Pfaff – History, Questions and Everything you want to know about the Sewing Machine Brand

If you own a vintage Pfaff you are among a lucky few. Pfaff has been making sewing machines for the last 150 years and has been known for their quality and innovative features. So If you’re lucky enough to have a vintage Pfaff sewing machine in your collection, you’ve got a real gem. For 150 years, the Pfaff brand has distinguished itself by making quality and durability Sewing Machines. We’ve collected some useful information about the Pfaff brand, its history and frequently asked questions.

The Pfaff Brand History

For more than 160 years the sewing machine brand Pfaff has been manufacturing sewing machine with great durability and performance. The Pfaff brand started in 1862 with Georg Michael Pfaff, who was a craftsman by trade making musical instruments. Venturing outside his normal scope while creating his first sewing machine. The first sewing machine he created still exists today and can be viewed at the Museum of Science and Technology in Munich Living in Germany in a small town called Kaiserslautern at the beginning of the industrial revolution, the timing of his new sewing machine was perfect. His new machine paved the way for a very successful company that would be part of shaping the future of sewing machines, setting the standard as some of the most advanced machines on the market. In 1885 Georg Michael Pfaff opened a sewing machine shop in London and it later became the factory for Pfaff.

Pfaff-vintage-sewing-machine
Vintage Pfaff Sewing Machine

Vintage Pfaff Sewing Machines

Over the years Pfaff has made some very popular machines and one of their first best sellers was the Pfaff 130 that came out in 1932. This machine became so popular as it allowed users to create zigzag stitches. It also was a very sturdy machine capable of sewing heavy fabric with most of the parts made out of metal making it very durable.

In the 1960s the Pfaff 260 was a popular machine, this vintage sewing machine was and electric automatic machine. It had a whopping 80 stitch patterns which at that time was unheard of and could even sew up to eight layers of heavy fabric.

The Pfaff brand Today

In 2006 the company was bought by the owners of Singer and Husqvarna Viking creating the umbrella corporation SVP Worldwide. They today product a wide range of sewing machines, computerized machines, sewing machines specialized in both embroidery and quilting, to overlockers to very compact sewing machines.

Pfaff 640 one of Pfaff's newer computerized sewing machines
Pfaff 640 one of Pfaff’s newer computerized sewing machines

List of Pfaff Sewing Machines

Pfaff still makes some great sewing machines today and several of them have been discussed on our website. If you are interested in learning more about a specific model, please checkout our in depth reviews of each machine. A full list of all the current sewing machine models from Pfaff can be seen below.

  • Pfaff Ambition Series
  • Pfaff Expression Series
    • Pfaff expression 710
    • Pfaff quilt expression 720
  • Pfaff Smarter Series
    • Pfaff 160s Smarter 
    • Pfaff 140s Smarter 
    • Pfaff 260c Smarter
  • Pfaff Passport Series
    • Pfaff  passport 2.0
    • Pfaff  passport 3.0
  • Pfaff Icon Series
    • Pfaff creative icon
    • Pfaff creative icon 2
    • Pfaff performance icon
  • Creative Series
    • Pfaff creative icon
    • Pfaff creative icon 2
    • Pfaff creative 1.5
    • Pfaff creative 3.0
    • Pfaff creative  4.5
    • Pfaff creative ambition 640
  • Pfaff Powerquilter Series
    • Pfaff powerquilter™ 1600
    • Pfaff powerquilter™ 1650
  • Pfaff Admire Series
    • Pfaff Admire 1000
    • Pfaff Admire Air 5000
    • Pfaff Admire Air 7000
  • Pfaff Select Series
    • Pfaff Select 4.2

Different Sewing Machine Brands

Pfaff is just one of many known brands that makes sewing machines today, other notable brands are for instance Brother, Bernina, Singer, Husqvarna, Elna, Janome amongst many others. A shorter introduction of each brand and their best selling machines can be found here.

Frequently asked Questions regarding Pfaff sewing machines

Where are pfaff sewing machines made and manufactured

The Pfaff sewing machines are today mainly manufactured in China and Taiwan. They are no longer made in Germany since Pfaff was bought by SVP. To get the correct location for your machine you will need to look at the tag on the machine or the box it came in.

Who makes pfaff sewing machines

Pfaff was in 2006 bought by a company called SVP Worldwide, they are a holding company that owns several sewing machine brands for instance Singer, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff.

Are pfaff sewing machines good

Pfaff Sewing machines are still solid sewing machines. However we would argue that the overall quality has gone down since production was moved to China.

How much is my old pfaff sewing machine worth

It of course depends on the machine, today some vintage Pfaff sewing machines are well sought-after collectibles that people will pay for. Models made between 1960 and 1990 falls within the vintage category that are sought after.

Who owns pfaff sewing machines

Pfaff was bought by the company SVP Worldwide and are no longer an independent company.

What year was my pfaff sewing machine made

You can usually find what year your Pfaff machine was made by looking at the serial number comparing to this chart.

Is pfaff the best sewing machine?

Pfaff is one of the most well known sewing machine brands and consistently ranks among the top manufacturers.

When was Pfaff founded

Pfaff was founded in 1862 in Kaiserslautern, Germany by Max Pfaff

Are Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking the same company?

Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking are different sewing machine brands but they are owned by the same company, SVP Worldwide.

Are Pfaff and Singer the same company?

They are owned by the same company but are operated as two separate brands of sewing machines.

4 thoughts on “Pfaff – History, Questions and Everything you want to know about the Sewing Machine Brand”

  1. I am considering purchasing a 1980s Pfaff rug making machine. I am wondering what you can tell me about this machine and where I can buy the proper canvas as I am told it’s hard to come by
    thank you.

    Reply

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