S.O.S Machines

As someone who knew nothing about sewing machines, Nathan was both patient and understanding with my questions regarding the restoration of my grandmother’s Singer 301A. As the work progressed along, I received updates involving what was going on and the projected timeline of completion. On the day of pickup, Nathan brought me into his home and gave me a crash course on both the restored machine and sewing technique. Rarely do you find someone so talented and passionate about their craft. Nathan is both a talented craftsman and an exceptional person. I highly recommend Nathan and SOS Machines, and look forward to much continued business in the future.

I have two old & dear sewing machines (born around 1950 & 1967) that have not been serviced in many many years. One was so gummed up that I could barely get the needle to move. I googled around and discovered Nathan, the wizard of vintage sewing machines. Not only did he work wonders on the machines, his price was very reasonable ($ 80 flat rate per machine, plus extra for materials like new belts), and he explained some mysteries about the machines that had eluded me. He’s a young guy with an old soul and a deep resistance to planned obsolescence. A true calling ! Someone should write a New Yorker profile about Nathan. He’s amazing.

I feel compelled to write this review on Nathan’s services. I have a newer industrial sewing machine that I brought with me when I moved from southern Cali, and there I had my own circle of people who could fix it and advise me on using it. I had been wondering what I would do when my machine broke as all do eventually. It’s not a mainstream model either. I’m 9 months pregnant and of course the darn thing decided to break down in the middle of a project (well, I may have had something to do with that!). Carrying a 75 lb steel machine head into a shop was not a possibility in my state. Somehow I stumbled across Nathan’s ad on craigslist being a purveyor and resurrector of antique machines and decided to take a chance and see if he would be willing to work on my newer industrial machine in my home. To my surprise he was willing to drive 50 miles on a holiday in heavy traffic to help me out. Sewing machine mechanics that travel to your home or place of business in the Bay area are pretty much impossible to find. Not only does he know his machines and truly loves what he does, he is also pleasant and professional to boot. He charges $ 100 flat for an industrial machine and .50 a mile. So for $ 125 not only did he fix my problem, he tuned up my machine and made sure it was in perfect working order. And the best part is that I didn’t have to go anywhere. He spent two hours looking over my machine ensuring it was perfect, not just fixing the problem and leaving. In southern Cali traveling mechanics charge $ 80 an hour. I certainly feel like I got my money’s worth and am thrilled to have Nathan on speed dial should I have any more problems. He even offered to walk me through a possible issue with using a different type of thread over the phone should I need his help. If you have an industrial sewing machine do not hesitate to call Nathan!

Nathan drove to San Joaquin county to Central Valley to fix my 6 Juki’s which needed tune ups. 5 stars are not enough for this person with a heart of gold. Than took the button hole machine with him which needed more attention and time. I recommend this person highly. Am so glad I have found him. Thank you Nathan for helping me out.

Just left SOS sewing machines with the third sewing machine I have had Nathan repair. All three sewing machines are working like new thanks to Nathan and the cost of each was more reasonable than I had expected. I traveled over 100 miles to bring these machines to Nathan, and will gladly do so again when necessary. I would recommend SOS sewing machines to anyone who loves their sewing machines and wants them made like new by a person who is fair and reliable and clearly loves his craft.

Nathan seemed like a good guy when I first talked with him about restoring a vintage sewing machine, however, after I contracted him to do so, things changed. He held on to my machine for a short time, then reneged on restoring it, saying he was used to making $ 300/​hr and he wasn’t making enough money from restoring mine, even though he was the person that quoted the fee to me in the first place. I walked away feeling betrayed and feeling like he was more about the money than loyalty to the customer and the love of fixing sewing machines.

If I could give Nathan six stars, I would! He is a sewing machine magician. I found Nathan on Craigslist when I was looking for a vintage Elna sewing machine, and purchased an Elna Supermatic that he had completely refurbished. It runs better than a new machine! I told Nathan about the Singer attachments I had bought for my vintage Featherweight 221 I had inherited from my aunt. The machine worked okay but the attachments were frozen. I brought them to Nathan and he babied them with his magic hands, oiled them and heated them, and now they work like a charm.
I won’t take my sewing machines anywhere else EVER AGAIN! If you are looking for a gorgeous vintage machine, or sewing machine service, Nathan is da man!!!

Excellent customer service. Nathan– the owner– sells vintage sewing machines and also does repairs on sewing machines. He is incredibly capable and helpful. He offers beautiful machines at a fair price and even offers a 1 year warranty on them. After I bought the machine he even helped me thread it; I live out of town so I gave him a call and he patiently guided me through the process. Over all a great business for those interested in ensuring the longevity of a dying art.

Nathan just refurbished my 35 year old Necchi. It could not have been a better experience! He had it back to me in 3 days and I am a very happy camper!

Wow. Nathan at SOS is fantastic. He saved a piece of my family. If you like sewing, or vintage machines, and value genuine quality work, and a craftsman who is easy to communicate with, then you are in luck with Nathan. Check out his website at
for some neat machines! I lost my folks early, and one of the few belongings I got was Mom’s 1960 cabinet Kenmore, which she used constantly and had been a gift from Dad. I still have the sales receipt showing the $ 15 down payment! Having traveled through some damp, dark rentals with me through the years, the cabinet was musty, and the machine was in need of help. I thought I was going to have to scrap the machine and cabinet until I found Nathan, who assured me he could help. Mom’s Kenmore is now back home. No must. Nathan is like the Rick’s Restoration of sewing. Except that he charged practically nothing to do the work. My machine is humming like a dream, and he took time to teach me some tricks like how to use the attachments that came with her. I am so appreciative. Thank you Nathan from the bottom of my heart for bringing a little bit of Mom and Dad back to me. Priceless.

I needed a sewing machine. After several months of stalling and waffling and experiencing general anxiety about the issue (stress dreams) I committed myself to an enormous project. There was money riding on the completion of said project and I was thereby obligated to finally acquire a sewing machine. Like, a serious sewing machine that falls in a Venn Diagram somewhere between a Kitchenaid mixer and a Mercedes. I needed something that would not only survive an apocalypse but also survive me. Without going into too much more detail about the excessive emotional energy that I devoted to this topic, research led me to Craigslist, and Craigslist led me to SOS Machines. There were some impressive machines for sale, and of course there was also something about the business name that matched my inner state of emergency. Any reservations that I had about purchasing a vintage sewing machine on the internet were immediately put to rest with a phone call to Nathan; he was knowledgable and he was friendly and he was able to answer each of my highly detailed questions with equally detailed answers. We set up a time for me to drop by his shop, and when I arrived he devoted a great deal of his time — fielding questions, imparting information, and making sure that I understood and had a feel for the machine that caught my eye. May I say sewing machine genius? This is someone who can look at a stitch and tell you which machine produced it. This is the kind of person that clearly cares about these machines, their craftsmanship, and their fate. I walked away with a well-​priced, amazingly refurbished, brilliantly performing vintage sewing machine with a 6-​month guarantee — although I doubt that it will need any service for a very long time indeed. I emphatically recommend this business.

Nathan had my 1980 Montgomery Wards machine up and running in record time. I am very impressed w/​how well it runs now. I highly recommend Nathan.

My wife bought a restored Singer 301A from Nathan (S.O.S. Machines) through craigslist last year. Although Nathan works out of his house, we found him extremely professional in every way; and he has a true enthusiasm for old sewing machines and their repair and restoration. My wife’s machine, though 60 years old, is solid as a rock and runs like a top. They built them to last in those days, but Nathan made it run like new.
I got the impression that Nathan does not like to see good old sewing machines go to waste, and had made it his mission to buy old, unused machines that needed service and get them back into use again. Best of luck to him.

S.O.S Machines offers vintage sewing machine sales and repair. I purchased my first sewing machine from S.O.S, which included a 6 month guarantee. As a novice, I truly appreciated how much time and care was provided in orienting me to my new purchase. I was delighted by their customer service, which included a friendly follow-​up phone call. S.O.S is extremely knowledgeable and stands by their product/​service. I highly recommend this company.