Every now and then, C and I leave our hill and do an afternoon road trip. It was on one of these afternoons about 6 or so years ago, that we stopped by an antique (junk) barn to poke around. On the way down the hill to the barn we passed a pile of garbage. Really, it was the junk pile of metal throwaways, stuff that didn't pass the muster for the sales area inside the barn. If you are seriously poking around, and you are a junk lover to boot, what could be more enticing than a pile of wet, rusty, metal stuff that someone else was sure was junk. We poked at it a bit, nudging stuff with our feet, pulling assorted objects away that looked interesting. I don't remember what part we saw first, but there it was, a circular knitting machine, a sock knitter. A prize! It was too dirty to see what kind it was. There didn't appear to be any markings on it at all. We went inside and poked around a bit more. After awhile we found the owner and asked about the pile of stuff outside. He said it was garbage and we could have anything we found there. I went out and got the machine and asked if he knew anything about it. "Nope. If you know what it is and you want it, it's yours." And that, my friends, is the beginning of my story.
It says Sep 10 1867. Yep! Cleaning it up enough to read that little button was the start of my interest in Bickford's machines. This one is an original. It really does date to 1867-68.
Not all the parts were there, that day. We searched through the pile as best we could. There is a needle missing and some that are broken. It is a curiousity that hands onto a shelf near my desk.
Mr. Bickford was a Vermonter. He was born just over the hill in an adjacent town. His decendents still live here. The envelope below was from the second location he had on Broadway in NYC. The first location burned, I've read the newspaper accounts. It was reported on August 24th, 1885 in The New York Times. Amazing what you can find on the internet.
Got anything to add? I'd love to hear about it.
Comments
12 responses to “Bickford Knitting Machine”
What a great antique! You should haul it off to the Antiques Roadshow when it shows up in your area! They’ll be able to answer all of your questions in addition to telling you what it’s worth! Truly priceless- lucky you!
I don’t know about Bickfords specifically, but I recently learned there’s a woman in NZ who’s selling reproduction sock machines. I wonder if you could have the missing parts made custom? (I don’t have any more information than that, but I bet a google search would get you there.)
Coolest thing ever. What a great find!
There are a lot of sock machine groups on yahoo, Judy. New needles can be gotten pretty readily. As for new manufacture machines, I have one of those New Zealand machines, which I have not had time to really figure out and am thinking I may actually sell it if another six months passes without my having touched it.
I also have an old Creelman machine, which I never did manage to get running, because I didn’t know at the time of first use that you really have to WEIGHT the tube of fabric or it will be nothing but a big mess.
I have a couple of instructional videos around here someplace…if I copuld only find them…
What a beauty! what a story!
I just love that you rescued it from the junk pile!
This looks like something that I would have seen in a museum, and to think you found this in a pile of junk! The red and gold paint against the black is lovely.
What an excellent find. I think Manise’s idea to bring it to Antique’s Roadshow is a good one.
So can you get it working?
How cool is that?!? Lovely that it came to live with you and has a new life. 🙂
Wow! What a find! And, how fascinating that the inventor lived very close by and that you were able to get more information about it. How fun!!! 🙂
She’s gorgeous! If you haven’t already, sign up for the sock machine groups on Yahoo. There is a ton of information on there and contacts to get new needles so you can try to get the old girl cranking! Good luck!
I have a Bickford machine something like yours and would like to know if you ever found needles for it. My 72 cylinder slots are too small for the 12 gauge needles that Pat Fly sells. Any help or suggestions you have would be most welcome. Thanks, Mary