Universal MZ ZigZag Machine

I have another all metal vintage sewing machine for sale on my local Craigslist.  You can see the ad here, and it will disappear when the machine is sold.  It is a high shank machine with a left homing needle, and it takes class 15 needles.  It comes with a set of high shank presser feet, shown at the end of this blog post.

Made in Japan in the post WWII period when machines were built to last for a couple of lifetimes.  I have no way of dating it but my best guess is sometime in the early to mid 1960s based on the styling and features.

The brand name "Universal" is not the manufacturer, it's just a name.  The crown on the logo makes me think that it was manufactured by Toyota but I don't know that for sure.

I do not have the manual for this machine but I can email the seller a generic manual for zigzag machines.  Because there is no manual I have used this blog to show the controls and the thread path for this specific machine.   Read on for that!

It comes in the usual style vintage case.

With the usual assortment of dings and scrapes accumulated over the last 50 years or so.  If you want to upgrade, it should fit in a standard modern plastic sewing machine case, available online.

I cleaned it, oiled and lubed it, and checked all of the features.

I don't know how well this shows in the photo but stitch length and width work.  The tensioner also works.  The photo shows what happens if it is loosened and then tightened properly.

The reverse stitch works.  You will be able to examine these stitch samples for yourself if you come to see this machine, and test it yourself on my front porch (weather permitting).

Bobbin winder not engaged.

I don't know how well you can see it but in the photo above the bobbin winder is not pressed against the hand wheel, and therefore not in operating position.  The latch to the left is in the up position.  Press it down to engage the bobbin winder.

In the photo below the bobbin winder IS pressed against the hand wheel.  The bobbin winder spins and winds the bobbin.  The latch releases automatically when the bobbin is full.

With this or any machine, if the bobbin winds unevenly you can guide it with your finger. I adjusted it a bit after this photo was taken and it is working well but not perfectly.  So keep an eye on it as it winds and shift the thread a bit from side to side as necessary.

 The control are simple and easy to use.

The dial shown below controls the stitch length.  Push in the button above it to create a reverse stitch.

For both the stitch width and the stitch length you have continuous control, meaning that you can set it anywhere between 1 and 4.  For example, just a smidge wider than 2, 2-1/2, 2-3/4, etc. anywhere along the dial.  You don't get that kind of control with a modern machine.

The dial in the middle shown below allows you to set the stitch width.  Turn the knob to lock it into place. 

Three presser foot positions

One unusual feature of the machine is that the presser foot has three positions

Position 1:  All the way up

Position 1 is the usual all-the-way-up position for removing or inserting work under the presser foot.

Position 2:  Hovering a bit

Position 2 is the unusual one in which the presser foot is hovering a bit over the work.  I can make some guesses but I really don't know what this is for.  I sometimes make teddy bears out of fake fur and I can imagine that this might be useful with that type of extremely thick fabric.  But that's just a guess.

Position 3:  All the way down

Position 3 is the usual one where the presser foot is all the way down and holding the work in place under the presser foot.  Keep in mind that you need to move the foot all the way down to this position.  If you only put the foot down part way into position 2 the fabric won't feed.  Making this mistake is how I discovered this feature of the machine.

Thread Path

I'm not going to show the bobbin threading because the generic manual does a fine job of that.  Top threading is also pretty standard as you discover if you work with many machines.  But most people are not vintage sewing machine addicts and only work with one machine.  So I will show you the steps to threading this particular machine through the pictures below.

Bobbin Cover and Needle Plate

One of the things I like about this machine is the way the bobbin cover and needle plate work.

Bobbin cover and needle plate

The bobbin covers slides very easily.  Not true of all machines!

The needle plate LOOKS like it is screwed down as most are, but it is not.  It lifts easily.

The fact that the needle plate removes so easily means that it is not a pain in the neck to clean below it.  A lot of lint accumulates in here.  A lint brush is also included.

Needle plate slides off

 But the REALLY great thing is how much easier it makes it to change the bobbin.  It only gives you a tiny bit more room for your fingers (and every little bit counts) but the fact that you can see what you are doing is the real plus.

Here the needle plate is removed completely.

 The needle plate goes back on just as easily as it comes off.

The presser feet are stored in a vintage plastic box

This machine is a high shank machine, which describes the way that the presser feet attach.  If you need presser feet other than the ones included with the machine, you need to be sure to look for “high shank” feet. The good news is that most modern industrial machines use high shank feet and there are literally hundreds of types available.  There are adapters available on eBay in the $5 to $10 range that claim to work with regular snap-on feet.  (I have no experience with them). If you are interested in snap-on feet I will be glad to provide some at no additional cost by request.

These high shank presser feet (and a seam guide) are included

Most modern home sewing machines are low shank, which means that presser feet available at Walmart or Jo-Ann will not fit this machine.  

Presser feet in their storage box

The zigzag foot is installed on the machine.

Adjustable zipper foot

If you are a beginning seamster and wondering how many presser feet you will need, most people use the zigzag foot and zipper foot and rarely use any others. 

Straight stitch foot

 If you are a quilter a straight stitch foot is nice to have.  

Button holder foot

I'm quite fond of the button holder foot (also included) which will allow you to hold a button in place while you use the zigzag stitch to keep the button from moving while you sew it on.  

Narrow hemmer foot

There is a narrow hemmer foot included.  These only work with very thin fabrics, such as were popular for baby clothes, lingerie and handkerchiefs back in the 1930s.  I don't know anyone who uses them and my opinion is that manufacturers keep including them just to fill up the attachments box!  If you find yourself in need of a hemmer you won't have any trouble finding modern ones in larger sizes more useful for the types of fabrics we sew on today.  At the time this was written Amazon had a set of three sizes for around $10 for the set.

Invisible zipper foot

Invisible zippers are a special type of zipper that is not visible when sewn.  Just as the name says.  They require a special presser foot.

Cording foot

I must confess that I have no experience with this foot and had to look it up to determine what it is.  It's pretty obvious that you can feed a tiny cord through the foot.  If any of my readers have used one, please let us know in the comment section what you use it for!

Seam guide

The seam guide attaches to the bed of the machine and allows you to maintain an even seam width.

Also included with the machine:  ten class 15 bobbins in a case, a lint brush, a bottle of sewing machine oil with a brass telescoping spout for pinpoint control, and the two screwdrivers that normally come with a sewing machine as original equipment.  The larger one allows you to tighten presser foot screws and other attachments.  The tiny one is for adjusting the bobbin case, something that you rarely need to do.

If you decide to buy this machine, or if you already have a Univeral MZ zigzagger of your own, I hope you find this information useful!

Wards Signature Multi-Stitch Machine

Hello readers, once again I am using the blog to feature a machine that I am selling on my local Craigslist.   Click on the link to the Craigslist ad here.  It will disappear once the machine is sold, so if the link doesn't work the machine has been sold.

As always, I do not ever ship machines.  I have sold two machines so far using the pandemic-safe porch pickup method.  My only regret is not getting to meet face to face and talk to the lovely people who bought them.

This is a Wards Signature multi-stitch machine, made in Japan during the post WWII Golden Age of all-metal vintage sewing machines.  These machines were made of cast iron and steel and weigh in at a hefty 40 or so pounds.

I restore vintage machines as a hobby and this one has been cleaned and thoroughly tested.  It is a solid workhorse that ought to be able everything from sewing thin, sheer fabrics to repairing boat cushions.

In this test I start with two layers of muslin, then fold it to make 4 layers, then 8, then 16.

It went through all of these layers like butter and the tension remained perfect.  You can see this test sample if you come to see the machine, and you will be able to run your own tests on my front porch (weather permitting).

It is a light olive green.  Color does not show the same on everyone's screen, and I sometimes tinker with the photos so that the show the features of the machine and attachments.

It's probably around 50 years old and there are some chips on the paint on the bed of the machine.  The rest of the machine looks pretty good.

The part that matters for sewing is the area to the left of the needle.  That's where the fabric rests and it needs to be smooth for the fabric to move freely across it.  You can see in the photo that this area is in excellent condition.

It seems to have all of the original accessories in the original case.

The accessory box does not stay closed.  Plastic does not always endure intact for 50 years!  I put a strip of painters tape on it to keep it closed.


In addition to a straight stitch, it makes additional stitches using cams, round discs that rotate and drive an arm that moves the needle from side to side.  If you aren't interested or find this intimidating, I always recommend just leaving the zigzag stitch in the machine and forgetting about all the other stitches! The zigzag cam is in the machine now.

The top of the machine opens at a touch and the cams drop in.  The bobbin winder is under there too.

The bobbin winder flips forward for use.

In the accessory box lid:  the stitch cams

A place for everything and everything in its place.

The accessories case has slots for presser feet and bobbins.  There is one small slot empty and I couldn't figure out from the instruction card what might be missing.  Meaning that everything described in the instructions is present.

The presser feet are clean and glossy if they were ever used, they weren't used much.  You, too, can just ignore them if simple sewing is all you are interested in.  But they will be there if  you ever want them.

Top row:  two additional cams
Next row:  four class 15 plastic bobbins.  These are widely available if you need more, just be sure to buy class 15  and not class 66.
Next row, left to right:  adjustable zipper foot with attached guide for quilting (it allows you to space lines of stitching evenly).  Binding foot, which allows you to apply bias tape.  These vintage style binders really only work with very thin fabrics.
Next row:  Seam guide and the screw that attaches it to the bed of the machine.  Narrow hemmer, another foot that only works on the thinnest fabrics.  I can include a set of wider hemmers upon request at no additional cost.
Bottom row:  Open toe foot, which the instruction card calls the buttonhole foot.  The machine has settings for a four step buttonhole, which is a pretty nifty feature. Button holder foot, which allows you to hold a button in place while using the zigzag feature to sew on buttons.  And a darning/embroidery/hopping foot, also used in free-motion quilting.

In addition to these original accessories I have added a ruffler.  It works by making tiny pleats in the fabric.  There are four different options that allow you to select how closely spaced the pleats are.

You can make one tiny pleat per stitch by selecting "1".

One pleat for every six stitches.

One pleat for every 12 stitches.

Or, while the ruffler is still on the machine, you can switch back to straight stitching by using the star setting.

It also has not a manual but an 8.5" x 11" card showing the instructions for the features and accessories.  The card is a bit worn by now and has scotch tape across a tear but it is still completely legible.  I wish more machines had come with a card like this!  So easy to find exactly the information you are looking for at a glance, rather than thumbing through a manual.

It is installed in a plastic carrying case that I'm guessing was original to the machine, based on the color.  I don't know the date of the machine but would guess the mid 1960's to the mid 70's based on styling and features.  But I have no way of checking that guess.

If you are interested in buying this machine contact me through Craigslist and I will give you my phone number.  I'll be happy to answer any questions that you have.

The Craigslist ad will be taken down as soon as the machine is sold.  This post will stay up because most of my regular readers love vintage sewing machines and can't get enough of them!