Rare Willcox & Gibbs Type 200 Straw Braid Visible Stitch Sewing Machine, C 1905
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:18780606 | Maker: Willcox & Gibbs |
| Original/Reproduction: Original |
WiLlcox &Gibbs visible stitch Straw Braid Type 200 sewing Industrial machineThe Wilcox & Gibbs is “The Perfection of Mechanical workmanship“ and “…is the stablemate of many a collection around the world”. But this particular model is indeed one ofthe rarest of any W & G machines – US Patent # 218, 413 Aug, 12 1879 byChas.H.Willcox . At the first glance it’s shape appears somewhatsimilar to well known W&G chainstitch machine # 64 being often feat...ured onE-Bay – but in reality it is entirely different –free arm sleeve with much moresophisticated and fully adjustable fabric advance mechanism, differenttensioner, threading and other features . There is no sense to outline alldifferences and far advanced capabilities – everything fully described in 20pages of original Patent Copies and 7 drawings and 18 pg catalog with pictorialinformation. While in1856 the four “heavyweights”- Singer, Wheeler & Wilson, Grover & Bakerand Howe Sewing Machine Companies were trying to solve the problems of patentlitigations and did not have a time to address the issue of an average family’sfinancial limitations they almost overlooked the market demand for affordablefamily sewing machine. Then in ".. 1856 James Gibbs and CharlesWillcox has obtained a few patents(major one # 17, 427 on June 2, 1857) and patented theAutomatic tension and feed improvements, a few morepatents for the method of removing the twists in the thread that causedso many missed stitches on the early models and also a patent for noisereduction on the feed. After that they have formed“Willcox & Gibbs SMC” and The 1st commercial chain stitch sewing machinehas been patented.In 1857 the 1st machine has been produced by Brown&Sharp Co and became agreat success immediately ! That Company deserved that at least a basic informationwould be provided about it: Brown& Sharpe Mfg. Co. is one ofthe oldest and probably one of the most significant precision machine toolbuilders. The firm was founded in 1833 by David Brown and his son Joseph R.Brown. In 1853 the company get Lucian Sharpe as a partner and became J. R. Brown & Sharpe. Early workconsisted of making and repairing clocks. B & S Co is credited with manyinventions including Standard Wire Gages, the B & S taper, pressure anglegearing, milling cutter, caliper, micrometer and the universal milling machine.All collectors of Antique tools know the name of this company very well. Whenthey have began to be associated with W & G and produce # 64 chain stitchmachine they basically transformed all American sewing machines manufacturingand set "the bar" for all of manufacturers to another level. They first began to massproduce truly interchangeable extremely highly precision parts for W & GSMC and only stop doing that in 1948. And they were continue to be the one ofleaders of the industry till 2001 when all of the assets of the B&Sincluding the intellectual property, designs, trademarks and facilities were acquired by Hexagon AB, withoutthe acquisition of B&S. The Brown & Sharpe brand of measurementproducts became the epitome of super high quality and precision and that is oneof the reasons why W &G machines so popular as the collectors item. Thereare a few known methods to determine the age of W & G machines : This machine serial # is S 615877 W. From 615877 subtract 279638 = 336239 divide it by 17500=19.2. Take first two digits (19) and add it to 1877 = 1896. Based on this method it is 124 years old.Method# 2. 615877/ 8000 = 76.9, then add 1838 = 1914. Based on the 2nd method It should be 105years old Theaverage of these 2 methods is: 1896+1914/2=1905 or it is 114 years old Itappears to taking into consideration both known methods , the good assumption couldbe made that this machine has been manufactured in between 1896-1905Inthe W & G Pictorial portions of the6 major US Patents issued to C.H.Willcox (1879, 1881), J.M.Curry(1882), M.H.Ryder (1883) , Marceil 1885, Wilkinson 1882 , Louis Bulasky and others(some of them you can see as the background and all of them will be providedwith this machine ) the drawings of components and parts actually 100 %matching the parts on this particular machine. It is only make sense that uponreceiving the Patents ( latest in 1883) the manufacturing the machines hasbegan soon after (1883-1888). Generally for machine being over 114 years old would be hard if not impossible to expectthat it would be in great cosmetic condition–so, I did the best job possible to restore it without even any consideration of long laborious hours being spent on complete refurbishing .You can see pic #12as the confirmation that this machine has been completely taken apart prior tothrough refurbishing . And my effort to restoring this one of the rarestmachines was without any doubtsjustifiable . Here are the list of restoration I have to do to themachine : I have completely disassembled the machine, clean and polished allmoving parts including the smallest screws and springs . I have stripped allold remnants of old paint , applied 2 layers of automotive primer, then a fewlayers of black paint, decals and a few layers of lacquer. After that I haveassemble all previously removed and polished parts together .The machine isfunctioning extremely well andproduced the very nice stitch . ImportantNote : it is not your typical W &G silent automatic tension sewing machine. It is much more sophisticated sewing mechanism with much more complicatedmaterial advance system foot mechanism which both provide the positive advanceof fabric and much more dependable stitching which could be adjusted from 22stitches per inch to unbelievable 4 (four !) per inch . .The thread tensionsystem is entirely different than on the W &G chain stitch machines- itallows to generate very reliable seam construction with the speed 3000 stitchesper minute. This model also has the mechanism that Willcox called in his patenta “vibrator” It is so useful when sewing a “tight spiral” on the very top ofthe straw hat – it lift the pressure foot when needle goes down and pressingdown when feed dog goes into action. Anotherrare feature one would not see on any W & G models - Thelever which allows to switch in between tighter and looser thread tension atjust the flick of the lever . It is extremely critical while sewing straw hatsand bonnets made out of thin strips of shaved wood – White Pine, LombardyPoplar and English Willow . Those hatsand bonnets used to be known as “chip straw “ or “chip braid” . The hat makersand milliners used chip well into 1900.Thismachine Type 200 is especially designed for manufacturing of braided Straw hats It is great for shirring, preciseuniform gathering.Thisis the specialty machine and it is indeed extremely rare machine in comparewith regular W &G chain stitch machines. But it not only the very rare collectors item , It is in excellentmechanical condition and guaranteed to perform to the high standards designedto be by W &G company . YOU WILL RECEIVE :- 1 Willcox & Gibbs Straw Braid 1905 with Lift lever & vibrator mechanism
-1-Hardwood finished display stand with 4 legs and leather pads 5- W & G straw braid needles made by Groz & Beckert , superior quality, cold pressed & polished, various sizes1- needle and nut wrench for adjusting stitch length , etc... 1-Brand new Motor 1 AMP with belt ( please Note : The brand new belt will be installed within a few days -as soon as i will receive it) -1 Brand new Speed control pedal 1- 70+ pages US Patents with 32 pages of drawings , printed and also could be forwarded in PDF 2-Pictorial Price list of attachments, W & G copy from Smithsonian , printed , will also be forwarded in PDF-1 Direction Manual , 36 p , From Smithsonian , will be forward in PDF 1-Historical Book of “Perfection of sewing mechanism “-Willcox & Gibbs Copy from Smithsonian, will be provided in PDF format 1- Other various historical literature from Smithsonian - 1 Thread stand -2 Brand new stretchable Rubber belts for motor Weight – 30 Lbs the machine head, motor , pedal speed controller, base , thread stand & cartons ad impact absorbingmaterials . Total shipping weight /size :25"x20"x20" , 30 LBSI will pack this rare & heavy machine with all possible precautions in order make all attempts possible to avoid any possible damage during transportation .I will use a lot of impact absorbing materials to protect the machine . I will buy the insurance and the option of direct signature upon package delivery . If you are interested inthis item, you may be interested in in my other listing as well. If you are interested in more than one item, please contact me for quotes on combined shipping.ABOUT MEI am a retired textile engineer and sewingmachines have always been a part of my job. My background in mechanicalengineering combined with some nostalgia, passion and plenty of time on myhands has made the great implication on my current activities – Antique andvintage sewing machine restoration . Over years I have bought, repaired, serviced and refurbished dozens of machinesjust for myself and for friends , but now when I am running out of space tostore them in accordance with their status, I have decided to begin to offer toyou these marvels of old engineering at reasonable price .MY PROCESSIn order to retain the authenticity of originaltime-honored design, those fine details which once embellished the antiquesewing machines and my own clear conscience, I am trying to avoid ( unless the machine in the bad condition) themetal parts and treadle legs refinishing– no stripping to remove the originalfinish, no rust preventative primer, no decals or clear coating to make it moreappealing in a photo. Here is a brief description of my process: If required, I am soaking all moving parts inWD-40 to get rid of that stubborn solidified whale oil, cleansurface with Murphy’s oil soap, high speed polish chrome plated parts andapply a thin coat of a mixture of Boiled linseed oil & turpentine on theoriginally painted parts and re-assemblemachine. The gear driven machines are being properly cleaned, greased and oiled, the timing is being checked , bobbin case or shuttle arebeing taken apart, cleaned and oiled for smooth thread draw, stitch adjusted to be equal on both sides. Ifappropriate for that particular model/class, machine is being tested to sew atslow and fast speeds and in reverse on numerous layers of denim to assure it issewing with ease. For machines with motor /light /foot pedal control thefollowing steps are being taken to assure that machine is electrically safe tooperate: the motor, pedal, light wires, are inspected for electrical safety and replaced (if necessary) from the coilsto the connector. The foot pedals are being cleaned and adjusted forsmooth speed control. The machines I offerfor sale are electrically safe and fully guaranteed to sew very well. Pleasefeel free to ask any questions.The followinginformation you should know: FL residents must pay sales tax on all taxable merchandise. Return Policy (see below): There is no restocking fee on all returns. The back shipping at expense of buyer. International bidders should check the shipping charges before bidding. I provide a tracking number for all domestic shipments and whenever possible on international shipments. You will receive a notice the day your item being shipped . Buyer must send notification of payment within 3 days of end of auction. If payment is not received within 7 days the item will be resold. Please verify you have a correct shipping address in your eBay and PayPal accounts. RETURN POLICY :Customer satisfaction ismy ultimate goal !· I must be contactedwithin 24 hours of receipt of item to initiate a return.· I will attempt toresolve the situation via emails or phone calls. Only after theissue has been verified I will accept a return.· All returns must use USPostal Service , UPS and have delivery confirmation. If you do notdo this we cannot guarantee receipt of the return and will not issue anycredit.· I will only credit costof the actual product but not theshipping charges.· I will issue a creditafter I have actually received the item and verified the issue.· Return payment will beissued in the same manner as it was received.SHIPPING:Allitems are shipped quickly and directly by me from the South Florida . Zip code 33487. Your purchased item will be shipped within 24hours after receiving your cleared payment via PayPal. As soon I will receivepayment I will ship ( More time would berequired for special disassembly andpacking of treadle and cabinets. Shipments are available at the quoted rate to all 48 states in theContinental United States. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, or other USterritories may carry higher charges. Please contact me with detailed addressinformation for accurate quotes. Internationalshipping is available for most items upon request. Please contact me prior tothe close of the auction to request an international shipping quote. The moreaddress detail you provide in requesting shipping quotes, the more accurate Ican make the quote. All items areshipped via USPS Priority Mail, USPS First Class Mail, USPS Media Mail, USPSParcel Post or UPS Ground. pleaseview my listing for the shipping details on this particular auction. Atbuyer’s request I will be happy toprovide upgraded shipping or shipping via an alternative vendor . Please contact me promptly to makesuch arrangements and receive a shipping quote. Combined shipping discounts will be made available whenever possible. Ifyou are interested in more than one of my listings, please contact me for adiscounted shipping quote.PACKAGING :I will pack allitems with a great care with utilization of proper force of impact absorbing materials . As the rule , I will placethe sewing machine’s head into the double-box and will use bubble wrap or rags inside the first box . If it would be atreadle or cabinet sewing machine , I will double-box machine’s head separately . I will disassemblecabinet / irons legs (if appropriate), then I will write the instruction with photo attachment of step-by-step assembly process to avoid anypossible confusion during assembly . Orif it would be required, I could even crate the cabinet and will place andsecure machine head in the double carton underneath . Please be aware that ONLY in that particular case some reasonable handling charges wouldbe added to cover the cost of a palletand wooden boards . I want to assure you I will do everything possible in accordance with your requirements tomake sure that your purchase would besafe along the way. I put a lot of effort , time and quality materials into cabinetry restoration process and it would beextremely upsetting to me if the finished piece would be broken during transportation ..TRACKINGTracking informationis provided for all shipments. You will receive notification via e-mail onceyour shipment has been processed for shipping. USPS shipments are processed throughPayPal, and you will receive notification from PayPal. UPS shipments areprocessed directly through UPS, and notification will be sent via UPS. Tracking informationis also available directly on E-Baypage. Please note that the tracking status provided on E-Bay's website is notupdated regularly. For timely information, please use the provided trackingnumber and track it directly on the US Postal Service or UPS websites.COMMUNICATIONIt is myresponsibility and the matter of honor to make sure that my listing is thorough, honest, and accurate. However, I realize that there may still besome questions on the part of interested buyer. Please feel free to contact mewith any inquiries. I will try to respond within 24 hours or less. It is buyer’s responsibility to make sure you are fully informed before placing abid. Please be sure to read the full listing, view all attached photos and ask all questions prior to placing a bid.I encourage and will enjoy all communication with other membersFEEDBACKFeedback system is criticalto our E-bay community. User Feedbackspeaks to the reputation and trustworthiness of both E-Bay's buyers andsellers. I take it very seriously and hope you will do the same.Our common goal is to be happy and asthe result to leave a positive feedback upon completion of the transaction .The honest communication is the most critical factor . Just in case If upon receipt of your item youcould feel there is any reason preventing you from leaving positive feedback, please contact me. I am alwayshappy to work towards a resolution. I hope everything would be in accordancewith you expectation . Positive feedback completes thetransaction and is acknowledgement that the purchased items are "asdescribed" I will try my best to provide accurateitem descriptions and high quality photos for all my listings.
-1-Hardwood finished display stand with 4 legs and leather pads 5- W & G straw braid needles made by Groz & Beckert , superior quality, cold pressed & polished, various sizes1- needle and nut wrench for adjusting stitch length , etc... 1-Brand new Motor 1 AMP with belt ( please Note : The brand new belt will be installed within a few days -as soon as i will receive it) -1 Brand new Speed control pedal 1- 70+ pages US Patents with 32 pages of drawings , printed and also could be forwarded in PDF 2-Pictorial Price list of attachments, W & G copy from Smithsonian , printed , will also be forwarded in PDF-1 Direction Manual , 36 p , From Smithsonian , will be forward in PDF 1-Historical Book of “Perfection of sewing mechanism “-Willcox & Gibbs Copy from Smithsonian, will be provided in PDF format 1- Other various historical literature from Smithsonian - 1 Thread stand -2 Brand new stretchable Rubber belts for motor Weight – 30 Lbs the machine head, motor , pedal speed controller, base , thread stand & cartons ad impact absorbingmaterials . Total shipping weight /size :25"x20"x20" , 30 LBSI will pack this rare & heavy machine with all possible precautions in order make all attempts possible to avoid any possible damage during transportation .I will use a lot of impact absorbing materials to protect the machine . I will buy the insurance and the option of direct signature upon package delivery . If you are interested inthis item, you may be interested in in my other listing as well. If you are interested in more than one item, please contact me for quotes on combined shipping.ABOUT MEI am a retired textile engineer and sewingmachines have always been a part of my job. My background in mechanicalengineering combined with some nostalgia, passion and plenty of time on myhands has made the great implication on my current activities – Antique andvintage sewing machine restoration . Over years I have bought, repaired, serviced and refurbished dozens of machinesjust for myself and for friends , but now when I am running out of space tostore them in accordance with their status, I have decided to begin to offer toyou these marvels of old engineering at reasonable price .MY PROCESSIn order to retain the authenticity of originaltime-honored design, those fine details which once embellished the antiquesewing machines and my own clear conscience, I am trying to avoid ( unless the machine in the bad condition) themetal parts and treadle legs refinishing– no stripping to remove the originalfinish, no rust preventative primer, no decals or clear coating to make it moreappealing in a photo. Here is a brief description of my process: If required, I am soaking all moving parts inWD-40 to get rid of that stubborn solidified whale oil, cleansurface with Murphy’s oil soap, high speed polish chrome plated parts andapply a thin coat of a mixture of Boiled linseed oil & turpentine on theoriginally painted parts and re-assemblemachine. The gear driven machines are being properly cleaned, greased and oiled, the timing is being checked , bobbin case or shuttle arebeing taken apart, cleaned and oiled for smooth thread draw, stitch adjusted to be equal on both sides. Ifappropriate for that particular model/class, machine is being tested to sew atslow and fast speeds and in reverse on numerous layers of denim to assure it issewing with ease. For machines with motor /light /foot pedal control thefollowing steps are being taken to assure that machine is electrically safe tooperate: the motor, pedal, light wires, are inspected for electrical safety and replaced (if necessary) from the coilsto the connector. The foot pedals are being cleaned and adjusted forsmooth speed control. The machines I offerfor sale are electrically safe and fully guaranteed to sew very well. Pleasefeel free to ask any questions.The followinginformation you should know: FL residents must pay sales tax on all taxable merchandise. Return Policy (see below): There is no restocking fee on all returns. The back shipping at expense of buyer. International bidders should check the shipping charges before bidding. I provide a tracking number for all domestic shipments and whenever possible on international shipments. You will receive a notice the day your item being shipped . Buyer must send notification of payment within 3 days of end of auction. If payment is not received within 7 days the item will be resold. Please verify you have a correct shipping address in your eBay and PayPal accounts. RETURN POLICY :Customer satisfaction ismy ultimate goal !· I must be contactedwithin 24 hours of receipt of item to initiate a return.· I will attempt toresolve the situation via emails or phone calls. Only after theissue has been verified I will accept a return.· All returns must use USPostal Service , UPS and have delivery confirmation. If you do notdo this we cannot guarantee receipt of the return and will not issue anycredit.· I will only credit costof the actual product but not theshipping charges.· I will issue a creditafter I have actually received the item and verified the issue.· Return payment will beissued in the same manner as it was received.SHIPPING:Allitems are shipped quickly and directly by me from the South Florida . Zip code 33487. Your purchased item will be shipped within 24hours after receiving your cleared payment via PayPal. As soon I will receivepayment I will ship ( More time would berequired for special disassembly andpacking of treadle and cabinets. Shipments are available at the quoted rate to all 48 states in theContinental United States. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, or other USterritories may carry higher charges. Please contact me with detailed addressinformation for accurate quotes. Internationalshipping is available for most items upon request. Please contact me prior tothe close of the auction to request an international shipping quote. The moreaddress detail you provide in requesting shipping quotes, the more accurate Ican make the quote. All items areshipped via USPS Priority Mail, USPS First Class Mail, USPS Media Mail, USPSParcel Post or UPS Ground. pleaseview my listing for the shipping details on this particular auction. Atbuyer’s request I will be happy toprovide upgraded shipping or shipping via an alternative vendor . Please contact me promptly to makesuch arrangements and receive a shipping quote. Combined shipping discounts will be made available whenever possible. Ifyou are interested in more than one of my listings, please contact me for adiscounted shipping quote.PACKAGING :I will pack allitems with a great care with utilization of proper force of impact absorbing materials . As the rule , I will placethe sewing machine’s head into the double-box and will use bubble wrap or rags inside the first box . If it would be atreadle or cabinet sewing machine , I will double-box machine’s head separately . I will disassemblecabinet / irons legs (if appropriate), then I will write the instruction with photo attachment of step-by-step assembly process to avoid anypossible confusion during assembly . Orif it would be required, I could even crate the cabinet and will place andsecure machine head in the double carton underneath . Please be aware that ONLY in that particular case some reasonable handling charges wouldbe added to cover the cost of a palletand wooden boards . I want to assure you I will do everything possible in accordance with your requirements tomake sure that your purchase would besafe along the way. I put a lot of effort , time and quality materials into cabinetry restoration process and it would beextremely upsetting to me if the finished piece would be broken during transportation ..TRACKINGTracking informationis provided for all shipments. You will receive notification via e-mail onceyour shipment has been processed for shipping. USPS shipments are processed throughPayPal, and you will receive notification from PayPal. UPS shipments areprocessed directly through UPS, and notification will be sent via UPS. Tracking informationis also available directly on E-Baypage. Please note that the tracking status provided on E-Bay's website is notupdated regularly. For timely information, please use the provided trackingnumber and track it directly on the US Postal Service or UPS websites.COMMUNICATIONIt is myresponsibility and the matter of honor to make sure that my listing is thorough, honest, and accurate. However, I realize that there may still besome questions on the part of interested buyer. Please feel free to contact mewith any inquiries. I will try to respond within 24 hours or less. It is buyer’s responsibility to make sure you are fully informed before placing abid. Please be sure to read the full listing, view all attached photos and ask all questions prior to placing a bid.I encourage and will enjoy all communication with other membersFEEDBACKFeedback system is criticalto our E-bay community. User Feedbackspeaks to the reputation and trustworthiness of both E-Bay's buyers andsellers. I take it very seriously and hope you will do the same.Our common goal is to be happy and asthe result to leave a positive feedback upon completion of the transaction .The honest communication is the most critical factor . Just in case If upon receipt of your item youcould feel there is any reason preventing you from leaving positive feedback, please contact me. I am alwayshappy to work towards a resolution. I hope everything would be in accordancewith you expectation . Positive feedback completes thetransaction and is acknowledgement that the purchased items are "asdescribed" I will try my best to provide accurateitem descriptions and high quality photos for all my listings.
