PURCHASING SERIES #17: This Heavy, Obscure German Machine Brand Shows "Anker" is German for ANCHOR

[@ronalddaub5008]

The pin cushion below the bobbin winder is a nice touch

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

I agree. I've often wondered why more machines did not have this.

[@ronalddaub5008]

@@VintageSewingMachineGarage I would like to have been in on some of the designing and engineering on any company in the past that would be really interesting to have the knowledge that they had about how are we going to make something this year....

[@gnat5927]

I just bought this exact sewing machine but I think the motor is missing. I found the instruction manual underneath the drawer in the table. If you contact me, I can scan it and send it over. I'm watching to see if I can figure out how to get a motor.... and btw.... it is BY FAR the heaviest sewing machine I've ever picked up! BTW... we're wondering if this company was purchased by Pfaff because there was a little hand written note inside the instruction manual.

[@jenniferjones7845]

I have my mother's Anker looks like thus one with the cabinet. My father bought it for her when they got married in the early 1950's. I inherited when she passed away. I learned to sew on it, used it for years.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

What a great family heirloom you inherited!!

[@pattiwise2122]

Someone gave me this exact model. It is in pristine condition. I don’t think it was ever used. I will try tomorrow or soon to plug it in and sew with it. I have the manual also, and it surpasses the old singer manuals in simplicity and ease to read. Beautiful machine, and yes it is heavy.

[@Sirja_L]

Hey, I love your in depth videos about vintage sewing machines... beeing from Germany I can tell you that these machines were built in the 1950th in Bielefeld / Germany. They are pretty indestructible. I've got the follow up model at home. Sadly I couldn't find any manual for you. If I stumble across one, I'll give you a shout out... Happy sewing

[@victoriango9443]

The relative size of the head compared to the arm makes the machine look like a 3/4 size. Like a 99. cool!

[@vaccavo]

I was thinking the same! In Brasil, we don't have 99s, or 201s, or 222s, or 301s, or 500s. So it is a consolation, to have found this Anker.

[@livesoutdoors1708]

Love that “ they need to be woken up”. Gently.😁 Very cool machine.

[@mrsboss1055]

I just found this same machine in a shed behind a house we just bought. It seems to be in good condition.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Very nice!

[@Sirja_L]

I think the knob above scale for the stitch width is the position for the needle.... in the video its on the left side. If you slide it to the right, the needle position should switch to the right side.

[@lizzyhazel4085]

WOW, that is a neat machine! I am excited to see it sew. Great purchase. Have fun with it.

[@vsmetc7305]

I read on the internet a person said it takes a 16x1 needle. They stated further that a 16x231 needle is the same size and workers in their machine. It is a standard industrial machine needle readily available. Interesting machine you have. I think I saw it on Kijiji for sale

[@ronalddaub5008]

My older national/monarch machine takes a needle that is slightly longer than a standard singer needle.. on a vibrating shuttle like this is I have , all I need to do is look under the throat plate and I can set the needle down a little bit and it works perfect. so each time I change needles I have to reset my Needle height which is not a problem on this. If I had the right needles I would just put it in but I can't find those needles but as long as I have a needle I can always make it work

[@Sirja_L]

You are right about the feed doogs and the S / E... its Sewing / Embroidery

[@coronadrvr9863]

I have one of these I got from my mother 3 days ago. Did you make more videos going through it? I searched but didn’t find them.

[@capedoryus]

Thanks for posting. Love this machine. Great find. Can't wait for part 2. As a BU fan I was interested in the ZZ comment. Thank again

[@wimseybunter]

German speaker here. I can confirm that "Anker" indeed means anchor.

[@paulwrightwa]

Another gorgeous machine!

[@eileenmacri2254]

What a beautiful machine. Big WOW👍

[@melanieparker1307]

Someone with a manual to their machine of this same make and model has the manual with 1947 and the owner's name written inside of it.

[@stupidusedrnames]

I have a SINGER 201_3. Took me years to find it. -3 is rare. I actually need to sell it but don't know what to ask for it. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[@jaynedaily6080]

I have an Anker RZ but it is missing the feed dogs and curved zig zag plate. Any idea if parts can be found? The dogs are wider than any I see out there.

[@lizzyhazel4085]

If you love this machine, you should keep it and sew projects with it.

[@judisewnsew6514]

Gorgeous! Now I want one! 😄

[@jaynedaily6080]

Love this. I picked up one just like it recently.

[@jdeking2]

I have the parts book and the disassembly and reassemble manual for this machine.

[@pjetenere1]

Hi Jeff, I have my mothers RZ Anker machine, it was a wedding present to her in 1952. I still use it today for many things but I don't have any paperwork or maintenance instructions for it. I would be so glad to pay for any costs to have a copy of any paperwork to help me maintain this great machine, Regards Paul

[@polspijn]

I've got the same one, but without the pincushion. It is one of my most beautiful machine's. And you're right Anker means Anchor and you pronounce it like in the English language. The lever on top of the zigzag dial is for the left - middle position of the needle later models had left - middle and right. The lever on the bottom is like you thought embroidery or sewing. Nice find and I hope you will enjoy it!

[@autoliv4]

I got a singer 99k ,got it for $20.,it cost me $265. To fix it, now it work like new

[@jaynedaily6080]

Here's the manual documentcloud.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:42a0db08-08af-4ae6-8569-486b443ba0de

[@LycanthropiesSpell]

Yup, Anker machines are still around here ( if you know where to look ). And Anker does mean anchor in German and Dutch. Almost bought one, but the price on it... . Off topic now : burglars here are now targeting sewing machine owners... 'cause of the ' mask craze '.

[@ronalddaub5008]

Oh wow do they want to steal our machines that's crazy,, makes sense..

[@richardjleonard6199]

you probably know this already...but the German word ADLER..means Eagle

[@ronalddaub5008]

Interesting machine that bobbin case cover looks just like an old domestic/white... the bobbin looks to be class 15 and that's similar the old domestic .that thing is cool

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

If your hunch is correct, then that would not be surprising Ronald. Smaller machine makers often "borrowed" ideas or even parts from larger brands like Singer due to the massive cost of tooling a factory for so many parts. This was also true in the car industry.

[@ronalddaub5008]

@@VintageSewingMachineGarage yes I've collected and repaired over 20 machines in the last few years and I see machines all the time from the 1900s to the 1980s that shared parts and swapped them around it's really amazing I have two treadle machines one is older than the other one is a monarch and the other is a Minnesota both vibrating shuttle machines and I see off shoots of them all the time with different swapped around stitch length levers and everything else. Sometimes I have the least spray on top and other times they have a new tention assembly for upper thread,

[@iggyreilly2463]

Not a rare or obscure model though not as common as Singer/Kenmore/etc. 1950s made in West Germany. Simple zig-zag machine made by Anker and contracted/re-badged by other manufacturers who didn't currently have a zig-zag model in their lineup. (It was less expensive to rebadge an existing zig-zag machine from another company than retool a factory. Globalization is nothing new!) These were commonly sold in the US by Free-Westinghouse and New Home with very slight differences such as their automatic bobbin winders. (Both American companies at the time but soon bought by Japanese companies, US factories were closed, and manufacturing was went to Japan, all done with the blessing of the US government). Anker is an old company and made bicycles, cash registers, etc. as well as very high-quality sewing machines. Yes, they made industrial models (I have a MMZ industrial zig-zag). There is a straight stitch model as well. If I recall my history, Anker merged with Phoenix, another German company, some time around 1960 and continued to produce excellent machines until bankruptcy and reformation. I believe Pfaff purchased one of their factories.

[@slowsmooth3440]

Iggy, I just rescued a Free-Westinghouse and it is showroom condition. This is fantastic information, I love.that you shared this!

[@CurioByBSpokeDesigns]

Anker is German for anchor

[@slowsmooth3440]

Holy Moly!

[@KarenGrieves]

I have a Union De Luxe zig zag sewing machine. It is black and very heavy. Have you ever heard of one?

[@ronalddaub5008]

At least 400$

[@richardtester2859]

Anker did indeed make industrial machines - but not many. I am currently restoring one.

[@VintageSewingMachineGarage]

Thanks for sharing Richard. I was not sure.