Need advice on Graflex handles

[Sulla]

I've never owned a good repro Graflex. What's their bag? I mean, the Parks handles look pretty nice though I have had bad experiences with Parks and will not purchase from him, but others sell the same/similar repos on ebay and what-not. I am not fond of the pre-drilled holes for the grips an'all, and there is no nice stamping on the bottom plate, but other than that, how do they measure up? I see adds on ebay saying they will work with a cemera. That's pretty impressive.

I've owned (and am shopping for a) genuine Graflex 3-cell flash handles, and one not-so-nice repro I got for cheap a ways back. I was just wondering what everyone thought of the $100*ish* repro's out there?

Thanks.

 

[Gigatron]

Jerk or not, he does make the best repros out there. And they actually do work like real flashes.

I've never seen them with pre-drilled holes or anything along those lines. I have an MPP from him and it's accurate right down to the tiny rivets that hold the name plate on. As far as I know, his are completely unmodified.

Most of the ones on ebay are parks, but not being sold by parks (if that makes any sense). So technically, you could purchase a parks without actually giving him money.

-Fred

 

[Sulla]

Thanks. The ones I've seen with pre-drilled holes have the standard 6 grip configuration, and I'd like to have the option of putting 7 of them where I want. Which reminds me... I'm gonna' need to scare up those diagrams of grip placement.

Don't get me wrong, Parks has some gorgeous stuff... but he rubbed me wrong once... boy did that sound icky. And even though the whole thing seemed FUBAR and was made off of (then not known yet) incorrect plans, the Obi and MPP package thing was still rather impressive to me and I was surprised and pleased to see someone try to pull it off with such a well designed set of plans.

Sorry, I don't wanna' do a pro/con Parks thing in this thread. I have nothing against him really, we just didn't jive 'er something once.
Some of the repro's out there that I have seen pix of do not have the stamping/etching ('dunno which it is) on the plate at the butt of the handle, which I kind of liked. And whenever the seller thinks of mentioning it, they say that their handles are made of Stainless Steel. Were the originals made of Stainless Steel?

 

[Treadwell]

Some were stainless, some were nickel-plated brass.

Parks is the best. Next would be Larbel (or "HK"), which were a little lighter and duller than the real thing but still excellent; no longer produced. Prior to that was Graflex Reborn, which were also pretty good, but, again, not made for a long, long time. I think he probably still owes people flashes.

 

[Sulla]

<div class='quotetop'>(Treadwell @ May 24 2006, 01:15 PM) [snapback]1249804[/snapback]</div>

Some were stainless, some were nickel-plated brass.

Parks is the best. Next would be Larbel (or "HK"), which were a little lighter and duller than the real thing but still excellent; no longer produced. Prior to that was Graflex Reborn, which were also pretty good, but, again, not made for a long, long time. I think he probably still owes people flashes.
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Sweet, thanks.

 

[Darth Lars]

<div class='quotetop'>(Sulla @ May 24 2006, 06:59 PM) [snapback]1249797[/snapback]</div>

And whenever the seller thinks of mentioning it, they say that their handles are made of Stainless Steel. Were the originals made of Stainless Steel?
[/b]

<div class='quotetop'>(Treadwell @ May 24 2006, 07:15 PM) [snapback]1249804[/snapback]</div>

Some were stainless, some were nickel-plated brass.
[/b]

Are Parks Graflex top and bottom shells stainless steel? :confused
I have a Parks Graflex with ugly machining marks on the curve on the top shell that I want removed, but I don't want to remove nickel-plating to expose brass.

Edit: I tested on a non-exposed edge. The top shell is indeed nickel-plated brass.

 

[Treadwell]

IIRC Parks are brass/nickel.

 

[Anakin Starkiller]

There were never any stainless steel graflexs. The only stainless steel graflex is the MR EE.

Alot of people say their stainless because they can't tell the differance between SS and brushed nickle.

Dan

 

[Treadwell]

I remember people posting that they had both varieties but that was long ago and I have never seen anything but brass/nickel myself so I defer.

 

[Sporak]

If it's a REAL Graflex, they are all brass with Nickel plating.

That said, I do like Parks replica Graflex's Only for the ESB version though, as I've heard that they're all pre holed as well...that's too bad really. They are stamped on the bottom though and look like the real thing.
I personally have gone through 4 of em...
Never tried for a ANH version though...I have real Graflex's for those.

I do have one Graflex Reborn bottom that I'd trade for a Parks bottom.