Drew Baker
Sr Member
I was looking at clamps recently, specifically the pins in the lever. We've all heard about the dull Folmer pins and the shiny machined Inc pins, but I'm thinking there might be another factor that I haven't seen discussed: positioning.
Take a look at this:
It looks to me like a progression of the design, that the middle row's shiny pins are placed in holes positioned like the holes for the "Folmer" pins, then the Inc design was revised with more centered holes. Considering the flashes I've found these clamps on and the relative paucity of dull-pinned clamps compared to the number of smooth-pinned flashes out there, my hypothesis is the shiny rivet near the lever's edge is an alternate or transitional version from the late "Folmer New York" and "Folmer with patent" eras.
Or has this already been worked out before and I just haven't seen it?
Take a look at this:
It looks to me like a progression of the design, that the middle row's shiny pins are placed in holes positioned like the holes for the "Folmer" pins, then the Inc design was revised with more centered holes. Considering the flashes I've found these clamps on and the relative paucity of dull-pinned clamps compared to the number of smooth-pinned flashes out there, my hypothesis is the shiny rivet near the lever's edge is an alternate or transitional version from the late "Folmer New York" and "Folmer with patent" eras.
Or has this already been worked out before and I just haven't seen it?