Unlikely, for it was silver plated as were other fittings on the machine. Rather pleased with this, I communicated the information to Maggie Snell who thought for a moment, put her head on one side and said: "Oh, but why then does the machine have an 1865 patent date on it?".Ĭould it be that the stitch plate had been replaced. CO covers SEWING-MACHINES AND SEWING-MACHINE PARTS AND ATTACHMENTS WILLCOX & GIBBS S.M. I checked out a very early W&G against this list and found that according to its number the machine was produced in 1863 - the sixth year of production. Filed in February 24 (1906), the WILLCOX & GIBBS S.M. Replace drain plug 0 and return the machine to its stand. Remove drain plug 0 and drain oil from the machine. Remove the machine from its stand and set it on a table. Locating the serial and model number on your sewing machine will usually allow you to search online registries or manufacturer websites for a production date. Long have I counseled against trying to make serial. For lubricant for 500/I & II, use oil as specified in Table 2. Home Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company ArticlesBeware the Numbers. Sounds pretty authoritative? Not on your life. Life time of machine depends on quality oil used. In the estimable Grace Rogers Cooper book on American machines, published by the Smithsonian Institution, the lists of serial numbers for years of production are given for various manufacturers in the cases that these were available to the author from the manufacturer's original records. But the other day even I got lulled into trying to date a machine via its number.
Long have I counseled against trying to make serial numbers mean anything. Home Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company ArticlesBeware the Numbers But, Beware of the Numbers Game.