Supermatic Pics

So I finally got around to taking some pictures of my Supermatic. First, some details. Supermatics are stamped on the bottom with the date that they were manufactured, so no need to look up serial numbers to determine production date! I at first couldn't find any stamp on my machine, but then I had it standing on its head on the floor (trying to get some screws on the bottom loose) and I happened to catch the bottom of the machine from a certain angle; I could see a date! Very faint, but still there: "3 Juin 1954" (the names of the months were stamped in French. 'Juin' is of course 'June'). I had already known that my machine is one of the earlier Supermatics. There are a few things that you can see right away that tell you from what era your Supermatic comes. First, and most visible, is the color. Later Supermatics were grey and white or brown and white. Earlier than that were two-tone green models with most of the machine in light green with a dark green flywheel and machine head. But the very earliest machines were entirely green, like my machine. On this model, the "ELNA" decal is white. A Supermatic that's solid green means that it was manufactured prior to 1956.

To narrow down a machine without a visible manufacture date even more, open up the little door on top of the machine. This reveals the "Elnagraph Regulating Device" or simply "Elnagraph". My Elngraph is shown in the picture below:

You can see that the cam (or "Elna disc") is the black ring in the middle. On top of that cam is a black, plastic nut. This was the first form of the Elnagraph to hit the market. To remove and change cams, one had to first unscrew the plastic nut and then use the metal fork that came with the machine to lift out the cam. Later Elnagraphs simplified this process. They can be identified by a lack of a black plastic nut. In its place is a silver metal cylinder which was depressed to make the disk pop up: no nut or fork needed. This new Elnagraph made changing cams much simpler than in my machine. It appears that the latest models of the solid green Supermatics had this newer Elnagraph. If your Supermatic is solid green with a newer Elnagraph, it was produced in the mid- to late-1950s.

Two other differences I have noticed are to be found in the black plastic electrical box underneath the flywheel (see photo below). The earlier machines have a cord that is not removable from the machine; later machines had cords that plugged into the machine and could be removed for storage. The other difference is the kind of light switch. My older machine has a horizontal switch; newer models had a vertical switch.

Style & Design

Something that no one really seems to mention about the Supermatics, but I think that most people recognize, is the beautiful design of the machine. It stands out among the black and gold Singers of the time and even the flashy machines of the late 50s and later. It is not only different because of its color, but its design shows thoughtfulness both inside and out.

The first thing I noticed with the Supermatic is the view of the flywheel. As you can see in my photo, the flywheel and the right side of the machine form a column. The base includes the Elna logo, information about the model, the light switch to the left, and the power cord protruding to the right. The base is flared from the main column, which itself leads to the flywheel. The flywheel is balanced in the center of this column. This is attention to detail that you rarely if ever seen in sewing machines.

the column-like view of the flywheel

the model plate with light switch and power cord

If we look at the machine head, we also see this attention to detail and balance. The head tapers evenly from the top to the bottom, culminating in a centered black disc. This is the upper-thread tension regulator. Unlike many other sewing machines with the tension regulator protruding from the front of the machine, the Supermatic's regulator is on the left and part of the balanced machine head. The whole head is on a hinge and opens much as on other sewing machines.

view from the left showing tension regulator

inside head

The oldest Supermatics also included two holes in the metal base, behind the needle bar at the back of the machine. These two holes are for the electrical plug; the plug could be inserted here when transporting the machine. The slats are to fit American plugs and the circles are for the European Schuko plugs. It appears that one base was manufactured for both markets.

holes for electrical plug storage (only on earliest Supermatics)

 I will post some information about the bobbins this Supermatic uses, as well as show you some stitching videos. Til then!