Crabb Label?

[griffinga]

I recently acquired a metal-ended 30b anglo that is not marked (on the outside). Looks like 1875-1900 vintage - but it could be older (probably not newer) than that. It has fretwork much like older Jeffries - (no name plate) but is not stamped between the button rows. There are small differences in the fretwork when compared to my other 30b Jeffries. If this concertina was made by Crabb - will it be marked (stamped) inside, or was this not done on all concertinas built by Crabb?

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[Daniel Hersh]

I recently acquired a metal-ended 30b anglo that is not marked (on the outside). Looks like 1875-1900 vintage - but it could be older (probably not newer) than that. It has fretwork much like older Jeffries - (no name plate) but is not stamped between the button rows. There are small differences in the fretwork when compared to my other 30b Jeffries. If this concertina was made by Crabb - will it be marked (stamped) inside, or was this not done on all concertinas built by Crabb?

 

 

I have a concertina that meets this description that has no maker's mark anywhere, but I'm fairly sure that it's a Crabb. Perhaps Geoffrey Crabb will add his own comments too.

[Chris Ghent]

I owned one of these concertinas. To see if yours is from the same factory, does yours have nun shaped pivots? These are also referred to as keyhole shaped pivots. Stephen Chambers once told me who made this style of pivot but to my shame I have forgotten who it was, Shakespeare, Jones, Case, someone like that. I think it was not Crabb. If you have parallel sided pivots please disregard this post.

 

For tech heads, Geoff Crabb told me the reason for the outward diagonal slant on the lower part of the keyhole pivot was so downward force could be exerted on the pivot without danger of disturbing the pivot/rivet/lever relationship by banging on the top of the pivot above the rivet.

[Peter Laban]

There are more than a few of these going around the Irish market under the caption 'we believe it's a Crabb, they made stuff for Jeffries so it's nearly an actual Jeffries' I have one myself and over time I have moved towards thinking 'Shakespeare'.

[griffinga]

Thank you all. I had a followup question - (in the 19th century) did makers like Crabb, Jeffries and others fabricate (cut, smooth, polish) the metal end pieces for their instruments themselves, or did they contract this to others?

[Geoffrey Crabb]

 

I owned one of these concertinas. To see if yours is from the same factory, does yours have nun shaped pivots? These are also referred to as keyhole shaped pivots. Stephen Chambers once told me who made this style of pivot but to my shame I have forgotten who it was, Shakespeare, Jones, Case, someone like that. I think it was not Crabb. If you have parallel sided pivots please disregard this post.

 

For tech heads, Geoff Crabb told me the reason for the outward diagonal slant on the lower part of the keyhole pivot was so downward force could be exerted on the pivot without danger of disturbing the pivot/rivet/lever relationship by banging on the top of the pivot above the rivet.

 

For starters, the attached 'Draft' may be of interest.

 

The term 'Dolly' is used as the shape of the pivot posts resembles, among other things, the string of paper dollies often cut out of newspaper for children.

 

 

 

 

Geoff