| Author |
Message |
    
searcher
Senior Member
Username: searcher
Post Number: 317
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, July 18, 2009 - 10:53 pm: | 
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Most of us are always on the scrounge for brass and bronze bits and pieces that can be used to restore these old marine engines. Yesterday, for $7 and change I was tickled to buy several pounds of real clean brass 1/8" to 1/2" pipe thread 90s, a couple of 1/4" brass valves, a nice 1/4" check valve, etc., all from the c.1910 to c.1925 period. However, one unusual brass in line shut off valve had a very heavy coat of paint on it. I got quite a shock when I stripped the paint off - there was a swastika cast into the handle and another into the body. I tossed it into the recycle box with the broken fittings as it wasn't something I wanted laying around as a reminder. However, the presence of the standard pipe thread on both ends nagged at me. It didn't take much research to solve the mystery. In the 20's and 30's, a good old American company, Crane Valve Co., used the swastika as a logo on some of their domestic valve lines. Crane (as did several other American companies at the time) considered the swastika a symbol of luck and peace but dropped the logo by the mid 30's. Interesting twists and turns in this old iron hobby. |
larry_from_maryland
Senior Member
Username: larry_from_maryland
Post Number: 369
Registered: 07-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 09:16 am: |
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That symble was allso used by indians in the 1800's in their weaveing. |
kerrigan
Member
Username: kerrigan
Post Number: 12
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 09:46 am: |
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Those who used the Indian sign in the 30's and 40's were criticized but the swastika is not the same as the Indian sign. Its a mirror image. Look at an old Indian rug . . . or at the old Crane valve. |
searcher
Senior Member
Username: searcher
Post Number: 318
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 12:05 pm: |
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Crane as well as many others in the US used that symbol with the arms facing in the same direction as the symbol so hated later. Perhaps the most surprising use of the right facing arms symbol was on the insignia of the 45th Infantry Division of the United States Army until the late 1930's. Enough on the subject. Wikipedia offers a very interesting section of some 26 pages detailing the historic use of the swastika in the US, including use by Crane Valve, native americans, the US Army, etc., as well as other countries to anyone interested. |
richarddurgee
Senior Member
Username: richarddurgee
Post Number: 2132
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 12:32 pm: |
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*
Spence, I have been meaning to ask your advice for awhile, It seems that inadvertently since retirement I have increasingly upgraded my Qualifications in an occupation you have listed.
I have utmost faith that if these economically thinking challenged goups keep huddling in Washington, wall Street, etc that I will be at least minimally qualified in the next 24 months or so ! Thinking ahead to printing up new calling cards is there any formal associations , groups etc that I could list their abbreviated letters or just list Occupation as I.P or go ahead and spell it out
" INDIGENT PHILANTHROPIST "
Respectfully
Richard Durgee
** |
kerrigan
Member
Username: kerrigan
Post Number: 13
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 19, 2009 - 01:12 pm: |
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Richard, I'm not aware of any associations or groups although I have several friends who practice this occupation. Their indigence is mostly government related. I feel quite certain that there is some government regulation that requires official approval before adding occupations or initials to a title. My advise is to do whatever floats your boat. Napoleon took a chance . . . he died in jail. |
billschaller
Senior Member
Username: billschaller
Post Number: 278
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009 - 03:50 pm: |
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One of the old power plants owned by my company used a lot of crane valves, and other items, the plant was covered with those symbols. I would go ahead and use that valve, it has no connection to anything bad, and it is period correct. |
searcher
Senior Member
Username: searcher
Post Number: 319
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 - 01:05 am: |
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It's a nice valve and might be suitable for use as a shutoff on a fuel tank. It's just going to take me awhile to get comfortable with it. Thanks. |
