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First interesting find of 2011

Started by Adam, January 09, 2011, 06:07:09 PM

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Adam

I bought this phone from eBay because I've been looking for a modern brown 500.  I knew it would have an "interesting" pedigree when I bought it, but I couldn't tell from the pics exactly what that was.  The price was right for a gamble.

The phone turned out to be very interesting.  It's the result of a phone refurbisher, it's based on a Western Electric 591, and I was most surprised to learn upon reception of the phone that its plastics, the shell and the handset, are both totally unbranded.  The guts of the dial is marked Stromberg-Carlson.

I like this very much because I didn't have anything like this previously in my collection.  It's very weird to see a phone that's totally blank where you'd expect to see the Western Electric or ITT logo, both on the handset and the shell.
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820

HarrySmith

Pretty Cool Dave! I have seen unmarked handsets but this is the first blank shell.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Adam

I've never seen totally blank in either before.  The previous unbranded handsets  that I've seen had a little oblong where there the logo should be, but the inside of the oblong was blank.  (I think I have one of these somewhere.)  This handset is totally blank, no oblong.  The shell is totally blank as well.
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820

HarrySmith

Thats right, there was the box for a logo on the handsets I have seen, I think I have 1 or 2 here somewhere. Are the elements marked?
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Tribune

Very nice - great colour - makes me think of chocolate mmmmm

Any markings on the base identifying the refurbisher or anything?
And maybe its just my eyes but the "ears" on the handset cradle seem to me a bit more angular compared to the couple of Nortel 500s I have in the office here. Maybe just the light though.
Mark Furze - TCI, ATCA

To miss-quote "Bones" McCoy . . .
                     "darn it Jim - I'm a doctor, not a telephone engineer!"

Dennis Markham

I have an Orange one that has no markings on the housing or handset.  It can be seen in my Halloween photo from last year...here:

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1677.15

Adam

Nothing matches at all.  Base (including network, switch hook and ringer, oddly enough) is a Western Electric 591 (I said oddly enough on the ringer since 591's wouldn't normally come with a ringer.)  Dial is Stromberg-Carlson.  Transmitter unmarked.  Receiver ITT (but that doesn't mean that's where the handset plastics came from...)

Ears on the cradle, in fact the entire shell, is completely standard.  If it looks funny to you it might just be the angle of the photo.

As you can see, clearly relabeled by a refurbisher but they didn't take credit for it.
Adam Forrest
Los Angeles Telephone - A proud part of the global C*Net System
C*Net 1-383-4820