This is a lovely machine to knit with, and was my first Empisal knitting machine.
Empisal KH90 complete view
The first KH90 It had came from a deceased estate. After new (Raven window insulation) foam in the sponge-bar and a bit of a wipe with an oily rag it knitted beautifully.Only disappointment was that push-button no 5 didn’t always stay down consistently without a bit of a jiggle. After heating up with a hairdryer, it was a bit better, and definitely the machine preferred the warmer summer weather. Perhaps there was some gunk inside somewhere. I’m just not brave enough to have attempted to to pull the mechanism apart and check the small springs that are locate under each button.
I do have some spare spring, but still it seemed daunting and I didn’t want to mess up the machine.
Working out how to do patterning with the push buttons was an interesting journey, but once you figure it out, its great fun to use. (Perhaps that’s a story for another post).
Have not yet tried out the ribber or the lace carriage as the instructions are a bit tricky to understand. No doubt there will come a time when it seems really obvious.
I sold this KH90 machine in April 2016 to a younger machine knitter, she had come to look at a couple of different machines a KH600 and KH680, but fell in love with the KH90. Not surprising because it was more metal, less plastic and a much nicer looking machine. Of course I hadn’t intended selling the KH90, but I had 2 KH91s plus a KH600 and a KH680 (both looking for new homes). So I sold it knowing that it would be well loved.
Oh Well. I guess the sticky button no 5 would eventually have annoyed me again.
Having regretted selling it almost straight away I replaced it in September 2016, when I found a KH90 on eBay for sale at a recycling center in Elizabeth SA for $40 plus courier.
Yes it’s a bit sad that I had actually kept looking every so often Just in case…. So for $70 I now have a lovely KH90 again in beautiful condition like the first one. This time it’s button n. 1 that sticks a bit but I know how to fix it an have a few spare springs so it’s wonderful.
Interestingly like the first KH90, this one was also in amazing condition and looked like it had never been used. Yes it was a bit discoloured, but the ravel chord had not even been unwound, and there was not a speck of oil is any of mechanisms apart from the finest coating. Even the needles looked brand new.
Carriage and sinker plate
buttons on carriage
lace carriage rails
sinker place in lid
tools
outside of case
Lace Carriage
Empisal lace carriage- underside view
Unfortunately as with the previous KH90 the push buttons don’t necessarily behave themselves. The button on this machine are fine as long as you don’t actually clamp the machine to a table. As soon as you clamp the machine, so that the angle of the bed is no longer flat but sloping with the front higher than the back, the buttons, don’t want to stay down. So very annoying.
But it is still a beautiful machine to you, when you’re not using the patterning.
Help and further information
Push Button Patterning Knitting machines closed group on Facebook, is well worth joining. As well as being a really helpful bunch on machine knitters there are also files of patterns and manuals. Its also a great source for advice on techniques and how to use the push button machines as well as for finding spare parts.
There are lots of very helpful Youtube clips on push button knitting machine including a series of videos from TheAnswerLadyKnits. Here’s one to get you started https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1oJq1k1YGU
Her website http://www.theanswerlady.com includes a list of all her help videos.
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