Exceptionally Rare Willcox &Gibbs Type 200 Straw Hat Antique Sewing Machine, 1906
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:317270 | Maker: Willcox & Gibbs |
| Original/Reproduction: Original |
Willcox & Gibbs visiblestitch Straw Braid type 200 Industrial sewing machineThe Wilcox & Gibbs is “The Perfection of Mechanical workmanship“ and “…is the stablemate of many a colle...ction around the world”. But this particular model isindeed one of the rarest rest of W & G machines – US Patent # 218, 413 Aug, 121879 by Chas.H.Willcox and US Patent 1, 085, 401 by Louis Bulasky. At the first glance it’s shape appearssimilar to well known W&G chainstitch machine # 64 being often featured onE-Bay – but in reality it is entirely different –free arm sleeve with much moresophisticated and fully adjustable fabric advance mechanism, different tensioners, threading.There is no sense to outline all differences and far advanced capabilities –everything fully described in more than 70 pages of original 13 Patents Copies( 218, 413.230, 212 .221, 505 and 10 more ), 32 drawings of those US Patents and 18 pg of Parts Catalog with pictorial information. 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 many inventionsincluding Standard Wire Gages, the B & S taper, pressure angle gearing, milling cutter, caliper, micrometer and the universal milling machine. Allcollectors of Antique tools know the name of this company very well. When theyhave 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, without the 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 : 1. This machine serial # is S 625909 S From 625909 subtract 279638 = 346271 divide it by 17500= 19.78.Take first digit(19)and add it to 1877 = 1896. Based on this method it is 123 years old.Method#2. 625909 / 8000 = 78 then add 1838 = 1916. Basedon the 2nd method It should be 103 years old Theaverage of these 2 methods is: 1896+1916/2=1906 or it is 112 years old Itappears to taking into consideration both known methods I can make anassumption that this machine has been manufactured in between 1906-1908Inthe W & G Pictorial Parts Catalog there is the note : All “Improved” parts madein 1911 ( which actually 100 % matching the parts on this particular machine)are for use on Machines with Serial # 625001 and upward” . Seems like the manufacturing date could be confirm by the date of the application for US Patent for this particular mechanism has been filed by Mr.Louis Bulasky on December 24 1908 , Serial # 469, 159 The US Patent # 1, 085, 401 was granted on January 27 1914. Please note : Copy of The Patents and all drawing are coming with this machine .The following restoration I had to do to the machine : I have completelydisassembled the machine, clean and polished all moving parts including thesmallest screws and springs . After that I have assemble all previously removedand polished parts together .The machine is functioning extremely well and produced the very nice stitch . I had to replace the worn out decals in the few places and applied 3 layers of lacquer to prevent it further deterioration .Pleasenote the following – it is not your typical W &G silent automatic tensionsewing machine . It is much more sophisticated sewing mechanism with much morecomplicated material advance system foot mechanism which both provide thepositive advance of fabric and much more dependable stitching which could beadjusted from 22 stitches per inch to unbelievable 4 (four !) per inch . Thethread tension system is entirely different than on the W &G chain stitchmachines- it allows to generate very reliable seam construction with the speed3000 stitches per minute . This machine Type 200 is especially designed formanufacturing of braided Straw hats Itis great for shirring, precise uniform gathering.Pleaselook at the pics attached – the machine sewing 7 layers of heavy laminated vinyl practically without any effort .Please Note : You can see " Ostrek Sewing Machine Co " logo on the machine's frontal post . This Company owned by Mr .Ostrek Bulasky was located in Manhattan NYC on 134 Prince st in 1919-1932 and has been known for "badging" W & G industrial sewing machines for various hat manufacturers.Please also note : On the rectangular steel plate attached to the body of the machine there is list of Countries where W & G machines has obtained Patents : " Great Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy. Made in USA" Unfortunately , quality of my pictures desires to be much better , therefore it does not allow to see these engravings . Thisis the specialty machine and it is indeed relatively rare machine in comparewith regular W &G chain stitch machines.It is not only the rare collectors item , It is inexcellent mechanical condition and guaranteed to perform to the high standardsdesigned to be by W &G company Unfortunately, quality of my pics does not shows all beauty ofthis machine Enjoy it – I am sure this machine would deliver to you very manyyears of happiness from the aesthetic prospective . And now being perfect mechanically it will provide the great service to you .You will receive :1- W & G Straw Braid Industrial Sewing machine, 19061-Hardwood finished display stand with 4 legs and leather pads 5- W & G straw braid needles1- needle and nut wrench for adjusting stitch length , etc... 1-Brand new Motor 1 AMP with belt -1 Brand new Speed control pedal 1- W & G vintage wing nut for attaching the machine to the base 1- Leather puncher, W & G 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 ofsewing mechanism “-Willcox & Gibbs Copy from Smithsonian, will be provided in PDF format1- Other various historical literature from Smithsonian Please note : all literature fromSmithsonian Institution would be forwarded to you in PDF or JPG format forfurther printing or if desired could be printed and included in the shipment .
Please note : there is significant amount of HD foam, other impact absorbing media, carton, and 3M tape would be required . To get proper materials , the insurance for at least $650 and the option to sign for the carton upon delivery will cost to me all together ~ $20 . Never-the-less, I will pay for these expenses . If the new destination addresswould be in Southern Florida , I would be willing to drive just for the gas money a halfof way from Boca Raton toward designated meeting place for safe deliveryof the sewing machine.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.
Please note : there is significant amount of HD foam, other impact absorbing media, carton, and 3M tape would be required . To get proper materials , the insurance for at least $650 and the option to sign for the carton upon delivery will cost to me all together ~ $20 . Never-the-less, I will pay for these expenses . If the new destination addresswould be in Southern Florida , I would be willing to drive just for the gas money a halfof way from Boca Raton toward designated meeting place for safe deliveryof the sewing machine.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.
