Gold plated B&S #13 mic

[MauriceEley]

Retired, or nearly so these days. Cutting the long story short, I wanted to get a decent used mic for just general use... things like measuring small hole gauges used in engine repair, or valve stems, or reloading ammo... just general purpose.

Found a nice, clean and "cleanly engraved" B&S 13 micrometer on that great auction site and bought it. Couldn't see it online, but when the mic came it, its gold plated, except for the internal parts, spindle shaft and anvil faces. Appears to be "factory engraved" with the same depth, width, font... as the factory engraving. Engraving states some owner's name and the number 1914. Same is embossed on the blue leather covered wood case. Of course the engraving does not penetrate the plating. And the mic is faultless, not a blemish on the mic or case. Seems to read ok on my various gage blocks.
The instrument is a mystery to me. Any general insight into factory presentation mics from B&S is appreciated. And ... no I won't be using it for engine work and reloading!

 

[L Vanice]

By "engraving, do you mean the normal factory stamped markings?

Good color photos will be appreciated.

Perhaps it was a retirement gift for a B&S manager. The name on the tool could be run through ancestry.com 1900 and 1910 census records along with Providence, RI to see what turns up.

Providence city directories are available and they list names along with employer information.

Providence Home Directories 1895-1935 | Open Data | City of Providence

data.providenceri.gov

I have an antique solid 14K gold and diamond charm for a watch chain that would have been a suitable gift for a machinist.

Larry

 

[Froneck]

Good looking fancy Micrometer, I think you will be better off selling it to a collector and buying a Starrett 232 0-1/;2" micrometer if a small mic is desired. They sell on ebay from time to time. One you have might have been a retirement gift for a B&S employee.

 

[newtonsapple]

I tracked this one down as I was curious. Interesting mic, but I don't have any other info.

Edit: Seller was in Bellevue, Kentucky, which may or may not be relevent.

 

[MauriceEley]

Newtonsapple, that is the mic I purchased.



The seller told me he got it in an estate sale, internet transaction, from Harrison Ohio. The source is unknown to him.

Have a good look at the "1914" characters, and compare them to the characters on the body of the mic. They match - except for the size. I've no doubt it was engraved at B&S.

Questions bounce around inside my noggin. One is is, did the B&S 13 mic have carbide faces back in 1914? Somehow I doubt they did. There was care taken not to plate the surface of the face on the anvil.

I know there's a story behind this mic. May never know it, but its a cool mic none the less.

If it makes anyone get a smile on their faces, my "first choice" was a Mitutoyo 101-117. Got it on that great auction site too. Turns out stolen! Got stolen from Quality Calibration up in New Berlin WI, and belongs to Danville Metal Stamping Co (who I've heard of just casually in the past). Came with a 2 month old certificate of calibration with whiteout over Danville Metal's name. I scraped it off. Located Danville and went thru the process with local law enforcement. Happy to say its on its way back to DMS, my compliments.

 

[SIP6A]

"did the B&S 13 mic have carbide faces back in 1914?"

Thats not a 1914 micrometer, more like 1950 the 1914 is most likely his clock number or the year he was hired.

 

[MauriceEley]

Maybe so on the clock #, was thinking maybe his IAM union local # ? Retirement gift from his union brothers?

 

[SIP6A]

Maybe so on the clock #, was thinking maybe his IAM union local # ? Retirement gift from his union brothers?

Having worked in a union shop for many years I can tell you that you don't give somebody that is retiring something to remind them of work. In the tool room we always gave something for a gift something for recreation, like a rifle or fishing equipment. Something that the recipient could do that they couldn't do while working.

 

[gustafson]

Could have been a retirement gift from anyone, gold watch, gold mic, could have worked anywhere, neither engraving nor gold plating is rocket science

 

[MauriceEley]

True that - no rocket science.
So why the 1914?

At any rate, too durn pretty to measure valve stams and cam gear shafts with. I suppose I'll just build a little shadow box and hang it in the office. I don't so sentimental about tools generally. I been known for bending and grinding wrenches and such, but I dunno, I scratch this one all up, I'd feel bad.

 

[SIP6A]

True that - no rocket science.
So why the 1914?

Like I said in post #6 hired in in 1914 retired after forty years 1954. Like Gustafson said not rocket science.

 

[gustafson]

When I was a kid in retail, we were referred to on the pa by clock numbers. Clock 73 to the checkout. Especially when everyone was John,Mike, Mary and Jane, it made it easy. One could see the benefit of having, for instance inspection paperwork use employee number rather than name, never seen it, but it could be. Thus one could be 'famous' by one's clock number and it be a remembrance that way

 

[SIP6A]

The more I read these posts, the more I'm convinced its the date he hired in. I say that because your clock number would remind you of work, something you wouldn't do with a retirement gift. Also for an outfit like Brown & Sharpe 1914 is a very low clock number for a Co. that has been around since the 1860"s.

 

[Limy Sami]

By "engraving, do you mean the normal factory stamped markings?

Good color photos will be appreciated.

Perhaps it was a retirement gift for a B&S manager. The name on the tool could be run through ancestry.com 1900 and 1910 census records along with Providence, RI to see what turns up.

Providence city directories are available and they list names along with employer information.

Providence Home Directories 1895-1935 | Open Data | City of Providence

data.providenceri.gov

I have an antique solid 14K gold and diamond charm for a watch chain that would have been a suitable gift for a machinist.

Larry

View attachment 389796

I'm having trouble picturing Larry as ''da hoods gangsta chinist bro''