Vintage Labels

I've often wondered why collectors collect, for some it's the love of graphic design or maybe it's to re-create or regain our youth in an effort to get to a percieved happier time and place?
Occassionaly it's for financial gain or meerly to pass the time, it might even just be collecting bus or train numbers or even Eddie Stobbart truck names.

Essentially we are collecting information around our interests but when you/we really become 'anoraks' it all gets deeper, it comes down to collecting 'labels' either actual labels or markings on a machine part or hallmarks on a piece of silver, after all some collectors will collect the same item that differs only in it's makers stamps or markings.

Myself I have many ties some of which I don't actually like that much but I buy them(cheaply) just for the label on the back because I like it's graphic design.

So here are a few pictures of 'vintage labels'.

woven necktie

Mountain Accessories wool/acrylic shirt from the late 1960's

late 1950's early 60's Harris Tweed label

1950's Society braces

Reynolds 531 tubing transfer from a 1964 E.G Bates touring cycle

Anton Pichler marking in a c 1950's 'trilby' hat

Duratye from the 1940's-50's

Celanese 'Acetate' cravat from the 1940's-50's

Munrospun tie with retailers label 1940's?

Saxony wool tie label 1950's -60's

1960's 'Duggie' cravat label

Lochinvar label c 60's

Harry Fenton one of the original 'Mod' shops label on a knitted tie from the 1960's

Country Life tie label from the late 1960's

label on a 'Sammy' double sided wool and silk? scarf 1960's-70's

Buttons of Luton label on a waistcoat c 1930's-50's

 

Tooke label on a necktie from the 1940's-50's

Dunn & Co label in a pair of leather gloves c1950's

Swiss made Lucifer front bicycle dynamo light markings c 1964

Vintage Bicycles

As a time served engineering apprentice and being part of a small engineering company at that time I was lucky enough to qualify as a 'Mecky Fitter' but also got trained as a welder in gas, TIG(Lloyds coded), MIG and MMA I also was lucky enough to study plating and pipefitting as well as paintspraying. You could say I had a good alround training that has happily stood me in good stead over the years to tackle most DIY and construction jobs, especially useful for motorcycles and more importantly for this post 'Vintage Bicycles'.

I don't wish to go too deep into the whole 'Penny Farthing', 'Safety Bicycle' history thing so I'll just concentrate on the bicycle we regonise today, here are a few of mine.


      Mid 1950's James Fothergill 'Grimpeur' built from  Reynolds 531 double butted steel tubing.

It was updated in the 1970's by 'Bob Jackson's' of Leeds and resprayed at the time.

I've rebuilt it to mid-late 70's specification using high quality, high end Japanese components such as Shimano Dura -Ace, SR Royal etc.

All the lugs are laboriously hand cut and filed, close examination reveals very high quality craftsmanship seldom seen today.

Mid 1960's E.G Bates touring cycle, again built from Reynolds 531DB tubing.

Reynolds 531 transfer

Brakes are the scarce Mafac Driver

Swiss made 'Baby' 900 Lucifer dynamo

And it's matching front light.

A more recent early 1990's Raleigh 'Dynatech' built from Reynolds steel tubing bonded to alloy head, seat and bottom bracket lugs, it's lightweight and rides beautifully....it was also built fairly close to me in Worksop at the Raleigh Special Products Division.

Bars and stem are Italian made Cinelli.

Groupset is Shimano's 8 speed 600 'tricolour' which works very crisply and efficiently.

Raleigh headbadge.

Unusual seat stay lugs not often seen on Dynatechs, certainly on none I have seen.

Vintage travel sets

Ok so you have a wife/partner that likes to travel and your's like mine may spring things on you as a surprise and very last minute!
I am not talking about anything excessive you understand just weekends away usually in country hotels but still you'll need to get your gear together and get going!

So I've learnt over the last few years to have stuff ready to go almost at a minutes notice, you'll probably remember clothes and shoes etc but it's dead easy to forget the little things you often need, things like nail clippers, razor etc so I decided to get a overnight travel set and well one leads to two to three, if you're a collector you'll know how it goes!

                                Here's a few of mine,

 

This one is probably from the late 1960's and the case is made of faux leather but the contents were the same as in previous incarnations, this one was unused and still had all of it's original contents...I added a small sewing kit (not shown) and never forget this one, it's proved more than useful. 

 

This high quality W.A Goold set was a recent find and again was made in various guises over the years, this is a later version but it still has metal tops to the containers, these can also be found with a full leather case and various contents....this one was found on a car boot unused, it even had it's razor blades still in their paper packets. 

 

 

This was found recently and it is a high quality item from R Horn of Vienna with full leather case and quality items within, the scissors are made by Wilkinson Sword, the cuticle tools and nail file are made in Solingen by Pfeilring , it's missing some items but finding them will give me something to do! 

There was a mark on the front but I've now managed to polish it away so you can hardly notice it.

 

 

 

Pfeilring nail file.

 

 

 

Wilkinson Sword nail scissors.

 

'Vintage' ties.....again

I know a lot of people collect ties around the world, over here in the UK ties are and have been generally a bit more conservative than those found say in the USA, and hand painted silks are pretty rare in fact I've never seen one for sale other than on internet auction sites.
Here's a few more of my recent and regular-ish finds mainly from charity shops.

A Lochinvar woolen tie

Not vintage per se but a 1980's 'vintage' in style cream and two tone blue raw silk tie made in the  

UK for 'NEXT' 

A 'Country Life' woolen tie made in scotland in three shades of brown. 

A 'Terylene' straight knitted tie from the 1960's made for Harry Fenton of Shaftesbury Avenue SW3, one of the original 'Mod' outfitters.  

Polo Prince by 'Favourite' another woolen tie 

Three found in the same day, one 'Neatwear' terylene, one 'Tooke' made from imported fabric(Rayon?) and one 'Christian Dior' paisley silk, the red Tooke is probably one of the oldest ties I own.

A Saxony pure wool 'tassle' tie. 

Three more a blue 'terylene' a woolen 'tartan' and a silk? St Michael steel blue grey one