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What the heck!? Discolored Northern Ivory Uniphone

Started by Jester, June 26, 2010, 06:33:02 PM

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Jester

I just ran across this one & thought I'd share.  The seller calls it "bakelite", but it sure looks like early tenite to me.  I've never run across a uniphone like this one, but I'm inclined to believe it's genuine.  I think the seller is being optimistic with the Buy It Now--but who knows?
http://tinyurl.com/27f3xmr


Stephen

JorgeAmely

Stephen:

Wow! Looks like a sunburn to me.
Jorge

LarryInMichigan

The former user of the phone must have had some really heated discussions on it  ;D

Doug Rose

I have never seen a phone like it!! I agree with Jester, I think it is tenite as well. It sure does look like butterscotch. Just an outstanding phone, well above my means to spend on a phone. The way harder to find phones are going, 2K is a bargain to the right collector with deep pockets. I'd certainly welcome it in my collection.

Jim S...is this considered a swirl?.....Doug
Kidphone

McHeath

Wow, that's a cool phone!  Love the curious tow tone effect, and it does remind me of butterscotch. 

Jim Stettler

Quote from: Kidphone on June 27, 2010, 08:18:35 AM
I have never seen a phone like it!! I agree with Jester, I think it is tenite as well. It sure does look like butterscotch. Just an outstanding phone, well above my means to spend on a phone. The way harder to find phones are going, 2K is a bargain to the right collector with deep pockets. I'd certainly welcome it in my collection.

Jim S...is this considered a swirl?.....Doug

I don't think it is a swirl (but I like it).

I think it is buttur scotch that was painted white then buffed off.

Odis (formerly house of telephones) Had a blue handset that was painted black. One of his guys brought it to him when they discovered it was blue underneat(while buffing). Odis had them leave it half and half so he could bring it to a show. This phone reminds me of that handset.
Jim
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

Kenny C

i does look painted  but i would guess it isn't
In memory of
  Marie B.
1926-2010

Greg G.

I don't believe the color is real, the partially buffed theory sounds like the most likely case.  Real or not, for $2k I'll pass on it.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

Dan/Panther

#8
Look at the inside of the receiver cap, It would be extremely hard to buff it like that, and being hidden why would they attempt that area at all. I think its Tenite that has milked with age. I have some radio knobs that are tenite that have turned half white.
I can't say that butterscotch as an original color, would not be very appealing but to each His/Her own.
Another possibility it's a copy. The bottom look odd to me, can someone post a photo of the bottom of the same model NE for comparison

D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Jim Stettler

I asked Jon Kolger about it.
Here is his reply:
Hi Jim,

This is indeed a very interesting telephone.  Bruce Crawford told me years ago that he had once seen one of these Northern Electric Uniphones in ivory, but that he had never seen another.  I have never seen one myself either until this phone came up.  I also have never seen any ivory telephone with discoloration like this one, and I have seen some bad ones.  It appears to be made of some sort of urea-based plastic, judging by the surface texture.  I'm not familiar with the seller, but he is obviously very "proud" of this phone.

Jon
You live, You learn,
You die, you forget it all.

paul-f

Quote from: Dan/Panther on June 27, 2010, 08:23:47 PM
<snip>The bottom look odd to me, can someone post a photo of the bottom of the same model NE for comparison

http://www.paul-f.com/neUNI.html
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

jsowers

This phone looks like an imitation of opalescent glass to me. I used to help my parents sell glassware at the flea market and I've been to the Fenton Art Glass factory in Williamstown, West Virginia and they make something very similar looking, but not in plastic. Here's an auction for a Fenton vase that looks a lot like this phone in color.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400130515678

It may have something to do with the heat applied to the parts that have the milky cast to them. A very unusual phone.
Jonathan

Doug Rose

How do you folks think this was made? I don't think it was buffing or sanding. If you look inside the caps, you will see the "butterscotch" color. Its like its layered, white/ivory on the outside and a butterscotch on the inside. Butterscotch is almost clear, and the white/ivory is a thermoplastic Ivory color. The butterscotch peaks out in places. I'm betting the inside of the shell looks like the inside of the caps. This is truly an intriguing phone that I imagine looks much better in person.  Do you think this is a one of a kind or is it in the mottle brown vein, just a smaller supply made. It is an attention getter. This is one cool phone....Doug
Kidphone

Dan/Panther

I've been studying the photos and think it was originally the butterscotch color, If you look at the photos the white appears where the material is the thinnest, which to me indicates a natural colorization over time very commonly found on Caitlin radios. An early polymer used for radio cases. VERY VERY expensive now.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

HarrySmith

Dan, that was my thinking also, the white is a result of exposure. The handset looks to be the early type with the wires molded in so it is very thick, not just a shell. The few spots on the body are confusing as they do not correspond with thicker material.
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

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