Singer 328k Style-o-Matic

Here's something a little different from the usual parade of Slant-o-Matics I've reviewed lately, and it goes to show that looks can be deceiving.  At first glance, this doesn't look a whole lot different than one of the 400 machines, but this is a different machine entirely. (Although they riffed off the name, calling this a "Style-o-Matic.")

This is from the early 1960s, and was the budget model compared to the TOL Slant-O-Matics.  That is not to say this isn't a good machine - it is - but for different purposes.  This was an affordable machine without a lot of pizzaz compared to it's higher-end cousins in the SOM line, but in all ways a very serviceable machine.  

Singer 328k takes flat cams 

 Rather than built in stitches, zigzag and other decorative stitches are made with cams.  These are flat discs instead of the top hat cams that go in the 403 and 503.

A low-budget feature is the power cord that is hard-wired into the machine rather than plugged into a terminal.  There is also no on/off switch for the light.  So there is no way around it, you must crawl down on the floor to plug/unplug this machine every time you use it.

feed dog disengagement system

The feed dogs can be disengaged with the flat black plate shown above, which means removing the throat plate and inserting this underneath.  This raises up the throat plate just enough to bypass the feed dogs.  It is a similar concept to the "elevated throat plate" system on TOL Singers - except you have to do this manually.

The typical accessories

This machine has an oscillating hook, and also has a belt (running off an enclosed motor) rather than a direct gear drive.  However, it runs surprisingly smoothly for all that.  It is a solid beast of a machine, and there are no complaints on stitch quality

 This isn't going to be your "fun" machine - it won't make your vintage loving heart sing. It's not a collector's item.  But it is utilitarian, it is solid, and it works perfectly.