Are these Thurston's?

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Picked these up at a thrift store a little while ago. On the back side of the gold tabs it says "Made in England."

 

[Bugsy]

Picked these up at a thrift store a little while ago. On the back side of the gold tabs it says "Made in England."

Thurstons usually have a name tag in the back, but they certainly could be.

 

[Tomasso]

Thurstons usually have a name tag in the back

True, the braces bought directly from Thurston are marked but many of the myriad of shops they supply will forgo markings, either theirs or Thurstons'

 

[avedwards]

I have a pair of black braces which could be the same design as they also say "made in England" on the back of the gold tab (and otherwise look identical in all but colour). No idea if mine/ours are Thurstons but they're very good quality braces.

 

[RobStC]

Picked these up at a thrift store a little while ago. On the back side of the gold tabs it says "Made in England."

All the Thurstons I own, and if I remember correctly, all the ones I see around too, have had a double rear strap. The Thurstons I see around are of the box cloth variety (ie non elastic), and are stamped 'Thurston London' pretty clearly on the back of the clasps. The clasps on these doesn't look especially Thurston-like to me, but obviously Thurston may well make a wider variety of types than I have come across so far.....[huh]

Look nice braces, anyway.....

RobStC

 

[Tomasso]

but obviously Thurston may well make a wider variety of types than I have come across so far.....

Thurston catalogue circa 1870 :

Current models:

 

[Methuselah]

I have the ones on the left, they say 'Made in England' on them, but I have other pairs that say 'Albert Thurston' on them.

But "what's in a name?" as the bard would put it.

 

[RobStC]

Current models:

Maybe Edinburgh is a niche market for Thurston, with retailers who only stock the box cloth, double rear strap variety.....

Anyway, cat gut end pieces is the only way to go, eh what, chaps.....

 

[Tomasso]

Anyway, cat gut end pieces is the only way to go, eh what, chaps.....

Oh, then you haven't heard.......

http://www.albertthurston.com/faqs.cfm?catid=1


Why no catgut?

Firstly cats never came into it, but for those who recall the ‘Gut End’ braces of the past may be interested in a potted history. Prior to the 1970’s most ‘Gut End’ braces had the actual gut covered with white gloving leather, but due to the difficulty of obtaining hand stitchers this was gradually phased out. The gut itself was obtained from specialist manufacturers whose main market was the long line fishing industry, but then along came nylon monofilament…so that was that, no more gut.

We have found a modern alternative material which we are covering with white gloving leather, so effectively we have gone back to a product very similar to that which we made in the past. The button holes are still hand stitched and the quality remains unsurpassed.



That said, if you contact Mr Thurston he may have a few odd pieces laying around. At least he did last year.

 

[RobStC]

Oh, then you haven't heard.......
Why no catgut?
Firstly cats never came into it..... Prior to the 1970’s most ‘Gut End’ braces had the actual gut covered with white gloving leather, but due to the difficulty of obtaining hand stitchers this was gradually phased out. The gut itself was obtained from specialist manufacturers whose main market was the long line fishing industry, but then along came nylon monofilament…so that was that, no more gut.

Well, well, well..... Thanks for this, Tomasso - live and learn .
So maybe my 'catgut' ended Thurstons are from the 70's or later, and aren't actually 'cat'-gut at all.....[huh]:eusa_doh:

RobStC