301A - anyone familiar with this lovely?

[LeilaMay]

I have recently learnt about these machines - seems they were a USA production and I've never seen one in UK - anyone else seen one?

This site is great:  http://www.singer301.com/index.html

[arrow]

I have heard about them. They never turn up here either, and unless you can find a 301 made for Canadian Voltage, I think they all are 110V. They are nice, owners brag something awful about them; a slant shank portable like the 401Gs and 431s, but weight a bit less and has a handle on top. It's a straight stitcher only with a built in gear driven motor.

It's a full size machine, and the closest we come to it here (most Singers sold here were made at the Kilbowie factory too) is the later beige 201K23. It has the lighter aluminium body like the 301 and are one of the best straight stitchers around. For a while I thought the 301 was slightly smaller, but it's a full size machine. 

[Roger]

I’d love to get my mits on one... Ive seen a few on uk eBay, but they always sell expensively.

They are a little tricky tho, the angle on the slant is not the same as later models.

Given a choice I’d go tan and beige...

[LeilaMay]

I think I have a thing for black machines 

[Roger]

The black ones look so smart!

[arrow]

I think I have a thing for black machines 

The first 201K23 came in black too, it's really not far from the 301 when it comes to portability. It has the smooth running  meshing gears, and rotating race and hook. It's a regular low shank of course and has the regular belt driven motor. It's my guess the UK factory went for the aluminium 201, it was only made there. The 301 was the first slant shank, and only made in the US factory. It's hard to compare them, the 301 has the same bobbin case as the Featherweight, but it's  stronger machine. I'm mostly writing this because I was trying to find one of these and was on the look for months, until I was told it's a full size machine. Then I though it wasn't worth all the trouble when the 201K23 is easy to find.