Domestic Sewing Machines
Domestic High Arm
The earliest Domestic Vibrating Shuttle (VS) sewing machine manufactured from 1863-1870's
was much more modern than its competitors and was the first true "high arm" machine. Some characteristic features are:
- high arm
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- leaf tension
- no clutch release knob
- bobbin winder on end of machine under hand wheel
- stitch length control knob behind pillar
- no access plate on the front or rear of the machine
- back clamping feet
- SN located on front slide plate
photo courtesy of Wolfegang's Collectibles and Chuck Oslakovic
photo courtesy of Donna Kohler (modified with a later version of the bobbin winder)
Domestic fiddlebase
In the 1870's-1890's, Domestic produced a fiddlebase VS machine. Some characteristics are:
- fiddlebase
- vibrating shuttle
- leaf tension
- bobbin winder on front of machines (early models have simple winder, later models have automatic winder)
- stitch length control knob behind pillar
- no access plate on the front or rear of the machine
- back clamping feet
- SNs located on front slide plate, under front slide plate, and top of needlebar
photo courtesy of Linda Wray
Domestic A and B Hand Cranks
The Domestic A and Domestic B hand cranks were manufactured during the 1880's-1890's. They were smaller than
the treadle heads.
Design features include:
- rectangular base
- leaf tension OR disk tension on top of arm
- no access plate on front or rear of machine
- Domestic A stitch lenth control thumbscrew on front at base of pillar
- Domestic B stitch length control knob behind pillar
- back clamping feet
- SN located on slide plates
Domestic A(?) photo courtesy of Judy in BC (Note top disk tension - this machine does not have "A" in the decal but has the front thumbwheel stich length control like the Domestic A. It has a lower serial number than the Domestic A shown below.)
Domestic A photo courtesy of Marilyn Hale (Note top leaf tension)
Domestic B photo courtesy of Eleanor Beck
New Domestic
The next model was called the New Domestic and was produced in the mid-1890's - 1900's. Design features included:
- fiddlebase
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the face plate (end) of the machine
- stitch length control lever on the front of the machine at the base of the pillar
- access plate on the right end of the arm on the front of the machine
- back clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate
photo courtesy of Katie Farmer
Domestic C
- rectangular base
- leaf tension
- no access plate on front of machine
- vertical stitch length control lever on front of pillar (earlier machines) OR on bed in front of pillar (later machines)
- top clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate
photo courtesy of eBay seller 24mommyc
photo courtesy of Gail Enos
Domestic D
- fiddlebase
- cylinder tension (does anybody have one of these to show how this works?)
- no access plate on front of machine
- stitch length control lever on bed in front of pillar
- back clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate
- last patent date 10-24-1910
photo courtesy of eBay seller w-w-stuff-inc
Domestic Vibrator (King class)
Domestic Vibrator machines were produced in the 1900's-1920's. They were copies of the Singer Model 27/127.
Some identifying features are:
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length contol knob on front of pillar
- access plate on the left end of the arm on the front of the machine and at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate or on bed tag in front of pillar
photo courtesy of Cathy Jones
Domestic Rotary, Type 1
This rotary is very similar to a Standard Rotary, and in fact appears to take the same bobbin. Design features included:
- fiddlebase
- rotary hook
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length control lever on the front of the machine at the base of the pillar
- top clamping feet
- SN located on stitch length control frame
photo by Kelly Pakes
Domestic Rotary, Type 2
This Domestic rotary has a last patent date of 1904, and all of the patents on the slide plate are identical to the dates
on the Standard Rotary. Some identifying features of this model are:
- rectangular base
- rotary hook
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length control lever located on bed in front of pillar
- access plate at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- bobbin access plate flips up to left
- top clamping feet
- SN located on frame of stitch length control
photo by Kelly Pakes
Domestic 69 Hi-Speed Rotary
This Domestic rotary has a last patent date of 1919.
Some identiying features are:
- rectangular base
- rotary hook
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length control knob on front of pillar
- brown machine with tan decals
photo courtesy of Judith Baker
Franklin VS
The Franklin was a badged machine sold by Sears beginnging in 1911. It was a copy of the Singer 27/127.
Design features include:
Minnesota A
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- stitch length contol knob on front of pillar (early models) or vertical stitch length lever located on front of pillar (1920 and later models)
- access plate on the left end of the arm on the front of the machine (early machines only) and at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located under front slide plate (early machines) or on frame of stitch length control (later machines)
photo courtesy of Kate Triplett (pre-1920)
photo courtesy of Bill in AK (1920 patent date)
Minnesota H
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- leaf tension
- vertical stitch length lever located on front of pillar
- access plate at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located on frame of stitch length control
photo courtesy of Katie Farmer
New Willard
- rectangular base
- vibrating shuttle
- disk tension located on the front of the machine
- vertical stitch length lever located on front of pillar
- access plate at top of pillar on the back of the machine
- side clamping feet
- SN located on bed tag in front or back of pillar
photo courtesy of Bernie Pokorski
photo courtesy of Kate Triplett