French Telic Phone

[tubaman]

My latest eBay acquisition (€25 [best offer] + €18 p&p) - approx $48 US.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANCIEN-TELEPHONE-TELIC-ANNEE-1960/143356843411

It's another one I've been after for a while but they don't come up that often and tend to be in poor shape when they do.
It certainly won't win any beauty awards and in some respects that's what I like about it.
The case is a thick but soft plastic and the handset is a hard plastic (not sure it's actually Bakelite).
I assume these were designed for office use from the colour and style (if you can call it that!).
Unlike a lot of French phones this does have a sounder in it in the form of a buzzer. It's not very loud but would be fine if it were sitting on your work desk. It only has a single contact hookswitch which is a little unusual. The huge stackable plug is quite interesting too.
I'm guessing this dates to about 1960 but can't see any dates on it.
Phones of this period appear to be referred to as "Les crapauds" (http://www.l2l1.com/tel3.htm) which seems to translate as "The Toads".

 

[tubaman]

More photos

[HarrySmith]

That is a pretty cool little phone. Congrats on getting another off your wish list. There is a simple quick test I use to determine bakelite or plastic. The Pin Test. Take a pin and heat it with a lighter until the end glows red. Touch it to the part somewhere inside. If it is bakelite it will be untouched, if it is plastic of any kind it will melt.

EDIT: for safety, do not hold the pin in your fingers, use pliers or visegrips

[RB]

A very interesting, and well built TOAD lol

[tubaman]

That is a pretty cool little phone. Congrats on getting another off your wish list. There is a simple quick test I use to determine bakelite or plastic. The Pin Test. Take a pin and heat it with a lighter until the end glows red. Touch it to the part somewhere inside. If it is bakelite it will be untouched, if it is plastic of any kind it will melt.

Harry,
Thanks for the testing tip - looks like it is Bakelite then.

[HarrySmith]

YW. Glad it worked out for you.

[FABphones]

Glad to see it arrived safely and in good condition. That Telic will shine up nicely.
If you take the center dial bolt out it will polish up really well. On the other side of the dialcard it will also be printed. Sometimes these never get turned over so often they are cleaner and brighter than the side on show. The Perspex wheel will clean up to a nice shine too.

ETA: I always got the impression these were a phone for sharing (rolling?) between desks, have you tried it out yet?

[countryman]

In fact it already looks pretty clean and well kept, a good purchase despite of the "not so promising" name :-)
The dial arrangement looks very user friendly for an operator sitting on *) in front of a desk! The french dials run quiet and effortless. It seems their basic design never changed with age or manufacturing company.

*)or is it "at" (confused)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lczHvB3Y9s

[tubaman]

In fact it already looks pretty clean and well kept, a good purchase despite of the "not so promising" name :-)
The dial arrangement looks very user friendly for an operator sitting on a desk! The french dials run quiet and effortless. It seems their basic design never changed with age or manufacturing company.

It was a bit grubby when I got it, but nothing that a wipe with a damp cloth hasn't fixed.
You're right about the French dials, they do run very smoothly indeed. The only real changes were that some of the metal parts became plastic on the later ones.

[Doug Rose]

Beautiful phone...reminds me of a Kellogg ashtray 925. I really like it!...Nice find. FOM!...Doug

[tubaman]

Beautiful phone...reminds me of a Kellogg ashtray 925. I really like it!...Nice find. FOM!...Doug

Thanks Doug.
I hadn't thought of it being like a Kellogg 925, but now you've said it I can see the resemblance.
I'll consider FOM - after all we need @LarryInMichigan to think there is some contest to his blue Kellogg banjo phone! 

[tubaman]

In fact it already looks pretty clean and well kept, a good purchase despite of the "not so promising" name :-)
The dial arrangement looks very user friendly for an operator sitting on *) in front of a desk! The french dials run quiet and effortless. It seems their basic design never changed with age or manufacturing company.

*)or is it "at" (confused)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lczHvB3Y9s

@countryman - Love that Monty Python sketch - brilliant!

The usual phrase would be 'sitting at a desk' (or 'sat at a desk'). 'Sitting in front of a desk' does work but I'd usually use that form to say, for example, 'sitting in front of a phone' - ie the object I'm using at the desk. The phone is 'sitting on a desk' - ie on the top of it.
Having probably now confused you even more I really wouldn't get too worried about it, as one of the joys of English is the vast number of ways that you can say the same thing and for it still to make sense. Perhaps that it also what makes it difficult to learn?

[countryman]

I'll consider FOM - after all we need @LarryInMichigan to think there is some contest to his blue Kellogg banjo phone! 

Definitely go for it. A contest without contest would be kind of boring. And some non-North-American flavour won't harm either 

[FABphones]

The dial arrangement looks very user friendly for an operator sitting on *) in front of a desk...

...*) or is it "at" (confused)

...The usual phrase would be 'sitting at a desk'...

'by' a desk.