1957 Pronged Handsets.

[Kenny C]

I was reading a post here earlier and saw where Jim S. mentioned a 1957 pronged handset. What is a Pronged handset?

[Phonesrfun]

I dunno.... but.... there was a WE handset that had two holes in the back that accepted a shoulder rest that had two studs, or prongs that fit into the two holes, and it came out about that time.  I remember seeing them in offices, mostly on keysets when I was younger.  Maybe that is what he was referring to.  I didn't catch the post.  I have been kind of busy lately and I don't always see all the posts.

I believe Paul-F's site has an example of the shoulder rest I am referring to.  I will go look it up and come back and post a link at the bottom of this post.

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Update:

Here is the link to what I am referring to.  The G4:

http://www.paul-f.com/handrest.htm

[Kenny C]

Here is the post.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=2673.0

[Phonesrfun]

Based on reading that, I don't think he was talking about the shoulder rest G1.  He was probably talking about the earlier G1 bakelite handset that had the horse-shoe-shaped "prongs" that hold the cord in place.  Early handsets have this molded into the handset shell itself, whereas the later G-series handsets had this molded into the back of the transmitter cup.

[Kenny C]

Oh I see. I have one of those with that type of strain relief. Its 5-54

[Phonesrfun]

That would be it.

[Kenny C]

Thanks Bill.

[Jim Stettler]

Based on reading that, I don't think he was talking about the shoulder rest G1.  He was probably talking about the earlier G1 bakelite handset that had the horse-shoe-shaped "prongs" that hold the cord in place.  Early handsets have this molded into the handset shell itself, whereas the later G-series handsets had this molded into the back of the transmitter cup.

This is what I was talking about.
These were early G handsets, except that in 1957 they made them
Jim

[Willytx]

Dang, I was picturing tail fins.

[rp2813]

I have a pronged G1 handset dated 1956.  I was surprised to find that date in it after seeing the prongs, and having read that the pronged types stopped being manufactured in 1952.

[Kenny C]

I've had 2 from 1954.

Did they make them in color too?

[Jim Stettler]

I've had 2 from 1954.

Did they make them in color too?

Color sets had a clear flat transmitter cup and a seperate matching "prong". I guess you would call them early 2 piece transmitter cups. on these sets you can use standard transmitter cups if you don't have the 2 piece.
Jim