Spares, spares, spares

 

Pride and Clark was a huge mostly-motorcycle dealer in South London, occupying most of a city block. They seemed to sell anything motor related, including 3wheelers, cars and occasionally boats. They also sold accessories and related clothing, kind of a forerunner of today's Powersports dealerships. They were large enough they could negotiate exclusive deals from manufacturers, notably the bargain priced Red Panther motorcycle in the 30s. They seemed to have something-for-everyone ads like the one above in every British magazine. 

The company started in the 1920s and lasted till about 1980. Memoirs here.

Antarctic Exploration (cost no object)

The feature article in the October 1947 issue of the National Geographic was the US Navy expedition to Antarctica, led by Rear Admiral Richard Byrd. The whole exercise seemed to be about using all the equipment left over from WW2. 13 ships with 4000 men. Cargo ships, ice breakers, seaplane tenders, even an aircraft carrier and a submarine. The aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea brought 6 Douglas Skytrains (upgraded C47s) equipped with skis/wheels and my favorite, JATO rockets for take off from the flight deck. (Shades of the Doolittle raid). (Above)

  Below, the USS Philippine Sea travels through the Panama Canal. As well as these transport planes, there were Martin Mariners, single engine Norseman bushplanes and helicopters. For travel on ice, amphibious tractors in different sizes, bulldozers, dog sleds, you name it. All very exciting, most of the accompanying photographs in the articles were of motorized equipment.  After about two months of mapping, measuring, photographing and observing, the expedition had accomplished everything they wanted to, they packed up and left. It appears a good time was had by all.

 

Giller wrench

 According to the always great Garage Journal, Giller was a division of Thorsen and was a supplier to the US military in the 1960s. Interestingly both Giller and Throsen sold a 1 inch wrench as a #2032.     Giller thread on Garage Journal here.

Bricklayer's protractor

Degrees of angle and an ~8" inch ruler. A useful pocket tool, and a promotional item by the Brazil Clay brick company.

 Brazil Clay Company was established at Brazil, Indiana in 1905. Their main product was “impervious face brick,” meaning bricks to be used on the face of buildings. The company lasted at least into the 1960s but is not forgotten, there is a Facebook group for Brazil brick collectors. Bottom images,  another promotional item, found on ebay.

Back to the device, around the pivot there is a patent number for the device which I can't read and a company name, possibly H&P (possibly St Paul Mn).

Continental cutaway

 

Dodge Superbee

The toys keep coming out. This 1970 Superbee is in "Banana Yellow" with the bumble bee stripe and looks well... like a timewarped "used car", as if it was 1976 and someone had just bought this at a used car lot.

 

Brough Superior and admirers at the 1934 Earlscourt show

 

The Vintagent did this one.

Studebaker for 1950

 

Saab 2 stroke triple

Sidecar Sunday

 

Auburn Rubber Motorcycle

Nice little motorcycle toy with detailed rider about 4 inches long, made by Auburn Rubber. Modelled on a vertical twin, probably a British prototype.

 

Jordan pipe wrench

 Another "Stillson" or pipe wrench, this one by another name I've never seen, Jordan Tools of Germany. Not much info on the company online, but again, Germany as the COO would indicate prewar.

Bruce Hallock Tailess aircraft

Roger Bilstein, Jay Miller, Aviation in Texas, Texas Monthly Press, 1985

 

1959 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe

According to the For Sale sign that's its full name. Absolutely gorgeous. Oh, those '59 GM cars...

 

Porsche 356 Workshop manual covers

    
   

S Bishop gouge

 

As I was composing the previous post, I had a nagging feeling I had seen that Bishop name before, turns out I was partially correct, not George B. from Cincinnati, but rather Samuel Bishop of Sheffield, England. I had seen this chisel at Liberty Tool in Maine with S. Bishop stamp and Fleur-de-Lis symbol. 

From ukworkshop.co.uk; There was a Samuel Bishop working as an edge tool maker from 1828 to 1845. first on Carver Street in 1828, then at 10 Young Street from 1833 to 1837, and finally at 166 Young Street by 1845. This chisel could be from that era.

 Sheffield Records online also indicate there was a Samuel Bishop working as an edge tool maker in 1919. The "sons" of James & Sons were James and Samuel, with Samuel listed as edge tool maker and principal in the James Bishop & Sons firm 1911 to 1919.  

Toothed cutting tools .

A nice saw illustration of unknown provenance, also seems to be mostly an ad for Geo. Bishop saws. 

The Geo. Bishop & Co. produced saws of excellent quality, first at its plant in Cincinnati, Ohio from the early 1880s until 1899 and subsequently in Lawrenceburg, Indiana until the company's merger with the James Ohlen & Sons Saw Mfg, Co. of Columbus, Ohio in 1920. (Pawpawswrench)

Saw B is from Goodell Pratt. Previous post here.

1939 Dodge

 For sale in Toronto, someone is gettin' outta Dodge.

Starracer frame

 Images from a want ad in Europe about a decade ago. Wonder how the project turned out?

Stanley pocket level

Here’s a little decorative Stanley pocket level patented in 1896. It looks like a solid brass body but it’s just sheet metal, brass or brass plated. A patent search for that Tuesday turns up a Stanley patent for production machinery (US Patent: 562,679) - doesn’t seem to relate to this little unit..

 

Luger semi-automatic pistol

 The Luger was introduced in 1898, developed from the 1893 Borchardt C93 semi-automatic pistol. Several iterations tested over over the next two years led to it being adopted by the Swiss military in the year 1900 as the Ordonnanzpistole 1900 and the German Navy in 1904. 

Monday Mystery, some sort of ring pliers?

Similar to a wrench/pliers for an oil filter, but only about 2 inches in diameter. Squeezing the handles doesn’t change the diameter much.

I can half convince myself there is/was some text around the pivot but unreadable to me.

Guesses?

 

GYT kit

 Genuine Yamaha Tuning kit for your Twinjet. The kit came with high pipes, intended I guess, for off-road use?  More power and lots more noise!

Sidecar Sunday