stitch and droppable feed dogs. Nice bag!

[MarleyBu]

I must be having a mid life crisis as I just bought a load of treadle machines. 😂 I simply adore old sewing machines, they 're so beautiful. Your vintage machine is gorgeous, I'm glad you kept it. Nice work on the backpacks. 😊❤

[Sibes]

I just learned a new back-stitch method (I have a 113 year old Singer!) Take about 4 stitches. Lift the presser foot and pull your fabric forward 2 or 3 stitches, then continue sewing. There are many demonstrations of this technique on Youtube. Thank you for the enjoyable comparison video! I had a plastic Kenmore 30 years ago. Threw it to the dump once I got my Singer treadle! lol

[biggyziggy]

I live in Australia and my Nana owned a Singer treadle sewing machine and she used it until she was 102 when her eye sight became difficult for her to do her projects 😊 … she would sew pot holders for her Grandchildren. My Nan past away when she was 106 and now l own her treadle machine … l don’t use it but l love it 🥰

[ginab]

The only improvement I can suggest for future bags is to use a light color lining. It's much easier to find/see items inside the bag. Other than that you did a great job, you're bags are beautiful!!! I also have a 1911 Model 66 Singer machine as well as several modern electric machines. If I had to choose only one, it would be the vintage machine, hands down!

[ShelleyM]

So glad that there are people like you in the world that are saving the vintage beauties👏🏻💐.
I am looking to upgrade a basic generic sewing machine and know Singer has a good reputation, but I can’t bare how UGLY their modern sewing machines are- no way I’m looking at THAT in my house.

[neilstephen]

I own both of your machines and I love my vintage machine and use it constantly Thank you for your video. Happy sewing

[lucieciepka]

I learned to saw on the old singer and I can tell you that it’s much more forgiving. It’s an incredible tool for teaching kids, both how to saw, but also how mechanics work.

[teacheme]

Well done young man. Love your enthusiasm and as for the bags you created, I would happily buy one as they look so beautiful. It just goes to show that old machines are still better in many ways than those cheap and nasty plastic things. Look at the amazing work produced by the (sweat) shops in Asia where they are using Singer machines that were made before the dawn of time. Never sell the vintage table machine even if you are tempted to. The money you receive will never pay for all the work you put into it and in years to come you will regret selling it. Good luck with your channel .

[Sound-Dimensions]

the vintage machine is a triumph of design with the mechanism that allows you to turn it upside down and disappear into the total genius. I had on and wish I had been able to keep it! thank you for a great video.

[sonyasmithart]

I have had my heavy duty for several years and I love it .I am a quilter and use mine most every day

[alexlopez]

I’m with you on keeping the antique sewing machine, personally I bought first a modern computerized singer sewing machine and it was a disaster, I would get error codes every 10 minutes, internal plastic parts would break away, even spare parts that I was keeping to replace them when they broke down, broke by themselves 😮 then my ant gave me a Franklin sewing machine which is amazing, I recently bought a singer 66 on a bentwood case and I love it is 105 years old and works even better than any other computerized machine I’ve owed, vintage were created to outlast its creators and owners which is amazing ❤

[RychaardRyder]

Great! Also for the vintage sewing machine, you can buy a handcrank or a motor to attach to it (your singer class 15 was very popular so many standard size/generic attachments are compatible ) if ever you want to try something different, it's very fun for me!

[shortsweettoo]

I am not at all surprised by your results. Don't get me wrong, I like my sewing machine, but my antique treadle machine is much better in so many ways. The machine is rock solid sturdy, sounds wonderful when using and makes robust seams. If I had to make a choice and only keep one of them, I would keep the treadle to be honest. Great video.