« Reply #17 on: October 13, 2010, 03:19:41 PM »
I asked Steve Hilzs, here's his response. As I suspected, the seller is mistaken thinking it's all metal:
Greg:
The telephone in the image is an ordinary #40 telephone that was painted (with a brush, from the looks of it). Navy phones have either springs in the cradle ears to hold the handset down in rough seas, or "lock down" mechanisms to firmly hold the handset in place.
A "real" navy phone is designated "Type A" and has a nomenclature plate behind the cradle. It also has a single-gong ringer, heavy wire insulation, and two threaded inserts to bolt the instrument to a desk from below.
Here is a link to a type "A" phone, mistakenly called a type "F." It has been over-restored, as the finger wheels on a true navy phone are zinc-plated, and the lock-down mechanism is painted black. Also, the number card holder is just a series of numerals "1" to "0," usually with fluorescent paint to glow in the dark: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/us-navy-antique-restored-shipboard-telephone
Steve
« Last Edit: October 13, 2010, 03:26:05 PM by Brinybay »
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