Mouthpiece Identification

[mazda_matt]

Can anyone identify what this mouthpiece may have come off of?

Fit into a Western faceplate.

Brass threads

-MM

[Ktownphoneco]

Matt   ....   I have one as well, and I was told by a friend of mine who is a retired technician with a telco that was part of the American Bell System in the U.S.A., that it's a Western coin collector transmitter mouth piece.   

Jeff

[mazda_matt]

Matt   ....   I have one as well, and I was told by a friend of mine who is a retired technician with a telco that was part of the American Bell System in the U.S.A., that it's a Western coin collector transmitter mouth piece.   

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. Its pretty heavy duty, so that doesn't surprise me.

-MM

[HarrySmith]

Yes, I also recall hearing that the brass thread mouthpiece was used on the early coin collectors.

[Haf]

mazda_matt,

looks like a Gray Western payphone 10A transmitter mount mouthpiece to me too. Just took two pictures of a 1931 150G to compare.

Haff

[Stan S]

Folks
Like the commercial used to say 'Is it live or is it Memorex?'

Authentic original heavy duty mouth pieces have patent dates molded along the inner edge.
The edge is perfectly round
Reproductions have a flat on the very edge that usually looks dull and unfinished.

See attached.
Stan S.

[Haf]

Daaaaaamn, you gave me another sleepless night...no patent dates, so repruduction.  Hard to get clear with it.

Still mentally exausthed while trying to fix my relay and now this

I will go to sleep early tonight and dream of unicorn in an all happy land

Haf

[Ktownphoneco]

Thanks Stan for clarifying the issue and presenting the facts.        As I was saying Matt, it's a "reproduction" Western coin collector transmitter mouth piece     

Jeff

[Stan S]

Haf and Jeff
It is not my intention to cause any telephone collector sleepless nights.

Now, If I wanted to do that I wouldn't bother mentioning payphone stuff. That's small potatoes.
I'd tell you about the phony Western Electric #10s, potbellies and vanities (loads of wood stuff) that I know for a fact has been created over the last 20 years and are being sold as originals.

I wouldn't buy any 'antique' wood phone on a bet!

Sweet dreams.
Stan S.

[Haf]

Stan,
don't feel bad- it's not the deleiverer of the bad new to blame but the news itself.. or better myseld as again forgotten to make sure  if I can keep apart the bad from the good. Another hard learning lessen tought

Haf

[Ktownphoneco]

Stan  ....   No issues here.    I agree with Haf, and I'd much prefer to hear the facts and the truth about something from someone who knows what they're talking about, such as yourself, than wander through this hobby with a lot of inaccurate information.    Thanks for taking the time and upload the pictures to set the records straight.

Jeff Lamb

[Stan S]

A VERY LONG TIME AGO I really wanted a Western Electric vanity.
I called one of the founders of both the ATCA and TCI (who I was sort of friends with) and asked him what my chances of finding an authentic, original, Western Electric vanity were. His answer was ZERO!

Then he said, combined there were members of both clubs who over the years had built more Western Electric vanities than Western Electric ever built......... Great!

I was at a phone show that years and was told that a Western Electric vanity was going to be for sale. A long time ATCA member wheeled in a Western vanity on a dolly. As it passed me I could smell the shellac.
"Why of course it's original"

I really don't no much. I was lucky enough to come along at a time when there were still knowledgeable honest folks in this hobby. I asked a lot of questions.

Can I interest anyone in a bridge?
Maybe a used car?
Stan S.

[mazda_matt]

Folks
Like the commercial used to say 'Is it live or is it Memorex?'

Authentic original heavy duty mouth pieces have patent dates molded along the inner edge.
The edge is perfectly round
Reproductions have a flat on the very edge that usually looks dull and unfinished.

See attached.
Stan S.

Thanks Stan. It looked in too good of shape to be original.

-MM

[Russ62]

Hi, I offer an alternative explanation for at least some of these mouth pieces, at least the one shown as reproduction in Stan's photo. I have several old Phoneco and one ancient Billard's catalogs and they have repro. plastic mouthpieces but none with metal threads. Mine and others of this type I have seen are coated with hard Bakelite that requires special high pressure machinery to produce. Now I am familiar with a common repro. receiver thats made like a half ways copy of a 706 receiver that seems to be Bakelite. One of my mouthpieces came on an old grimy hand held microphone that obviously hadn't   been touched in years before I cleaned it up it even still has a felt hollow  tube between the inside of the mouthpiece and the diaphragm.  The other came on an unrestored  23D paystation.  Now I came across some rebuilt but never reused W.E. transmitters that had the Bell System and patent markings ground off before they were shop type repainted. Also some F hand sets have Bell System embossing and some with out. This all has to do do with phones and parts sold outside the Bell System either new or used. I believe this may be true of some of these mouthpieces. They may also have came from aftermarket, non W.E. suppliers from when these phones were still in commercial use.                                Russell

[Stan S]

Russell, Haf and Jeff.
Now, let's keep this a secret. Regarding those mouth pieces. This is the way it was told to me. There is a very famous, well liked, honest old time collector that a very long time ago had phone parts reproduced in Korea.
They were high quality not junk.

The individual in question is still very active in this hobby. His identity was told to me in confidence never to be divulged. If he's reading this posting he might come forward and elaborate on the history of those mouthpieces and the other high quality parts he imported.

By the way, the bridge has been sold.
Stan S.