Brother KH210 knitting machine is a “bulky” knitting machine. It is called bulky because it is capable of accepting thicker yarns. The needles are larger and are spread 9 mm from each other. It features a metal bed with 110 needles. The machine can easily handle challenging yarns: fuzzy, eyelash, thick acrylic, thick wool, staticky yarns, etc. See my own video of using this machine with different yarns.
It is probably the first bulky machine manufactured by Brother (released to the market in the late 1970-ies). Or even maybe the first-ever bulky machine.
Sinker plate has a very unusual shape. It has two slots for two yarn threads so you can use two colors at the same time. The left picture below shows that the right slot is in the working position, while the left slot is in “open” (or idling) position. The picture below on the right shows both slots open to demonstrate to you that they are there.
The raw counter is detachable and fits nicely inside the lid for storage when the machine is not in use. The carriage has settings to knit and to hold stitches.
Pros and Cons of Brother KH210:
PROS:
(+) The manual is very well-written and is very easy to follow
(+) simple to use and just feels solid
(+) capable of knitting super thick yarn (on every other needle)
(+) very unique look – silver, beige and burgundy
(+) All parts fit nicely inside the lid of the knitting machine case
(+) The carriage can accommodate two yarns (for example of different colors) simultaneously.
(+) Some replacement parts are still available for sale (like replacement needles, row counter, …). Needles for the KH210 and other bulky Brother knitting machines can be purchased in my shop.
(+) made out of very high-quality stainless steel
CONS:
(-) Only manual stitch manipulations are possible
(-) Not many major assesories are compatible with this machine. It is unclear whether it has a matching ribber.
(-) Plastic components of the Brother KH210 setup might be prone to UV damage and become brittle and/or discolored.
I have not seen many of these machines for sale – so they are quite rare. Similar basic/manual bulky machines are Brother KH220, Brother KH230 and Singer/Studio/Siver Reed Model 150. Check out my store – I might have one for purchase.
I personally thought that the machine did NOT have a retaining/sponge bar but one knitting machine enthusiast reached out to me informing me that they indeed figured out where the sponge(retaining) bar is and how to replace it.. Well, I knitted the whole vest and a sweater with cables without replacing the retaining bar and had no problems… Was I lucky? Or my machine did not really need the retaining bar?
This machine is excellent for hand-knitters and hobbyists. If you are looking to quickly knit all your hand-knit yarn stash, this machine is for you. It can handle so many different yarns. This machine is also for you if you want to knit faster with very even stitches but not quite ready yet to give up the satisfactory feeling of manipulating the stitches yourself to create different patterns.