the Davis' Sewing Machines
Mercury 2100

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Mercury 2100
Brother 60
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the first sewing machine we didn't need  

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Here is the machine that started our small collection, the Mercury 2100.  We found it at a local resale shop; after I'd looked at it once, I went back and placed it on a table.  Surprisingly, my wife told me it'd have to go home with us, and our newest collection was born.  And it's all the more fun as it's a joint venture!
 
I used my normal research tools to find out what I could about this machine.  It seems that the name MERCURY was trademarked by Morse Distributing Corp. of New York in the late 1940's for use on sewing machines, and expired by the early 1970's.  (Modern industrial Mercury machines are under a different and unrelated trademark.)  This Mercury 2100 was made in India, although by whom we don't yet know.  A tiny code on the instruction manual reads 7-64-5,000.  This is a printing code, probably indicating July 1964, and a printing run of 5000 copies.

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Mercury 2100, rear or motor side.

My wife and I have already decided that all-black machines don't do much for us.  The two-tone late 50's/early 60's motif is much more to our liking, and this machine with its blue and white smooth enamel paint is just the thing we're looking for.  It seems that all machines of any kind designed for home use (sewing machines, typewriters, mixers, etc.) have an interesting combination of functionality and eye appeal, each design having a little more of one and less of the other.

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business end of Mercury 2100

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There doesn't seem to be any way at the moment to figure out who made this machine in India.  Obviously, Morse acted as US distributor; but there's no bill of sale to tell what the final seller here in the US was.  For many, this might be unimportant as this is a pretty solid machine and seems useable -- although I think the wife will stick with her almost brand-new ELNA!  A couple of clues may be the logo found on the rear of the manual, and the design of the controls; perhaps they're similar to another machine's designs and we may be able to tie in that way.  Even if we can't, the Mercury 2100 is a keeper.

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Stitch length/ Fwd-Rev, Mercury 2100

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