All
I have recently acquired, as a gift, a Bosun pipe, w/ chain, a Marlin spike and knife w/ case. They are all in used but good shape. They are all functional.
Any ideas, as to worth, ways to mount and display, etc....
Thanks in advance.
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LKA

What they're worth, I couldn't say.

As far as displaying them is concerned, you can get a display case at any good craft store and mount them in that.

A new Bosun's Pipe with lanyard costs approx $45.00. A Marlin spike would possibly go for $10-15.00. The knife would be valued according to the type of knife it is.

It also depends on the history of the sheath/pipe/spike. To the layman my sheath means nothing, to me it means alot as It's been in the Navy for 34 years now. When i'm done w/ it i'll pass it on to the next boatswainmate as it was to me.

“Pipe” is a verb, not a noun. One pipes, you know, makes those funny tweety sounds, using a the device properly named a Boatswain’s Call.

All
Thanks for the replies. I looked up the Pipe name in the Blue Jacket Manual, sure enough it is a Boatswain's Call.
Hope to get a walnut 2 inch deep frame at the local frame shop to display.
Dont know the history, as it came from a Union Carpenter in NY. He has some USN connections there and may have purchased it from an old salt.
The sheath is used, knicked, and has been well taken care of, oiled etc. The knife shows wear as well, but is still sharp and whole.
The Boatswain Call is somewhat corroded, but most likely will take a polish, using Brasso?
The chain is intact, no links replaced or loose.
The spike is small, fits into the sheath.
I wasn't a Boats but have a great memory of a CPO at the CPO academy who was. He helped me get my mind straight at the time.....
Thanks again.
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quote:

The Boatswain Call is somewhat corroded, but most likely will take a polish, using Brasso?

I'd try silver polish before brasso. If it is brass it might not be authentic. I've two of them and they are sterling silver. They were my father's who spent 37 years in the Navy.

There's probably a sterling silver stamp (very small) on your call. As a frocked BM3, my Chief made me make a lanyard for mine before he issued it to me. The whole package was probably worth about $15.00 buckes in '75, but my kid can have it appraised for himself later.

ALL
Thanks for the comments, advice et al
I have mounted, cleaned and placed on the Ego Wall.
Looks great.
TO THE ADMIN folks. We can close this thread out if needed.
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LKA

Slim, Its info on the way we are and were. It can stay for the newbees comeing up.

Thanks for asking.
Gerry

Gerry
Good Point.
I am doing a research project on USN Avionics equipment, circa 1940. 1950. ending in early AEW stuff, circa 1970.
Comments on this and re directed to correct thread location, would be appreciated.
AN/.... means ?
ARC/....means ?
etc.
Nomenclature of Avionics was going thru conversion from the USN structure to a joint Armed forces structure in the early 1950's. This caused a lot of duplicate supply problems.
I remember "borrowing" an ART 13 transmitter from the USAF MATS shop Kadena,Okinawa, one time. THe paper work caught up to my Division Officer before I got home to Guam!!!
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quote:

Originally posted by TennSlim:
Gerry
Good Point.
I am doing a research project on USN Avionics equipment, circa 1940. 1950. ending in early AEW stuff, circa 1970.
Comments on this and re directed to correct thread location, would be appreciated.
AN/.... means ?
ARC/....means ?
etc.
Nomenclature of Avionics was going thru conversion from the USN structure to a joint Armed forces structure in the early 1950's. This caused a lot of duplicate supply problems.
I remember "borrowing" an ART 13 transmitter from the USAF MATS shop Kadena,Okinawa, one time. THe paper work caught up to my Division Officer before I got home to Guam!!!
end.

I know that AN typically means Army Navy as in AN/PDR-27 which stands for Army Navy Portable Detector Radiac

Chief Torpedo...
As a side research idea, the early USN rating books for promotion exams crossed from Aviation to Black shoe. I studied an ET2 book for and AT2 exam in 1955. The only texts available at the time. USAFI also provided a set of college courses for study. My Division Officer, an EE from Ann Arbor, Mich. provided a course outline that helped. All this was prior to the establishment of education offices, etc.
The ART designation is Airborne Radio Transmitter, AN is Army Navy..
Ship borne electronics carried other designations that I do not know too much about.
The whole naming scheme changed in the late 50s due to the integration of DOD supply systems.
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I too was required to make my lanyard before I could wear my bosun's call as a newly minted BM3. However, once the Chief approved my work, I traded it for the one my father made during WWII. The lanyard was a little yellowed, but servicable. I wore that until returing to civilian life. I brought it out recently to show my son and daughter who promptly drove my wife and dog crazy with it.

Would like to see pictures of your Calls, lanyards and sheaths if you'd care to send 'em

artisan@frayedknotarts.com

Hiya, Gerry! WBS at Mystic again this year?

OLD MUSIC PROJECT
Would like to see pictures of your Calls
I FINALLY got my digital camera up and running. Will photo mount and transcribe a JPEG pic in a e mail soonest.
I tried the silver polish on a back area,and near as I can tell the pipe is silver.
More to follow.
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Looking forward to them, TennSlim!

Anyone else who has fancywork and wold like to have the pictures added to my Library Library, please feel free to CONTACTme offlist. !