West Sea Co. NEW THIS WEEK!

West Sea Company

NEW THIS WEEK!

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5.73 BOATSWAIN'S PIPE with LANYARD. Authentic World War II vintageU.S. Navy boatswain's whistle made of solid sterling silver. This genuine "call" consists of a large round bowl attached to a gradually tapering pipe whichterminates in a flared mouthpiece. The pipe is affixed to a reinforced shank or"keel" which is impressed "STERLING" on the bottom. A suspension loop is thepoint of attachment for the macraméd lanyard which was worn around the sailor'sneck as part of his dress uniform. It was obviously crafted by a skilled silversmith, noting the thin reinforcement applied to the entire shank and over the bowl. This call measures 5 1/2 inches in length and produces a loud, shrill tone. The meticulously woven sailor-made macramé lanyard is of stiffened natural fiber and bears a fancy Turk’s head knot in the middle. It measures 28 inches long fully extended (longer in circumference). Perfect original condition. 295

HISTORY of the BOATSWAIN'S CALL

.The Call has its beginnings in the days of the English Crusades, 1248 A.D., as amethod of alerting troops to arms. Documented in 1485 A.D., the call was used asan honored badge of rank, then being worn by the Lord High Admiral of England.Undoubtedly it was worn because it was used as a method of passing orders, andtherefore signified authority. When the Lord High Admiral, Sir Edward Howard,was killed in action off Brest in 1513 while commanding French Galleys, a"Whistle of Honour" was presented to him posthumously by the Queen of France. From about that time onward the call was no longer used as a badge of rank,reverting to its original use as a method of passing orders only. About 1671 thename Call was well established, lasting to the present day. In the U.S. Navy thecall is often referred to as a Boatswain's Pipe.


STERLING	DETAIL

6.13 RARE AMERICAN FLARE GUN. Massive, early 1900’s American hand-held flare gun or Very pistol, made by Sculler, Pennsylvania. This sold bronze flare gun has a grip with the cast signature in relief, “SCULLER SIGNAL PISTOL made by Federal Laboratories Inc. Pittsburg PA NO 1.” This 37 mm variety is one of the rarest of all U.S. signal pistols with very few surviving examples. Due to their large size, heavy weight, notorious fragile trigger mechanism, most were scrapped for their non-ferrous value during the War effort. All had serial numbers in low 3 digits or less, so this example, 424, is one of the last ever made. It measures 14 inches long overall with an outside barrel diameter of 1 7/8ths inches and weighs an incredible 7 pounds! Pristine, little if ever used condition. 595

The Sculler Corporation was well known for producing its famous “lifesaving guns” in the early part of the 1900’s. In 1940 the Sculler Safety Equipment Corporation of 122 Broad Street, New York, obtained approval to manufacture a Hall system Lyle gun patterned after a Steward design. Sculler, owed by brothers Nathan and Louis Kaufmann, employed Hawley Smith to make their Lyle guns. Smith formed the Hawley Smith Machining Company and made Lyle guns for Sculler until 1943. In that year Sculler guns began to be manufactured by the Columbia Appliance Corporation of New York but production ceased shortly thereafter.
The most common type of flare gun is the Very (alternatively Verey) pistol, so named for Edward Wilson Very (1847–1910), an American naval officer who developed and popularized a single-shot breech-loading flare pistol. Very pistols have a single action trigger mechanism, hammer and center firing pin. Modern varieties are frequently made out of brightly-colored plastic. Older Very pistols, typical of those used in World War II had a one inch bore. Newer models fire smaller 12 gauge flares. Flare guns were (and are) used to send a distress signal. Such signals were typically designed to be seen for an extended period of time to aid in locating the victim. As such, Very flares often incorporated a parachute.

REVERSE MUZZLE

9.07 MARCHING COMPASS. Highest quality World War I pocket compass made for the "U.S. Engineering Corps" as marked on the periphery of the dial. This all brass compass is likely of Swiss manufacture and is state-of-the-art for its time. It is marked on the bottom "C-E No 19603" and is dated "1918." Surrounding the markings is a leather insulator to protect the wearer in extreme temperature conditions. The glazed hinged cover with sighting line opens to reveal the compass card on an agate pivot having a prominent arrow indicating magnetic north. The card measures a mere 1 3/4 inches in diameter yet, remarkably, it is divided in single degrees! For a precise reading a retractable prism is installed which allows the user to sight an object while noting its exact bearing. A caging device safely locks the compass card when not in use. Cleverly, the cover is linked to this device so that it automatically locks when closed. But there is more! The glazed cover of the compass is knurled on its rim and rotates to allow the setting of a relative bearing. A small knob at the 2 o'clock position locks the cover at the desired position. Another pin at the 10 o'clock position dampens the movement of the card when depressed. The exterior of the compass body is marked in 10's of degrees by 5 degree increments along with cardinal and intercardinal points of the compass. This precision instrument is equipped with a heavy duty brass suspension ring and the entire unit fits neatly into its original sewn leather case with brass closure and belt loop. Outstanding original condition in all respects, showing good age. Completely functional with absolutely no flaws. A truly remarkable instrument! 269


SIGHT	OPEN	INCASE	DETAIL


CLOSED	CASE	CARD DETAIL	BOTTOM

BEARING

11.09 AMERICAN SHIP IN BOTTLE DIORAMA. Good, early 1900’s sailor-made bottle model of a 3-masted bark, which exhibits many of the characteristics sought after by collectors of this folk art form:

1. Clear, clean glass bottle of early form.
2. Carved wooden ship hull with rigging rove through masts and spars.
3. Ship flying American flag and pennant.
4. Colorful background depicting a town with several buildings.
5. Foreground with small steamship.
6. Original sealed stopper.
7. Original wooden display stand.

In short, a very pleasing, original and highly collectible example. The bottle measures 10 inches long by 3 ¼ inches in diameter and the nicely-made solid teak stand measures 11 inches long by 3 inches wide. 395


DETAIL	SHIP	STAND