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Aside from a few power tools, I don't own anything with moving parts that's more than five years old. Stuff breaks and becomes obsolete. So the thought of buying a sturdy machine that was built sixty years ago and will easily serve me through the next twenty, is cheaper than a brand-new machine that does the same thing, and requires virtually no maintenance, has a powerful allure. Which is why I bought an old Singer sewing machine from Collin Antos.

Antos, a 31-year-old engineer, uses the Singer 15-91 model in his spare time to make everything from curtains to carry-on luggage to messenger bags. He is an unabashed Singer 15-91 geek and lovingly restores them in his spare time.

Core77 recently interviewed Antos on what makes these machines special and different in a crowded marketplace, why they have survived obsolescence and may even be superior to modern machines, what you can make with them, and how he fixes them up. In analyzing his answers, we see this conversation is actually about a lot more than a simple sewing machine, and in fact helps illuminate the way we think about products we own and what we really want from them. His answers are long, in a good way, so it'll be presented in two parts. We think you'll find it interesting.

One of the most important things for me is owning only Made in America items. Sadly it's EXTREMELY hard to do. Yes, I own a cell phone, Macbook and iPod and none are made here (although the software was) and they were all designed here. This is why sewing comes to the surface so often; if I can't find it Made in the USA I try to make it myself....

... Sometimes it takes me a few tries and a lot of times the end result looks homemade, but for me, as long as I can say that I stay true to my beliefs then I am happy with a homemade-looking hat.

For a long time I was using my grandmothers Kenmore sewing machine from the '70s and it was not made to be used to do projects of the 'see if it's possible' variety. Lately I have been really into sewing duffelbags and messenger bags out of duck cloth, and the thick materials just were too much for it.

I started doing research on the internet about used (can't buy a new one because it wouldn't be Made in the USA) sewing machines and I came across a cult following for the 15-91. Singer made loads of different model machines in the USA and I settled on the 15-91 based on what I had read. As it turned out the only ones I was willing to afford did not run, so when it first arrived, I cleaned it and rewired and got it running and actually had done my first refurbishment without even knowing if the thing was worth it or not.

The thing that sets this machine apart is the power and versatility that it has. Not just the power to sew through thick canvas but also the versatility to switch to making boxer shorts.

I am an amateur when it comes to sewing and some of the common issues that were obstacles for me, like irregular stitch length, were eliminated because of the design of this machine. Anyone who has tried to casually sew on a modern home machine knows that if you aren't an expert you tend to get variations in your stitch length. This is because an inexperienced user will push or pull the material as it is worked through the machine. The 15-91 has so much strength between the feed dogs and the presser foot that it won't let you force the material through, it just takes it as it wants it. This has actually helped make me a much better seamster, because its like having a constant instructor reminding me to relax and let the machine pull it at its own pace.

My stitches also come out straighter because, on other machines as you force the fabric through it tends to walk or slide to one side or the other making, your straight-line stitch look like a wave that wanders back and forth as you try to bring it back into line.

I've gotten machines that have been flat-out abused. Ones that I've put my hand on my head and thought 'no way will it run' and sure enough no matter the condition, no matter the past treatment they put out the most beautiful stitch you could ever ask for. That also means if you buy a refurbished machine you will only need to oil it and it will keep running as perfectly in 20 years as it does the day you buy it.

1. The versatility to sew on any material and any thickness.

2. The price is comparable to beginner level modern machines

3. It compensates for your inexperience by overpowering your tendency to force the material through, creating irregular and wandering stitches.

4. The machine only goes in forward and reverse and makes a variable length straight stitch. You will become comfortable using this machine after only a few hours. This will make you feel more at ease and more willing to come back to it to try more projects.

5. Dependability. If you know you can't hurt it, you will take more chances and have more fun.

6. You are more likely to become an expert if you have a machine that you want to sew on, and if you have been able to try a wide variety of projects without wondering if the machine can do it or worrying about complicated settings.

7. An expert seamstress will love this machine because it has a natural feel. If you already know how to sew and you have made many things before, you will want a machine that is easy to learn, has the power to do what you ask it when you ask it, and feels like an extension of your body.

Core77