Because Supernovas have such tight tolerances, only a small amount of corrosion is enough to freeze up the needlebar and prevent it from swinging back and forth. Supernovas are made with such precise tolerances that everything fits together perfectly and there are no clunks or rattles. Things to look for: - The machine should be VERY quiet and smooth-running. All this from machines made in the 1950s and early 1960s. They are all metal for strength and reliability, have two-speed motors for more precise sewing, and capable of hundreds (maybe thousands) of utility and decorative stitches. The Supernovas are the best machines Necchi ever made. I am using a BU Mira this week, making some craft show inventory that gets topstitched and the stitch is fine in my opinion, but you may have higher standards, making smaller items such as doll clothes. I can't even comment on modern-day Necchis.Īctually, I have never seen anyone comment (either good or bad) on Necchi's straight stitch capability. After a short time using Japanese manufacturers, Necchi moved production to Taiwan and changed from selling sewing machines to boat anchors. The Japanese Necchis are okay, but not built to the same high standards that the Italian models enjoyed. Sometime in the 70's, Necchi started having machines made in Japan and quality declined somewhat. A replacement plastic Lydia camstack costs over $100 - about 4 times what the machine is worth on the open market. Beginning with the Lydia, Necchi began experimenting with plastic gears and camstacks that have disintegrated over time and need to be replaced. Some of my Necchi collection can be seen at.

The models that fit in this category are the BF, BU, Mira, Nora, Lelia, Supernova, and Lycia. Necchi has passed through several phases, but the machines made in Italy before the Age of Plastic are, in my opinion, the best-engineered and most well-built sewing machines ever made. I suspect this is the reason that many sewers abandoned their Necchis, the American and Japanese models of the time could sew for months or even years without being oiled. Probably half the Necchis I have acquired had frozen needlebar swivels which took hours of oiling and persuading to get them moving freely again. The needlebar swivel on the zig zag models is a particularly sensitive to lack of lubrication and will freeze up tight if ignored for too long. Unfortunately, this precision comes at a price - there is so little space for oil between the moving parts that Necchis must be frequently lubricated to maintain their efficiency. The rotation of the balance wheel is smooth as silk and the machine doesn't make enough noise to wake a sleeping cat. All you have to do is sew a short seam on a Supernova to know immediately that all the parts are flawlessly machined and fit together properly. Necchi was one of the first, if not the first, to introduce zig zag machines to the home sewer and the Supernovas of the late 1950s had decorative stitch capabilities that did not show up on most other manufacturers' machines for another decade. Before I became hooked on industrial machines, my favorites were Necchis.

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