Gray cords: Straight vs. coiled

[Jester]

I got an email from Mark Scola this evening with an offer.  The short version is I just added this red two-tone with '56 dates to the brood.  Vern P., is this the one you had?

[McHeath]

Geepers Jester, that's a fine red two tone.  Your little familia of rare two tone 500s is growing like rabbits in Springtime. 

[Jester]

Here's a shot of ALL my black dialed 500's.  Included is my 12/50 & the 12/56 dark beige that originally came to me with a coiled beige cord & a light beige 9C dial.

[ESalter]

A little late, but I still think worth chiming-in.  Here are a few photos of my black dial red 500.  Everything on it except for the line cord is dated 1954.  It has a black rubber coiled handset cord, and it's dated 1954 also.  You can barely see in one of the photos this one has button head bell mounting screws also.  I took these the other night, so I didn't look to see if it had a 2 or 3 leg dial mount.  We found this one in an antique shop(more of a barn) in Wisconsin several years back.  The front of the shell was broken in half, I glued it back and polished it out, it didn't turn out too awful bad.

---Eric

[Jester]

That's a nice one, Eric.  Great job on the crack repair, too.  I noticed the date on the base is 6/54--yours should still have the three legged dial mount.

[Kenny C]

What is a button head bell mounting screw?

Nice repair I cant even tell.

[KeithB]

That would be a "normal" rounded head screw, as opposed to the flat-topped screw most often seen used to screw down ringers on 500 sets.

[Kenny C]

Thanks keith maybe I should check my 11-55 500.
Thanks,
Kenny C.

[Scott Toth]

I am very fortunte to have a red and brown WE 500 with a matching coloured straight cord. I knew they are rare I just didn't know how rare.

[Jack Ryan]

The "Spring" cords were an option in 1954.
per a 1955 BSP straight and retractible cords were avaliable as options on 500 sets.

I don't know if there is a section discussing the introduction of coiled cords. I searched for handset cords, coiled cords and retractile cords and got plenty of hits but not a summary. If there is one and I missed it, sorry.

The date of the introduction of WE coiled cords came up on one of the FB sites. The 1954 date was suggested but I think it was earlier than that. There is a WE railroad catalogue that lists retractile headset cords in 1948 and Catalogue 11 lists retractile handset cords in 1950. I think these were cloth retractile cords - I don't remember seeing tropical (rubberised) retractile cords listed.

The OP of the FB thread checked the date on the strain relief of his retractile handset cord and found III 52.

I am not counting the third party spring wire clip-on that converted a straight cord to a curly cord.

Jim: which BSP were you referring to?

Jack

FB Post: https://www.facebook.com/groups/53409901515/permalink/10156541345976516/

[Jim Stettler]

Jack,
It was one of the ones in this thread.

Topic begins here
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=1886.msg25064#msg25064

Jim

There are some other threads with early handset cords, including straight colored cords.  these were all relating to early color and 2-tone 500 sets.
Some of the threads cross reference each other. I will try to find them .

[Jack Ryan]

There are some other threads with early handset cords, including straight colored cords.  these were all relating to early color and 2-tone 500 sets.
Some of the threads cross reference each other. I will try to find them .

Thanks Jim.

Don't worry about chasing around - I was looking for a single summary location but there isn't one.

The cords I referred to were not coloured - perhaps the later date is for coloured cords and they may have lagged coloured sets.

Regards
Jack