[susiekirk]

I found a beautiful White Rotary Sewing Machine at an estate sale and purchased it for $20! The desk it is set in alone is a very nice piece of furniture! I know NOTHING about sewing machines, and I believe I located the serial number-- 77-18873. Anyone know when it was manufactured and where I could get a manual? It still runs smoothly and it has a really cool lever you use with your thigh instead of a peddle! This might have started a new love of old sewing machines for me! Even knowing nothing about it I can tell this was an amazing machine. Any help anyone could give me would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[Clough]

I'm not sure that what you have found is the serial number because of the dash. It doesn't look like those that can be found on the following link:

whites

Below, is a quote from the site above.

If you call the Husqvarna/Viking/White company at 1 800 446-2333, they will date your machhine for you.

I would like to presume that the information on the site is still up-to-date.

There is quite a bit more information available on the site. It is worth checking out!

Below are a couple other quotes from that site.

White was, next to Singer, perhaps the largest and best known of the US sewing machine companies. Unlike Singer, they did not offer many different models, or change models very often. Their engineering was extremely good, and their products stood the test of time. The introduced their VS machine in the late 1870's and manufactured it with minor improvements into the early 1900's. They introduced a new model, the Family Rotary, or FR, which was a very well designed and strong machine, in the late 1890's and manufactured this design, with some variations, up until WW II.

Unfortunately, there is nowhere near as much information on the White Company as on Singer. The company was founded by Thomas White, who had some prior experience in sewing machine manufacture. He located in Cleveland, Ohio (down a main street from where I lived as a child, actually). The company was formed in 1876. White was a large and prosperous company, giving Singer a run for their money. White took over the Domestic and King sewing machine companies and eventually became White Consolidated Industries. They ceased manufacturing in the United States sometime after WWII, probably the late 60's or early 70's. After that their machines were made in Japan.

The White FR or Family Rotary is the most common White. They are a truly outstanding machine. If you find a good one, don't pass it up. One caution on this model... I always tell people that "White is Singer spelled backwards...". Everything about the White is the reverse of the Singer... the handwheel rotates away from you instead of toward you, and the thread rolls off the bobbin in the favored, or easy, direction, not cutting back over a lip as on Singer round bobbins. One of the more common "help" calls on Treadle On is from new White owners who can't get their machine to stitch because they are trying to make it turn the same direction as a Singer.

[KISS]

Singer's have the thigh thing. Cool. You don't have to keep playing footsie with the peddle.

With treddles, you at least always knew where it was.

[tracy.rose]

Can you tell me the year my singer sewing machine was made serial number f6800244

[Billbraski]

I have a white rotary sewing machine serial number 77-6130 wondering how old and the value

[Kimmysue1973]

How much should i sell my grandmas old white rotary sewing machine for?

[Kimmysue1973]

How much should i sell my grandmas old white rotary sewing machine for?

[Melissa25125]

http://www.sew2go.com/singerdate.htm