Hasta La Ideas

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.

Core77: Can you tell us about your dual engineering/industrial design educational background?
Collin Antos: When I was in high school I really wanted to design and make shoes. I started off just studying Bio-Mechanical Engineering at Syracuse University, but I realized that I was missing two other parts that encompassed manufacturing, and those were Textile Science and Industrial Design. I took as many classes as I could in both and met some amazing people who taught me so much about how different views come together during production.

Since graduating I have always worked in a manufacturing plant as an engineer. Having an industrial design background has been such an advantage for me professionally, because normally engineers and artists are standing on opposite sides of the room. Having an understanding of the artist’s point of view as well as the manufacturing product lifecycle, including machine limitations, has made working together so much easier.

How did you get into sewing and repairing sewing machines?
I learned to sew in a 7th grade Home Economics class. I love to build things, very different things, it doesn’t matter what it is. For example I love woodworking and have slowly been building up a nice little shop in the garage. Sewing has always sort of been simmering in the background and usually bubbles to the surface for me when I see something in a catalogue that I like.

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….

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