The Singer Model 221 “Featherweight” Sewing Machine

Question Of The Week

The Singer Model 221 has seen some "oddities during its manufacturing lifetime and this section is dedicated to making those oddities become known to the featherweight enthusiast.

No matter how much or how little you know about the American built 221 Featherweights; this site has been set up to educate and inform you about the 221 Featherweights. No matter what your expertise is, I promise you will learn more about the 221 than you ever thought possible. Too many Myths and Rumors have been posted in books and on the internet. We are here to separate the difference between Fact and Fiction. Between the two us we have a day or two of hands on experience with 221's. We are still learning and some questions will never be answered.

Here is our first question and maybe a possible answer:

Where or how did Singer come up the name 221 Featherweight?

Here is my theory; you may or may not agree, but it is still very convincing.

Very few things in life are new. Most things in our lives are named after a Person, Place or Thing. From your kids to your pets. This is my theory: In 1916 there was a motorcycle company called "Indian". Indian came out with a small touring motorcycle that today looks like a bicycle with a motor. It wasn't very popular and it wasn't around very long. But! It had a very familiar name. It was called a 221cc Model K Featherweight. Is it possible that 17 years after this motorcycle was built, its name still inspired one of the Singer Featherweight designers? Perhaps one of the designers owned a Featherweight motorcycle?

The Singer Model 221 “Featherweight” Sewing Machine

Question Of The Week

The Singer Model 221 has seen some "oddities" during its manufacturing lifetime and this section is dedicated to making those oddities become known to the featherweight enthusiast.

Here is our next set of questions and answers:

The Question this week will be about 221 Manuals. If you have your Manual grab it and a pen and lets get started.

Singer’s first 221 Manual was dated when?

Answer: November 1933, and a very few rare copies of the January 1934. These are the Only Manuals to have a picture of a TYPE I Case, which is shown on page 7.

The AD series machines have Manuals that are very different from all other 221 manuals, what and how many were there?

Answer: There were THREE different Manuals printed for the 1933 to 1935 AD machines. There was the November 1933, the January 1934 and the March 1935. Dates can be found on the Front Page Top Left Corner. These were the ONLY Three Manuals with Written Dates.

What is the First 221 Manual with a Coded Date?

Answer: (1235) = December 1935. Again, ALL Dates on the GREEN Manual is on the Front Page Top Left Corner. In the example shown, the date is July 1950 (750).

How many pages are in the 221 Manual?

48, 52, or 56?

Answer: All the above. It depends on what year your Manual is.

The American 221 was around from 1933 to 1957. Do you know how many different dated 221 manuals Singer printed?

Answer: At least 21 different dates, 19 of them were GREEN, The Last TWO were BLUE (454) an (655). These dates are on the Last Page, Back of the manual. The example shown below is April 1954 (454).

Here are some interesting facts: If you look on about page 8 you will see a 1933 era TYPE I Stagger Leg Face Plate OR a Straited Face Plate. In No Manual will you see the most used/loved Face Plate, the 1937 to 1947, with the Even Leg Scroll face plate.

IF you want to know where the Serial Number was stamped in early 1933, it was Under the Oil Pan! Look in Any manual, NO Manual shows the New, Updated serial number Plate. The 221 manuals are full of History; Lots to learn from them and something good to read....JJ

Contact me at: Leo@TheFeatherweight221Factory.com