Bakelite Escargots with Metal side plate a comparative study, U.S.A made and England . A Strauss (At work to be cont.)
Bakelite escargots with a stamped metal plate insert to one side.
A.Strauss , Copyright © 2009. ( Under Reconstruction )
Bakelite* escargots with metal plate inserts at the side are all Glasgow type escargots made in England and in the U.S.A ,
The side plate insert is applied to the right hand one side of the whistle
(And later on the left (N.S. Meyer N.Y shows on the left side as well).
‘Leftiees’ are post 1946
Acme Whistles – J. Hudson & Co. made these in 3 sizes,
Smaller ones are rare (As is with most metal Escargots).
Colors; Black, Brown, Orange, White, Green. (last three much rarer)
Used mainly by Sporting Goods & Arms companies as well as by British railway and Transportation companies, also by some police forces and colleges.
The big advantage of Bakelite made whistles was that in cold weather ( Sub zero) they would not get stuck to the lips or fingers as the metal ones. They were very sturdy when plastic was still of lesser strength than hard plastic types made later.
The metal inserts are of different designs which makes it possible to know where made.
The ones made in England are all made by J. Hudson & Co. , Acme Whistles Ltd. And are stamped Acmeoid. Made From 1926 to late 1940s , Production of Bakelite whistles by Acme whistles was stopped c 1986. (According to Mr. Simon Topmann).
The whistles are constructed of two parts plus pea,
One piece mold and an additional circular flat drum side plate inserted to side with or without Aluminum plate.
Hudson
*Stamped in 2 ways
1) Early stamps ;
Below window ” The Acme Thunderer” , and Hudson Monogram on the underside of the whistle “Beak” – mouthpiece.
2) later models ;
“The Acme Thunderer made in England” and no monogram on the underside.
Note; All the whistles seen here are stamped the Acme Thunderer except for the USA & Mexican made ones.
* Metal plates of few kinds but the circular ones with four pins have the pins pointing at north , east, south and west, or 12 O’clock 3, 6 and 9.
* Colors; Hudson made these in Black Brown Orange & white The last two colors are rare.
* The D & M one & the older Iver Johnson have a longer beak , about 3 mm longer similar to USA made ones and are not as wide, a different mold was used for these and it is certainly the earlier one, might even be earlier than 1926.
Because of way made the cup and the material the whistles deviate by 1 mm up to 2 mm in measurements in same models. ( To be cont.)
Dating : The “modern” post WWII 1946 are ‘lefties’ The Aluminum plate, insert is on the left side, The older ones always have the plate on the right side,
It may be that there are exceptions, but the autor had not seen one .
American
* Smooth, no stamps on Bakelite .
* Size; American made ones are not as wide, But Longer.
* Do not have a circle pattern sunk, on the side opposite to the metal plate insert.
* A wider and thinner tooth grip on the lower lip.
* Color; Black or Brown.
* Metal plates are all of the circular with 4 pins pattern, inserted in a way that the pins show the hours of roughly 11 O’clock 1, 5 and 7 O’clock.
* Some have “Made in the U.S.A” stamped on the metal plate, (See Goldsmith # 12).
** Foot note
Barrel end is 28.50 mm and accurate on the USA samples I inspected.
L; is 61mm and varies by less than a mm.
In general The U.S.A. made ones seem to be much harder to find,
and it seems that as of now the American Manufacturer remains a Mystery.
The metal plate inserts are all Aluminum or nickel silver.
Early Hudson’s Oval shape metal plate insert L; 60.81mm W; 22.55 mm Barrel Diameter,; 28.50 mm
This oval plate is the only one noted by the author. seems to be a very early one pre 1926.
Above, Iver Johnson Later made by Hudson, L; 57;72 mm W; 23.09 mm Barrel Diameter ; 27.63 mm
Continue reading Bakelite Snail Shaped – Escargots Whistle Types with a Stamped Metal or Aluminum Plate Insert Side & More.
