IWM windlass

[Fast Pat]

I sold my last narrowboat in 1995, so I was a little surprised when tidying up my workshop to come across a "old" windlass. I've googled it and its brought me back to here where I occasionally still lurk!

 

So is there any value in this or is it a 70's copy and what was IWM?

 

Any help or guidance greatly appreciated. 

[Ray T]

The style of the letters is rather like the IWM watermark on Imperial War Museum photographs.

 

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205201181

Bottom RH corner.

 

Never heard of the War Museum being involved with Windlass though.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Ray T

[Fast Pat]

Yes the IWM link dominates all the Google results, like you I can't think of a link to the canals. 

[Tony Brooks]

Inland Waterways Museum?

[Fast Pat]

8 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Inland Waterways Museum?

Interesting idea but both museums are called the National Waterways Museum, besides I think this precedes them.

[Tony Brooks]

Another Guess - Inland waterways maintenance. Maybe issued to maintenance boat crews. Marked to deter  pilfering. We know the Idle Women badges had IW on them standing for inland waterways

[magnetman]

It could just be someone's initials like Ian William Montgomery. 

 

Looking at the bend in the handle I'd say it's a reproduction item not a useable windlass. 

 

Probably brass as opposed to bronze. Liable to break at the bend. 

 

Unfortunately Laurence Hogg is no longer with us. He would know about this sort of thing. 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by magnetman

[Dorlan]

the windlass used by Prince Charles at the opening of Weshpool town lock looks as if it was marked IWM...

There was also one for sale sometime in the recent past...

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/bronze-windlass-canal-lock-key-511604522

Edited October 26, 2020 by Dorlan

[David Mack]

Laurence Hogg made brass/bronze windlasses at one time, and his company was Inland Waterway Models.

[Tony Brooks]

6 hours ago, David Mack said:

Laurence Hogg made brass/bronze windlasses at one time, and his company was Inland Waterway Models.

I reckon that solves it.

[Tam & Di]

I'm sure that must be the answer. If it was a personalised widlass I'd expect the initials to be punched in, not raised up as part of a casting.

 

Tam

[Fast Pat]

8 hours ago, David Mack said:

Laurence Hogg made brass/bronze windlasses at one time, and his company was Inland Waterway Models.

That makes sense, thank you.  It's a small world as I almost bought a boat of Laurence thirty odd years ago I can't remember the name of the boat but it had a Kelvin engine - the important bit!

 

Thanks to everyone that has contributed. 

P.S. Anyone want to make me an obscene offer??

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Fast Pat

[David Schweizer]

11 hours ago, David Mack said:

Laurence Hogg made brass/bronze windlasses at one time, and his company was Inland Waterway Models.

 

4 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I reckon that solves it.

 

I'm not so certain about that, Inland Waterway Models was one of Laurence's other  enterprises, along with Laurence Hogg Productions.  The company he owned which made the bronze windlasses was Boatman's Cabin, based at Iver Boatyard, I managed to purchase one of the last two they had in stock.

 

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by David Schweizer

[doratheexplorer]

2 hours ago, Fast Pat said:

That makes sense, thank you.  It's a small world as I almost bought a boat of Laurence thirty odd years ago I can't remember the name of the boat but it had a Kelvin engine - the important bit!

 

Thanks to everyone that has contributed. 

P.S. Anyone want to make me an obscene offer??

 

I'll give you £5 for it.  Obscene enough?

 

You should auction it on here.

[TheBiscuits]

8 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

 

I'm not so certain about that, Inland Waterway Models was one of Laurence's other  enterprises, along with Laurence Hogg Productions.  The company he owned which made the bronze windlasses was Boatman's Cabin, based at Iver Boatyard, I managed to purchase one of the last two they had in stock.

 

 

 

Does it have the cast IWM on it?

[Fast Pat]

29 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

 

 

I'm not so certain about that, Inland Waterway Models was one of Laurence's other  enterprises, along with Laurence Hogg Productions.  The company he owned which made the bronze windlasses was Boatman's Cabin, based at Iver Boatyard, I managed to purchase one of the last two they had in stock.

 

 

So the riddle continues, when I went to view the boat it was at Iver, if my memory serves me right (which came to me during my morning run!) the boat was "Boxer"?

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by Fast Pat

[David Schweizer]

22 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

Does it have the cast IWM on it?

No.

 

21 minutes ago, Fast Pat said:

Yes.

 

Yours does, but the I970's Laurence Hogg (Boatman's Cabin) one I bought from Iver does not. 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2020 by David Schweizer

[David Mack]

I seem to recall that IWM was one of Laurence's earlier ventures and Boatmans Cabin came later.  Quite possible that his earlier windlasses were marked IWM and later ones not. If David's was one of the last two in stock then it would have been later production (and surely later than the 1970s).

[David Schweizer]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

I seem to recall that IWM was one of Laurence's earlier ventures and Boatmans Cabin came later.  Quite possible that his earlier windlasses were marked IWM and later ones not. If David's was one of the last two in stock then it would have been later production (and surely later than the 1970s).

Yes, of course, you are correct. My first awareness of Boatman's Cabin was in the late 1980's and I purchased the windlass somewhere around 2005 which I believe is after they stopped making windlasses, so unless it was really old stock it would have been one of their more recent products.