Jump to content

£185 Windlass


Speedwheel

Featured Posts

A brass one went for £145 +postage on there last week.

 

I bought a good brass one for £10 the other day (Kempton Park Antiques Fair). It is quite unbelievable what some people will pay for things. Is/was it really solid 'copper' - I have my doubts as copper, if I remember my Physics from school days is very soft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a good brass one for £10 the other day (Kempton Park Antiques Fair). It is quite unbelievable what some people will pay for things. Is/was it really solid 'copper' - I have my doubts as copper, if I remember my Physics from school days is very soft.

But was it ever intended to be used?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's a reasonable price for one of these? (Without any special engraving on).

 

£10 max

Midland Chandlers still had a variant of these listed until quite recently, but they are no longer on their web-site.

 

My memory is that they were somewhere around the £35 to £40 mark, but I may not be completely correct on that.

EDIT: I wasn't! - Having checked they were actually listed at £46!

 

When first made these were either "Grand Union" sized, with 1 1/4" nominal tapers (as mine is, and hence little practical use today), or !" "narrow canal" sized.

 

Most of the old windlasses I have from that era that are 1" will not fit a lot of the modern paddle gear, as the size of the taper now standardised on is often larger than on typical narrow canals in the 1970s.

 

The one in the advert is certainly "narrow", but whether it is "old narrow" or "new narrow" I can't guess.

 

They are indeed bronze or gunmetal. Neither copper nor brass would be up to the task of being used - mine was once regularly used.

 

But was it ever intended to be used?

Yes,

 

One could, (and did), use them.

 

They were cast in exactly the same moulds as the mass produced single eye cast iron windlasses that were standard fodder on hire boats.

 

Just they were bronze, rather than cast iron that was usually then galvanised, (often producing an unpleasantly rough handle that damaged the hands).

 

They appear to owe something in their shape to the famous Cooke windlasses, (which were of course wrought iron, not cast). Often the mould that was used for these cast ones actually has a Cooke style clay pipe on it, and this shape is often cast into the finished windlasses, albeit crudely. Some people think it is the number "1", but examined closely, it is meant to be the clay pipe.

Edited by alan_fincher
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have all see engraved silver trowels with the mayors name and date, I can't images many brickies using one of them.

Sorry to be strictly correct.....

 

This one does appear to have been engraved for a specific reason, and I don't imagine this particular one was intended for use after that point.

 

However the type of windlass that has been engraved here were definitely sold for use as well as ornamentation.

 

Mind you we are told that engraving something doesn't stop it being functional - ask CRT about those balance beams at Hillmorton!

  • Greenie 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to be strictly correct.....

 

This one does appear to have been engraved for a specific reason, and I don't imagine this particular one was intended for use after that point.

 

However the type of windlass that has been engraved here were definitely sold for use as well as ornamentation.

 

Mind you we are told that engraving something doesn't stop it being functional - ask CRT about those balance beams at Hillmorton!

Greeny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a good brass one for £10 the other day (Kempton Park Antiques Fair). It is quite unbelievable what some people will pay for things. Is/was it really solid 'copper' - I have my doubts as copper, if I remember my Physics from school days is very soft.

 

Copper is soft and malleable

 

The purchaser is soft and gullible

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Staggering!

 

Bloody hell, there are some gullible people about are there not?

 

So what should I stamp into this one, and what might it be worh if I do? :lol:

 

Brass_Windlass.jpg

 

I've got one of those ............ and it is magnetic. Gunmetal?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For Christmas 2011, Jan bought me the last bronze windlass in stock from Boatman's cabin in Iver, which thanks to Lauurnce Hogg, they found after a rummage in the stock room. It is the compact "Harry Neil" type and I used it almost all the time on our trip to Wordsley/Stourbridge last year, despite it's short throw it is remarkable comfortable to use. From recollection it cost £30 plus postage

Edited by David Schweizer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes bronze is the stuff, copper way too soft, brass not really up to it, if you heat brass up without some sort of flux floating on top of the molten metal the zinc burns out with a horrible luminous flame, birds fall from the sky, the dog runs howling into the house and you die quite quickly, nevertheless at those prices I shall be in the shed at first light making patterns and firing up the furnace.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.