Oh Sew Very VintageMachines with a story. Ready for another.

The person behind the bench

A fondness for old machines.
A reason to keep them working.

I’m Duncan Donohue. Oh Sew Very Vintage brings together my collection, my refurbishment work, and the things I learn along the way.

Textured-finish Singer 66 from Duncan’s collection
The Godzilla-finish 66 might actually be my favorite.

Collecting, using, and understanding

I love my vintage machines and sew on them almost exclusively. I enjoy their construction and character, but I’m just as interested in how they work and how useful they can still be.

Many of my machines come from auctions, bought sight unseen. Each one brings a different combination of wear, missing parts, hardened oil, and history. The reward is seeing it come back together and sew again.

A record of the work

This site is part workshop journal, part collection record, and part resource library. You’ll find my refurbishment process, tools I use, people I learn from, and research into vintage Singer production.

I also offer service, repair, refurbishment, and display bases. If you have a machine that needs attention, tell me a little about it.

See services