We're cutting-edge now...! 😉
An old K&E, built in 1913...
Cool. Looks to be in pretty good shape. Love the factory labels that are still on the inside of the case.
Are the 'flaps' over the vernier port still the original ivory? I've seen a few that have had them replaced with plastic. Can't tell by the photo.
That looks just like the one I started out with back in 1972!
Nice! Is it a Paragon?
I bought one a few years ago at a local yard sale, but mine's a 1950's era instrument. a 20 second paragon, my favorite instrument!
Takes a younger man than me to tote that baby all day without driving the truck from set up to setup.
Did it come with the key to take the bottom nut off?
Give it a good simple cleaning and it will be as good as ever. Sewing machine oil always worked best for me. Used 30w during a few hot and dry summers and STP oil treatment once.
:good:
If I remember right..(not always the case these days) most of the K&Es were 30" guns.
We had a later model Gurley that read to 20". I kept the Gurley in the truck for "property surveys" when we'd 'twist' a bunch of angles out, write them down, throw a couple of them out and sift through the average mess...
Man, I'm glad we work with what we do nowadays.
...and the batteries will never die on it.
The "paragon" is the K&E 20 second gun
I used one of those in the early '80s whenever I lost the lottery/wrassilin match that determined who got the EDM.
It was handy for line marking and corner stetting, we only did limited closed loop traversing with it.
Rick
I have one that looks pretty much like yours. I researched the SN and I think it was made in 1912 or 1913, I can't remember. Everything works. I could do some work with it today if I could remember how to read the vernier.
Your's has the plumb bob! That's missing from ours.
As for the details about ivory etc., unfortunately it was already sent down to our Pueblo office, so I'll have to check the next time I go down there. (Or call someone down there and have them check for me.) We wouldn't dream of trying to use this thing... It's a "display case" sort of item, decorating our Pueblo office.
very nice...clean that thing up!...very nice and thanks for sharing. A bit jealous here!
I agree... We just got it, and haven't cleaned it yet. But we will... (although I think we might want to be a bit careful, and consult an expert... I've watched enough Antique Road Show episodes that I know a patina can sometimes really increase the value of an antique...)
I love bits of Survey history like this... 🙂
nice addition, looks like the instrument the City of Phoenix used to field test for Instrument Operator position in the early 80's. 4-screw transit, plumb bob to center over point on rigid leg tripod. time and accuracy was necessary to pass the test.
my set up went well, but not well enough to get the job.
Yes, that's right, my former employer had a fleet of Paragon 20" transits out in the warehouse in storage. We also had a fleet of T2s.
I think you may have ANOTHER piece that's missing from ours... What is that extra piece in the bottom-left? I don't think ours has that... Is it a sun-shield you set over the scope end? Or an additional magnifier?
yes that is a sun shield. I have one for my Dietzgen 1 minute Engineer's transit.
On the other hand, it looks as though your labels may have been replaced at some point, at least if yours is also 1912-13 vintage. The labels in ours look factory-original, and have a much older typeface than the one I see in your "Instructions" label.
Sun shield.
I “grew up” with Transits & “chains" (tapes) for the first few years with the USFS (late 60's-early 70's). We had a couple of K&E Mountain Transits (1'), a couple of Paragons (20”) and a Berger and Sons (1'), as I recall.
I loved those Mountain Transits, but the Berger was sweet too. The Paragons were HEAVY suckers, and usually went with the Road Survey Crews.
We also had a DKM-1 & several DKM-2s, which I really liked, despite the “weird” tripods. Of course the T-2 was (and is) the instrument by which all others are judged. In fact I had my T-2 out just yesterday, and played around with it a little (on my desk).
P.S. The T-16 (and Th-43) were okay too!
🙂
Loyal