something different - Bell System metal polish

[cchaven]

Today I found something a little different...a 3oz enameled tin of Bell System metal polish paste.  I have not actually opened it though by weight it feels like it still contains paste.  It's white with blue printing.  I figured it'd be an interesting side item.

Jeff

[DavePEI]

Today I found something a little different...a 3oz enameled tin of Bell System metal polish paste.  I have not actually opened it though by weight it feels like it still contains paste.  It's white with blue printing.  I figured it'd be an interesting side item.

Jeff

Hi Jeff:

That is neat. It is said to do a great job polishing switchboard plugs (BSP 069-380-812_I2). I had heard of it before, but had never seen or had a can.

Dave

[cchaven]

Thanks Dave, I was wondering just what it might have been meant for.

Jeff

[Phonesrfun]

Jeff:

Maybe it was used to polish Bell System manhole covers.   

[cchaven]

Well the manhole cover for my avatar is on the Old Chain of Rock Bridge over the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis, and I'm sure it'd  take a lot more than 3oz of polish to finish it!

Jeff

[Phonesrfun]

A little dry humor.

[Adam]

The Bell System was so big, it was like its own army, they had everything you can imagine with their label or logo on it.  Here are a few of the more interesting Bell System and Western Electric labeled items from my archived eBay photo collection.

[BDM]

Very interesting. I Googled KS-7471

http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/pdp8/UI-8/ks7470oil.shtml

[Adam]

Here's another pic from my saved pics collection of KS-7471 grease which interestingly, even though it bears the Bell System KS part number, does not mention the Bell System on the label.

An aside to an aside on the above linked website:  It says:

Aside: KS numbers were ubiquitous in the days when Western Electric and the Bell System monopolized the telephone industry. KS stands for Kearny Standard, indicating that the specification for the tool, component or product was developed at Western Electric's Kearny Works in Kearny, New Jersey.

That's a supposition, it has never been proven that KS stands for "Kearny Standard".

[LarryInMichigan]

Today I found something a little different...a 3oz enameled tin of Bell System metal polish paste.  I have not actually opened it though by weight it feels like it still contains paste.  It's white with blue printing.  I figured it'd be an interesting side item.

Jeff

I just picked up an identical can of metal polish at the flea market this morning.  It is about 70% full of a brown waxy paste.  I plan to try some of it on something.  I am curious as to the age of this.  The seller had no idea about it.

Larry

[unbeldi]

Here's another pic from my saved pics collection of KS-7471 grease which interestingly, even though it bears the Bell System KS part number, does not mention the Bell System on the label.

An aside to an aside on the above linked website:  It says:

Aside: KS numbers were ubiquitous in the days when Western Electric and the Bell System monopolized the telephone industry. KS stands for Kearny Standard, indicating that the specification for the tool, component or product was developed at Western Electric's Kearny Works in Kearny, New Jersey.

That's a supposition, it has never been proven that KS stands for "Kearny Standard".

It has been argued that the designation was used even before the Kearny Works were erected.