Wizard_Theron
Mac-Valve Maestro!
“More junk from eBay” calls my wife as she shuts the door on the postman today.
Junk? You decide.
When i spotted this, I was pretty sure it was something a bit special. The double ring is very Aerograph but the handles on Aerographs (which is what it was listed as) are typically pointy, or the aluminum? type with four grip textures (which are nice in their own right) thougb I don’t yet have one. Here though, the handle is an unknown dark brown material and end of the handle is I metal, again not regular, and I remembered having seen one like that somewhere, which I remembered because it was unusual. So seeing the same sort of thing, I bought it. While waiting for it to arrive I looked for the one I’d seen at some point on the net and found it again. That one was marked “Chas. L. Burdick”. No mention of that in the listing of my one though. Here’s what I got though:
The dark brown handle. See what it says there? (Click for larger, higher res image).
Spare (pitted) needle!
The ‘ring’ is in the wrong place. Someone has screwed it into the cleaning? Hole behind the hole where it is meant to go, it’s supposed to sit right behind the trigger I think. Same as most Aerographs.
Serial number in the A cup as well as on the underside of the brush. Pain to clean i bet!
It smells like the industrial smog of old London may have smelt. And it smells old!
Not sure on the nozzle components exactly. Looks a bit dented around the cap area though
One of those brass fittings that’s been soldered onto it. Underneath should be an old bulb-like fitting i believe.
Plating has come off in places. Below the ridge a scratch I think. Presumably not a crack.
No case. Came in what appears to be a glasses case. Only in the photo in case it might help hint at date. Where is a glasses case historian when you need one? It could have been put in it much later though, just don’t know.
Got to find the courage (and time) to take it apart and see what the internals are like.
Charles L Burdick, most of you will know already, is the guy who invented a lot of the airbrush technology we still use today, from about 1890 on. Internal mix, pen-like brush, finger trigger operation, etc. His inventions led to Thayer and Chandler being formed to sell his inventions, then he left for London, started his own company, the fountain brush co. which he quite quickly seems to have changed to Aerograph. Aerograph years later sold to DeVilbiss. Fischer in France also appears to be a consequence of Aerograph from what I read (still reading and trying to understand stuff). If i have anything wrong or incomplete please do correct me.
I am not sure on date. Could it pre-date the formation of Aerograph? No Aerograph written on it. No made in England or anything like that like you see on them. I hope someone here can tell me more. I have found a couple similar online since (including one on here) but they do seem very rare. I love it anyway. Even if my wife is right and its actually just junk.
Junk? You decide.
When i spotted this, I was pretty sure it was something a bit special. The double ring is very Aerograph but the handles on Aerographs (which is what it was listed as) are typically pointy, or the aluminum? type with four grip textures (which are nice in their own right) thougb I don’t yet have one. Here though, the handle is an unknown dark brown material and end of the handle is I metal, again not regular, and I remembered having seen one like that somewhere, which I remembered because it was unusual. So seeing the same sort of thing, I bought it. While waiting for it to arrive I looked for the one I’d seen at some point on the net and found it again. That one was marked “Chas. L. Burdick”. No mention of that in the listing of my one though. Here’s what I got though:
The dark brown handle. See what it says there? (Click for larger, higher res image).
Spare (pitted) needle!
The ‘ring’ is in the wrong place. Someone has screwed it into the cleaning? Hole behind the hole where it is meant to go, it’s supposed to sit right behind the trigger I think. Same as most Aerographs.
Serial number in the A cup as well as on the underside of the brush. Pain to clean i bet!
It smells like the industrial smog of old London may have smelt. And it smells old!
Not sure on the nozzle components exactly. Looks a bit dented around the cap area though
One of those brass fittings that’s been soldered onto it. Underneath should be an old bulb-like fitting i believe.
Plating has come off in places. Below the ridge a scratch I think. Presumably not a crack.
No case. Came in what appears to be a glasses case. Only in the photo in case it might help hint at date. Where is a glasses case historian when you need one? It could have been put in it much later though, just don’t know.
Got to find the courage (and time) to take it apart and see what the internals are like.
Charles L Burdick, most of you will know already, is the guy who invented a lot of the airbrush technology we still use today, from about 1890 on. Internal mix, pen-like brush, finger trigger operation, etc. His inventions led to Thayer and Chandler being formed to sell his inventions, then he left for London, started his own company, the fountain brush co. which he quite quickly seems to have changed to Aerograph. Aerograph years later sold to DeVilbiss. Fischer in France also appears to be a consequence of Aerograph from what I read (still reading and trying to understand stuff). If i have anything wrong or incomplete please do correct me.
I am not sure on date. Could it pre-date the formation of Aerograph? No Aerograph written on it. No made in England or anything like that like you see on them. I hope someone here can tell me more. I have found a couple similar online since (including one on here) but they do seem very rare. I love it anyway. Even if my wife is right and its actually just junk.