I’ve been following Phill Faust, A.K.A. BeardDadCardz. He sells Pokémon cards and livestreams from his booth. He’s so great with everyone, and his enthusiasm is so infectious that he makes me want to collect Pokémon cards. He often asks visitors to his booth what they are looking for, their chase card. It made me think about things I chase, like certain sewing machine models.

My chase machine has been a Kenmore 158.1941 from the moment I learned about it. An all-metal machine made in Japan by Maruzen Sewing Machine Company between about 1975 and 1977, the 1941 is considered to be one of the best of the 158 line. It’s a high-shank machine (low-shank is more common). I am not the only one chasing this machine. I bid on lots of them before I won an auction, and some of the bidding was wild with as-is machines going for over $200. Somehow, I got lucky. Sometimes machines aren’t well labeled, so you have to dig for the details. I think I can spot a 1941 on sight at this point after bidding on so many. There are three models that I know of: the 158.19410, 158.19411, and 158.19412.

Unfortunately, my machine is missing the extension bed. It’s a bummer because finding that part will be challenging. But it’s not a huge deal for me from a functionality standpoint because I have other machines with that feature, and I already have an acrylic extension table that I think will fit this machine.

Assessing this 1941
This machine is a portable free-arm machine, so no special case or hinged sewing table is required. It’s in excellent condition, other than the missing extension table. It just needs basic cleaning and lubrication.

What’s special about this machine?
This all-metal machine runs well and has very few dings – quite amazing for a machine about to turn 50. This is another Kenmore that sews through anything. It has a good selection of stitches. I mentioned before that I like reuniting machines with their original accessories. One incredibly lucky break: while the 1941 was still a dream, I bid on a Kenmore accessory set, mostly because of the custom case. When it arrived, I realized I’d hit the jackpot: it’s a high-shank set. I don’t think the seller knew what they had. Now I have a deluxe accessory set with most of the feet. I also found the manual for the machine.