{"id":71329,"date":"2021-12-04T15:43:25","date_gmt":"2021-12-04T20:43:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/?p=71329"},"modified":"2021-12-05T07:38:18","modified_gmt":"2021-12-05T12:38:18","slug":"a-history-of-elna-the-other-swiss-sewing-machine-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/a-history-of-elna-the-other-swiss-sewing-machine-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"A History Of Elna, The &#8220;Other&#8221; Swiss Sewing Machine Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sometimes Forgotten<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"153\" height=\"153\" data-src=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo-elna.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71239 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo-elna.jpg 153w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo-elna-150x150.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 153px) 100vw, 153px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 153px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 153\/153;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"153\" height=\"153\" src=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo-elna.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-71239\" srcset=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo-elna.jpg 153w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/logo-elna-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 153px) 100vw, 153px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">As we all know, Switzerland is deservedly famous for its craftsmanship and manufacturing quality.&nbsp; So much so that often many brands can be overlooked, not for lack of merit, but for the fact that almost every serious Swiss manufacturer is world-renowned.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">We\u2019ve certainly been guilty of this when it\u2019s come to Elna, one of the best and most influential sewing machine brands in the world.&nbsp; So often Bernina is viewed as THE Swiss sewing machine company, but we can forget that there is still serious competition out there.&nbsp; (Our regular readers know I'm a great <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/fans-bernina-sewing-machines\/comment-page-1\/\" target=\"_blank\">Fan of Bernina<\/a> and I have been to the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/bernina-sewing-machine-factory-tour-switzerland\/\" target=\"_blank\">factory in Switzerland for a private tou<\/a>r, which was fantastic.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">As you'll find out below, the History of Elna is an essential part of the history of the sewing machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">War Time Beginnings&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Elna began life as <\/span><span class=\"s2\"><b>Ateliers M\u00e9caniques de Pr\u00e9cision Tavaro SA,<\/b> commonly known as Tavaro.&nbsp; Founded in 1934, it was a division of the Tavannes Watch Company, which is now part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sandoz.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sandoz group<\/a>.&nbsp; The company was most well known for its clock-work artillery fuzes, a device used to detonate artillery shells at precise times to suit a chosen target.&nbsp; At its height, Tavaro made up 11% of Switzerland's military exports to Nazi Germany.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/11\/Artillery_fuze_H%C3%A4meenlinna_1.jpg\/156px-Artillery_fuze_H%C3%A4meenlinna_1.jpg\" alt=\"history of elna\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/1\/11\/Artillery_fuze_H%C3%A4meenlinna_1.jpg\/156px-Artillery_fuze_H%C3%A4meenlinna_1.jpg\" alt=\"history of elna\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption>Sectioned artillery fuze photographed in H\u00e4meenlinna artillery museum<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s2\">As the war went on, the Swiss government banned exports of war material to all sides, part of its play to remain completely neutral.&nbsp; However, Tavaro ended up violating these restrictions by exporting parts to the UK, earning recognition from the British government.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The First Machine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Tavaro\u2019s first sewing machine was in fact designed and prototyped by a Spanish engineer, Dr. Ramon Casas Robert.&nbsp; According to the company\u2019s history, the inventor was forced to emigrate to Switzerland due to the start of the Spanish Civil War.&nbsp; There the penniless inventor sold his sewing machine patents to Tavera to raise funds.&nbsp; The design, simply dubbed \u201cElna\u201d, first left the factory in 1940.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/62\/Elna_no._1.jpg\/807px-Elna_no._1.jpg\" alt=\"history of elna\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/6\/62\/Elna_no._1.jpg\/807px-Elna_no._1.jpg\" alt=\"history of elna\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption>the &#8220;Grasshopper&#8221; in its original green<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The first Elna, later nicknamed the &#8220;Grasshopper&#8221; due to its distinctive<\/span> green coloring, was a major innovation for sewing machines.&nbsp; It introduced many features that are now considered standard.&nbsp; The most major innovation was its \u201cfree arm\u201d, something that had only been included in industrial sewing machines.&nbsp; Not only did this make the sewing process better, more efficient, and safer, but contributed to its famed portability.&nbsp; The Elna was designed<span class=\"s1\"> to be portable, only weighing 7kg (15.4lbs), and was made of aluminum instead of the standard cast iron.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Post War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">By the end of the war,<\/span> most of Europe's manufacturing economy was completely devastated and would take many years to recover.&nbsp; Tavero, now renamed the Elna International Corp. SA, was in a strong position to dominate the <span class=\"s1\">post-war sewing machine exports.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">When the Elna was introduced to the US it sold for $179, which adjusted to today\u2019s prices, would be about $1900 USD.&nbsp; Estimates for <\/span>Elna\u2019s production volume range from 65,000 all the way to half a million units, unfortunately, more specific<span class=\"s1\"> records are difficult to find.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The first Elna was phased out in 1952, when it was replaced by the Supermatic, another well-known machine.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After the &#8220;Grasshopper&#8221;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The next most recognizable Elna machine was the iconic Lotus model.&nbsp; Launched in 1968, it was extremely popular, following along with its heritage of reliability, portability, and innovation.&nbsp; You can easily spot one out by its folding-out, petal-like sidings, which is where the Lotus gets its name.&nbsp; The Lotus was so iconic that it has become a part of the Design Collection of the Museum of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moma.org\/\">Modern Art in New York<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/cd\/Elna_Lotus_ouverte.jpg\/1197px-Elna_Lotus_ouverte.jpg\" alt=\"history-of-elna\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/c\/cd\/Elna_Lotus_ouverte.jpg\/1197px-Elna_Lotus_ouverte.jpg\" alt=\"history-of-elna\"\/><\/noscript><figcaption>Elna Lotus ouverte du m\u00eame mod\u00e8le que la Museum of Modern Art<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">To The Present Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">In the later parts of the <\/span>20th century, as globalization forced global competition, the company saw a sharp decline.&nbsp; Like most consumer goods, cheaper imports from Asia sharply undercut the European manufacturer.&nbsp; In 1995 the company was absorbed by Janome, a famous Japanese manufacturer of sewing machines.&nbsp; Today Elna lives on in its long-standing products lines and proud claims of honoring<span class=\"s1\"> its Swiss quality heritage.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for reading, and please check out some of their <a href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/elna-elnita-ec60-computerized-sewing-machine-giveaway\/\">machines<\/a> if this article on the History of Elna has been of any interest to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don't Miss the Elna Giveaway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We're currently giving away a fantastic Elna Elnita EC60 just in time for Christmas.  Entry is FREE so don't miss out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-so-sew-easy wp-block-embed-so-sew-easy\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"9JBiLskSCD\"><a href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/elna-elnita-ec60-computerized-sewing-machine-giveaway\/\">NEW Elna Elnita EC60 Computerized Sewing Machine Giveaway &#8211; Just in time for Christmas<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content lazyload\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;NEW Elna Elnita EC60 Computerized Sewing Machine Giveaway &#8211; Just in time for Christmas&#8221; &#8212; So Sew Easy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/elna-elnita-ec60-computerized-sewing-machine-giveaway\/embed\/#?secret=9JBiLskSCD\" data-secret=\"9JBiLskSCD\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n<h2>If You'd Like To Support Our Site<\/h2>\r\nIf you want to help us continue to bring you a wide selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/free-sewing-patterns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">free sewing patterns<\/a> and projects, please consider buying us a coffee.\u00a0 We'd really, really appreciate it.\r\n\r\n<center><div class=\"ko-fi-button\" data-text=\"Buy me a coffee!\" data-color=\"#ff5f5f\" data-code=\"\" id=\"kofiShortcode7Html\" style=\"float: none; text-align: left;\"><\/div><\/center>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sometimes Forgotten As we all know, Switzerland is deservedly famous for its craftsmanship and manufacturing quality.&nbsp; So much so that often many brands can be overlooked, not for lack of merit, but for the fact that almost every serious Swiss manufacturer is world-renowned.&nbsp; We\u2019ve certainly been guilty of this when \u2026 <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/a-history-of-elna-the-other-swiss-sewing-machine-brand\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":314,"featured_media":71239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71329"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/314"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71329"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71365,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71329\/revisions\/71365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}