Vintage Singer Sewing Machine, Model 115, Produced in 1913

This vintage Singer sewing machine has been in my family since it was purchased. Its model number, as seen in the photos, indicates it was made in the Elizabethport, New Jersey factory in 1913. It’s a model 115. It’s a treadle machine, still functional. There is some wear to the paint job (seen in photos). It’s a transition model of the rotary hook models, between the 9W and 101, which are also some of the more scarce Singer machines. The 201 was the first "well known" Singer full rotary. They made those from the mid-1930s until either the late 1950s or early 1960s. Those other rotary models were only made in limited quantities for a handful of years. In complete treadle form like that, it is an even more rare find. The Model 115 is a full rotary hook machine, which was not common to Singer machines until the 1950s. They are much smoother running and make a better stitch than the more common oscillating hook and oscillating bobbin Singer machines. At a glance, if a serial number isn't known by a buyer and the seller doesn't know the model number, looking at them from the top, they look identical to a model 15-30, which is a much more common and less expensive machine. There is one little known, subtle difference though, visible from the top side, that is tell-tale sign of a model 115. The 15-30 has a completely different hook style and bobbin, but you can't see that until you tilt the machine up.