The purpose of left stand sewing machines

[Constabulary]

I´m just about restoring a left stand Singer 145k - it´s first left stand machine I ever have touched.

So question arises - what (really) is the purpose of a left stand machine?

And why only cylinder arm machines for the leather trade? Cause almost every left stand I know of are of the same class with long beak shuttle like Singer 18, Seiko TF-6, Pfaff 27, Pfaff 24, Adler 49. My Singer 145K1 seems to be a rare exception and of a much heavier class. Pfaff made some other left stand cylinder arm machines of the 335 or 345 class IIRC. So why no flat bed machines, post bed machines, patchers or even skiving machine? Well, maybe there are a few - I do not know.

Story goes - the left stand machines are for left hand operators. Are they? I don´t think so - but also do not know for sure!

What does a left hand sewing machine operator do differently? Lifting the foot lever with the other hand - maybe? Is that all? Well I´m a right hand op. and lift the feet on my machines with the left and sometimes even with the right hand. So do left hand op. lift the foot with the right hand? Is that the only purpose and worth the time and money for "inventing" left stand machines and only a few of approx the same class? So basically it does not matter which hand you use for lifting (more or less a habit) the foot and what when the left stand machine is set up with a foot lift pedal?

So I really would like to understand what the purpose - or advantage - of a left stand machine is?

So from my point of view (at the moment) it seems it does not make a difference.

If someone knows other left stand sewing machines feel free to post them - I´m really curios.

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Constabulary

[kgg]

2 hours ago, Constabulary said:

So question arises - what (really) is the purpose of a left stand machine?

My take / rant:  In the beginning machines were design and made for the dominate hand users, the right handed person so the hand wheel which operated all the machines of the day was placed on the right side of the machine. You got to remember back then lefties were considered to be defective. Even when schooling became popular for the masses a lot of lefties were forced to right with their right hand.

Having the hand wheel there meant that the work was guided alongside the needle by the left hand. This for the right handed beginner was somewhat difficult to master where as for a leftie it was much easier process as their dominate side was the left. I guess the thought of the day was the control of the machines speed was more important then the work or was the early inventors like Singer lefties? Then came the drive systems which eliminated the need for the hand wheel to be manually controlled but by then most of the work force (right hand) were trained and use to handling stuff with their left hand. Also by then it was probably too expensive to retool the machines for mass production to take full advantage of the new drive system which would have allowed the right handed users to take full advantage of using their right hand to control the work under the needle.

So in conclusion the manufactures of machines of today are as lazy as the old manufacturers and just continued the manufacturing practice which still puts the leftie at an advantage over the rightie when it comes to controlling items under the needle. Remember the first time you as a rightie used a machine with all that fumbling around by the needle. This follows the old way of  thinking / manufacturing " We always done it this way and it was good enough for my grandpa." The left handed machines by all rights should be the dominate machines of today to allow the dominate right handed users to take full advantage of their machines. For those of us that are ambidextrous it really doesn't matter much.

3 hours ago, Constabulary said:

If someone knows other left stand sewing machines feel free to post them - I´m really curios.

Singer 18- models 22,23 and 37 single needle

Singer 18 models 25,26,27,35, and 36 double needle

Singer 45w53, 18u322 and 145k

kgg

[fredk]

Interesting. I never thought of sewing machines being 'handed'

But against above, one of my sisters was very much a leftie and she found it awkward to use our 'normal' sewing machine

[327fed]

I am left handed and by the time you become an adult you have learned to use right hand tools, guns, guitars, etc. in some manner left handed. Left hand designed tools are now useless/awkward to me. 

Edited April 30, 2022 by 327fed

[Constabulary]

Questions remains - why only cylinder arm machines for the leather trade (at least thats how it looks like) .

I´m sure the were more seamstress in the manufacturing of clothing left handed than seamstress in the manufacturing of leather good - or not?

I would expect to see machines like the 31K as left stand too or other machines of this class or even the 111 class but there were none as a it seems. Thats why I somehow doubt these machines (mainly cylinder arm) were exclusively made for seamstress with a left dominant hand. Of course I only can guess...

Dürkopp 15 was a left stand machine too but also cylinder arm and for sewing leather.

[kgg]

2 hours ago, kgg said:

was the early inventors like Singer lefties?

Found the answer both Elias Howe and Isaac Singer were lefties.

kgg

[fredk]

[CowboyBob]

I've wondered why myself & was always told they were made for sewing the vamps on a shoe.But it would be hard for a right-handed person to sew with so maybe they were specially made for left-handed people to sew in the shoe factory?

[suzelle]

I'm right handed and learned to sew with handwheel on the right. I could probably re-train myself if I had to sew on a machine with handwheel on the left, but luckily I don't have to! One thing I have had to learn to do though, stand up while sewing. My friend's shop has sewing tables that are built for people who are 6'5" tall, I stand only 5'7" tall. It's impossible to do a good job sewing at one of those tables, they are so high! They are propped up with 2x4's at the base to make them higher than the highest adjustment on the table. I think they are set up at 40" for table height. That's nuts! I have to lift my leg way up just to operate the knee lever. LOL. Looks weird, feels weird.

Thus the reason for bringing in my own machine, with a 30" high table. The guys think it's the kid table! LOL. I don't have to use their machines anymore. Yay!

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, CowboyBob said:

I've wondered why myself & was always told they were made for sewing the vamps on a shoe.But it would be hard for a right-handed person to sew with so maybe they were specially made for left-handed people to sew in the shoe factory?

Has anybody considered the possibility that the left hand machines, like my Singer 18-2, are for sewing left shoes or left cuffs only? They could use an identical right handed machine to sew the other shoe or cuff. It makes sense to me. But, I'm not right!

[Handstitched]

This blog may be of interest.

http://blacktulipsewing.blogspot.com/2013/01/left-handed-sewing.html

The only thing I have that is left handed ( in stock)  is a few left hand knife  sheaths. Mounted on the left side on the belt . 

So , I was wondering if these left hand machines come with  left hand screw drivers & spanners ?   

HS

[Michiel]

11 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

Has anybody considered the possibility that the left hand machines, like my Singer 18-2, are for sewing left shoes or left cuffs only? They could use an identical right handed machine to sew the other shoe or cuff. It makes sense to me. But, I'm not right!

Thats what i also think:

if you make the left and right shoe on the same machine the wont look the same because you sew them the otherway around

[suzelle]

Oh my mind is spinning back asswards. lol.

[Constabulary]

5 hours ago, Michiel said:

Thats what i also think:

if you make the left and right shoe on the same machine the wont look the same because you sew them the otherway around

They wont? Why? Whats different? I don´t think that is an significant "notable optical disturbance" when you look at the shoes. If you mean the "slanted" stitch seams well you can use LR or LL needles if the seam appearance matters but most seams I have seen on shoes are just straight.

There are fat bed machine like the 110w / 110K for sewing shoe uppers too but they did not come as left stands afaik

And on my end I see more left stand class 18 than right stand class 17 (same with Pfaff equivalents) if they were for left and right shoes you at least would see the same amount of class 17 - or not?

So far I see no plausible reason where I would say - YES thats why! But maybe thats just me. 

 

[dikman]

11 hours ago, Handstitched said:

 

So , I was wondering if these left hand machines come with  left hand screw drivers & spanners ?   

HS

Of course they do!

[Handstitched]

17 hours ago, suzelle said:

Oh my mind is spinning back asswards. lol.

Its also known as   a ' head f**k . A late friend of mine taught me that one. Had me in stitches. 

 

13 hours ago, Constabulary said:

They wont? Why? Whats different? I don´t think that is an significant "notable optical disturbance" when you look at the shoes.

It does make sense . When I make m/c tank covers that are laced,the lace on both sides has to 'point'  in the same direction. I lace from both left to right, and right to left ....hope that makes sense ? 

HS

 

[Michiel]

It is an interesting question (i think in that days it was so obvious for the craftsman that nobody bothered to mention it) 

But if it was for the convenience of left handed workers i would think they would also make other sewing machines leftsided

(but since the forced people to write right handed that times  i do not think they would do so much effort to construct special versions of a sewing machine for them)

Since the big brands do not sell them anymore (as far as i know) i think it has to do with the fact these machines mostly had no upper and needle feed:

This is my experience:

when i make denim trousers for my self i try to sew the left and right side the same way because the transport with only feed dogs is not optimal.

i usualy start with the most critical part (the crotch for example or the upper part) so if the feeding of the two parts is not even you will not notice it too much

when sewing the other side i turn the cloth so i still can start sewing from the same point

on a flatbed with a mostly flat design that works fine.

With a 3D object (and two parts which have not the same form) i am glad two have needle and upper feed so i can start sewing without losing length on the upper part …

si i think its possible they made left and right versions because when making leather 3D objects it mattered where the started sewing …

but these are just my two cents

it would be interesting to have a left and right version of the same machine and do some trials (with left and right handed persons making leather trousers, jackets etc.)

 

[Wilitrun]

Hi Constabulary and other interested members,

I came across this specimen in the local classifieds and immediately thought of this discussion.

Here's a left stand domestic Kenmore machine, not sure of the model as the picture quality isn't great and there's just the one of course, I've had Kenmores in the corner of my eye as I've been looking for a C877/07 - it's the one my mom had and the first machine I ever tinkered with, just four years old. 

Not to digress from the thread subject too much but Canadian Kenmores were white-label manufactured from completely different supply chains in Europe than their American counterparts, so are both different and quite a lot more rare. The existence of a left-stand household machine with zigzag cams in an already limited Canadian market certainly seems to suggest some thought was given to left-dominant operators (though it's already been pointed out this might prove an advantage in right-stand machines anyway so it's possible the engineering team made a gut decision here rather than a rational one). 

I already have two household machines here that I don't need, so if I manage to dump them I might drag this home to enjoy as an art object. It's been listed for 25 weeks...

 

[Michiel]

Is it possible that its just the photo which is Mirrored (by accident)?

 

[Constabulary]

13 minutes ago, Michiel said:

Is it possible that its just the photo which is Mirrored (by accident)?

 

I think you are right - not knowing the machine but look at the label of the white bottle on the shelf Maybe that's hand lotion for left handed sewing machine operators.

Edited May 27, 2022 by Constabulary

[Michiel]

The original question keeps me wondering….

i hope someone finds an real source with the answer

i looked in the old sewing machine books i have

but nobody thought it necessary to explain

apparently it was obvious Why they were made

[Wilitrun]

5 hours ago, Constabulary said:

I think you are right - not knowing the machine but look at the label of the white bottle on the shelf Maybe that's hand lotion for left handed sewing machine operators.

That's really unkind and rude.

Good luck with your restoration project. If I buy this thing I'll know better than to come back here and try to make friends over it.

[Constabulary]

well - not rude IMO just making fun.

Again look at the bottle (of what ever it contains - maybe Aloe hand lotion) on the shelf - the writing on the label is mirrored so Michiels assumption is right.

Edited May 28, 2022 by Constabulary

[Constabulary]

just googled for some pictures of aloe pump bottles - found it:

https://www.arrowsafetycanada.com/products/aloe-care-foaming-72-alcohol-hand-sanitizer-1l-pump-btl

So definitely a mirrored picture and therefore no left stand machine except the earth curvature and space time continuum does not play a trick on me (**kidding**).

Edited May 28, 2022 by Constabulary

[jimi]

...I think wiz is on the right track but i have no clue either, what i do know is if you want to treadle one then better hope it has the original treadle base with it