Bernina bobbins for vintage machines

 Many people wonder if they can use regular class 15 bobbins, and/or bobbin cases, in vintage Bernina sewing machines, and many argue about this, online.

I have owned and sewn with Bernina models 530, 530-2, 731, 830, 910, 930, and these all use the same Bernina bobbins, which look like ordinary class 15 bobbins, BUT THEY ARE NOT!

I've taken photos, to compare, and help show the differences, and explain why this matters.

The Bernina bobbin is a scant 1 millimeter difference in height, TALLER than a class 15 bobbin. If you use a class 15 bobbin, in your Bernina bobbin case, you will get occasional backspin, anytime you sew fast, then slow down, or stop. It causes the bobbin to keep spinning, so thread wraps around backwards, which will then cause it to yank hard, possibly breaking the thread, or causing thread jams.

Using a class 15 bobbin case,and bobbin, in a Bernina, you will have a much noisier machine, and it will have thread jams, and problems with stitch quality, making you think the machine is at fault, but as soon as you put a Bernina bobbin case, and bobbin, it will produce sweet, quiet, perfect stitching!

Bernina diamond center, BB, and Bernina engraved center post bobbins

Top row- Necchi solid side class 15 
Middle row- Bernina bobbins, BB, diamond center, Bernina engraved center
Bottom Japanese manufactured Class 15, 10 hole, 7 hole

Top row- Necchi solid side class 15 
Middle row- Bernina bobbins, BB, diamond center, Bernina engraved center
Bottom Japanese manufactured Kenmore class 15, 10 hole 7 hole

Kenmore class 15 bobbins,EXCEPT the solid sided bobbin, it is a BERNINA BB marked BOBBIN, notice it does NOT fit down into the Kenmore case, it is a scant millimeter taller than the Kenmores, you can see the entire center of the taller Bernina 7 hole bobbin.

Kenmore class 15 bobbins,EXCEPT the bobbin with blue thread, it is a BERNINA 7 hole BOBBIN, notice it does NOT fit down into the Kenmore case, it is a scant millimeter taller than the Kenmores, you can see the entire center of the taller Bernina 7 hole bobbin.

Kenmore 7 hole class 15 bobbins in their Kenmore case - you cannot just trust that a bobbin has 7 holes, these look the same, but are slightly shorter than Bernina's bobbin, by a scant millimeter

The Bernina bobbin case has a tiny hole in the bobbin finger, which should oñly be threaded when sewing buttonholes, and embroidery, it adds extra tension, to pull the interlocking threads to the bottom, without needing to adjust the bobbin tension.

Bernina 530-2 manual bobbin threading instructions

Bernina 530-2 manual illustration for threading bobbin case

Bernina 530-2 manual bobbin case threading illustration for sewing BUTTONHOLES

There is a LOT of incorrect information on the internet, about vintage Bernina bobbins! Even in the groups for vintage Bernina sewing machines, the "experts" and moderators, or group owners, and owners of sewing and repair shops, and part suppliers, are regularly giving out incorrect information.

(Models 500, 530, 600, 630, 700, 710, 730, 731, 800, 810, 812, 830, 831, 900, 910, 930, 931, 932, 1000, up through 1630, the oscillating CV hook models) (Does NOT include the commercial and industrial rotary bobbin hook models)

Myth- Bernina bobbins don't have a cutout on the opening for the bobbin winding post, or spindle.

Truth- Bernina dealership parts illustrations and machine manual illustrations DO show a cutout for this. My BB and Bernina engraved bobbins DO have the cutout! Yes, there are also some high quality bobbins with the 7 hole sides, which do NOT have this cutout, but some do. 

Using a Bernina bobbin case IS important, for best operation of these vintage sewing machines. I did have a vintage Bernina 731 which did not have an authentic Bernina bobbin case, and while a replacement bobbin case that supposedly was for these vintage Bernina's, and did have the hole in the bobbin finger, for buttonholes and embroidery tension, the 731 was uncharacteristically noisey, kept jamming, and having stitch quality problems. A standard class 15 bobbin case, and bobbins, will cause these issues in the vintage Bernina machines, while switching to the original Bernina bobbin cases, and bobbins, corrects these issues.

Upon switching to a Bernina bobbin case, and bobbin, it sewed quietly, smoothly, no more stitch quality problems!