Found out a old purchase at a flea mkt may be valuable.

originally posted by: ntech

originally posted by: Psynic
I haven't seen this newspaper report of the possible location of wreckage of the Ohau anywhere here yet.

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz...

After I read the article linked here I had a thought. What if the bell was attached to something that floated when the wreck broke up? And some beach goer in 1904 found a souvenir.

LOOK at what I found in the sand Mommee!

Nah, the reports of flotsam only mention some light timbers and saplings.

Anything big enough to support a massive chunk of bronze would be a recognizable piece of wreckage and would be in the reports.

Your bell looks to be in far to good a condition to be a piece of shipwreck, especially when compared to the train bell of AugususMasonicus'.

a reply to: ntech

Very cool! I love flea market/second hand finds, you never know what you will get! I would definitely contact a reputable antique shop or a place that deals with nautical relics. Get more than one opinion too just to compare. Even if it's not worth anything it's a very cool piece!

I've found quite a few things that were very cheap but had some value to them. I would never sell them but I love that I found them for so cheap. One is my dresser.

It's a 1913 White Furniture Cmpany piece made out of African Mahogany. I even found an archived paper advertisement for it from Sears online! I paid $35 for it and found out it is worth $500 at minimum! Sure it won't make me rich but I looooove it! It is I'm excellent condition minus a couple scratches on top but I won't ever refinish it. I just use wood polish on it and that is it. As soon as I walked into the thrift store and saw it I knew it was a good solid piece. I kept getting looks for taking the drawers out and looking at the insides and underneath. I was literally on the floor. It is a nice solid piece for sure!

I also had years ago a Huskavarna sewing machine from 1843 and it worked, still! I contacted the company and they were willing to pay to have it sent to their museum up north in Michigan I believe, not 100% sure on location but it was up north. They called me a few times trying to get me to loan it to them for display. They were shocked I had this particular model, apparently not many were made, someone had put it in a dark cherry sewing cabinet and it had all the accessories and books. I never sent it to them but I wish I did, at least I'd still have it. They would have had my name on it as on loan, which would have been cool! Oh I hate discussing losing that piece. I paid THREE DOLLARS for it at a garage sale. I just hope whoever got it is enjoying it like I did.


Most of my kitchenware is second hand vintage, they don't make good stuff like that anymore!

originally posted by: Psynic

originally posted by: ntech
a reply to: Psynic

It's brass I think. When I cleaned her up back after I bought it the color is a light shiny yellow. But I haven't cleaned it since and it definitely darkened a bit. And with the clapper it weighed 11.6 lbs on the bathroom scale.

I doubt it very much.

Ship's bells are cast from Bronze. Brass would corrode, weaken and crack.




When polished, bronze and brass are nearly identical. We sailors refer to it as 'Irish Gold'.

Pleasure yachts, in which no expense has been spared, are referred to as 'Gold Platers' because the bronze would be plated with a thin layer of gold to prevent it from turning green.

Brass may exhibit an extremely slight attraction to a powerful magnet, while bronze will not.

Brass will flake when drilled, where as bronze will shred. If you pull that bolt out and try reaming the hole in the bracket a tiny bit you'll see the difference.

Both metals produce a 'Verdi Gris' like the copper roofing on old buildings when exposed to the elements or acidity.

I don't know whether it's the lighting or the dust, but I can't distinguish any yellow in the photograph you posted ?

All cleaned up and shiny it resembled this bell.
SS Afrique

originally posted by: ntech

originally posted by: Psynic

originally posted by: ntech
a reply to: Psynic

It's brass I think. When I cleaned her up back after I bought it the color is a light shiny yellow. But I haven't cleaned it since and it definitely darkened a bit. And with the clapper it weighed 11.6 lbs on the bathroom scale.

I doubt it very much.

Ship's bells are cast from Bronze. Brass would corrode, weaken and crack.




When polished, bronze and brass are nearly identical. We sailors refer to it as 'Irish Gold'.

Pleasure yachts, in which no expense has been spared, are referred to as 'Gold Platers' because the bronze would be plated with a thin layer of gold to prevent it from turning green.

Brass may exhibit an extremely slight attraction to a powerful magnet, while bronze will not.

Brass will flake when drilled, where as bronze will shred. If you pull that bolt out and try reaming the hole in the bracket a tiny bit you'll see the difference.

Both metals produce a 'Verdi Gris' like the copper roofing on old buildings when exposed to the elements or acidity.

I don't know whether it's the lighting or the dust, but I can't distinguish any yellow in the photograph you posted ?

All cleaned up and shiny it resembled this bell.
SS Afrique

All I'm getting is a thumbnail, even so it's a better photograph and does show some patina and imperfections not evident in the bell of the Ohau.

Any chance of a better pic of your bell Ntech?

a reply to: mblahnikluver

I bet that thing is heavy as hell. Please don't tell me it's on the second floor as that would give me sympathy pains in my back.

originally posted by: TDawgRex
a reply to: mblahnikluver

I bet that thing is heavy as hell. Please don't tell me it's on the second floor as that would give me sympathy pains in my back.

What I don't get is why people nail furniture and rugs on their wall and lay framed pictures on the floor.

a reply to: ntech
Interesting. Seems very unlikely it's from that ship that went down off NZ, both because the bell's date doesn't match and the ship's exact location is unknown.

The only exact match I could find for a ship's bell with "SS Oahu 1892" on it is from a Lennie Marvin's Prop Heaven, a movie and theatre props rental place in California. The link to the precise page is HERE.

Not sure if that helps you much but it's all I could find.

One thing that bothers me about the Ohau bell is the bracket and tab connection.

The Afrique bell has the customary flat tab of a marine bell moulded into it, whilst the Ohau has a machined round post, the same as that of the railway bell and a lightweight cantilever bracket with an entirely conventional machined nut and bolt. The bracket, bolt and bell all seem to match in patina which makes me think they were produced by the same foundry, yet the round post seems to be adapted to fit the flat tab bracket.

The little I see of the bracket and bolt does not show enough to differentiate it from the common style of all purpose bracket offered with most antique reproductions.

Brackets for ships bells traditionally were more similar to that of a railway bell in that they weren't cantilevered and had a yoke protecting both sides from becoming snagged on running rigging.

originally posted by: JustMike
a reply to: ntech
Interesting. Seems very unlikely it's from that ship that went down off NZ, both because the bell's date doesn't match and the ship's exact location is unknown.

The only exact match I could find for a ship's bell with "SS Oahu 1892" on it is from a Lennie Marvin's Prop Heaven, a movie and theatre props rental place in California. The link to the precise page is HERE.

Not sure if that helps you much but it's all I could find.

I wonder if they have checked their inventory lately? Maybe it's missing.

originally posted by: Psynic
One thing that bothers me about the Ohau bell is the bracket and tab connection.

The Afrique bell has the customary flat tab of a marine bell moulded into it, whilst the Ohau has a machined round post, the same as that of the railway bell and a lightweight cantilever bracket with an entirely conventional machined nut and bolt. The bracket, bolt and bell all seem to match in patina which makes me think they were produced by the same foundry, yet the round post seems to be adapted to fit the flat tab bracket.

The little I see of the bracket and bolt does not show enough to differentiate it from the common style of all purpose bracket offered with most antique reproductions.

Brackets for ships bells traditionally were more similar to that of a railway bell in that they weren't cantilevered and had a yoke protecting both sides from becoming snagged on running rigging.

Hard to say about that. Looking at all the pictures of bells on the Wreaksite.eu page it looks like there was a number of different ways those bells were mounted. And a lot of the bells there had sideways as well as forward and back mounting holes. It simply looks like there was a number of ways the bells were mounted.

originally posted by: JustMike
a reply to: ntech
Interesting. Seems very unlikely it's from that ship that went down off NZ, both because the bell's date doesn't match and the ship's exact location is unknown.

The only exact match I could find for a ship's bell with "SS Oahu 1892" on it is from a Lennie Marvin's Prop Heaven, a movie and theatre props rental place in California. The link to the precise page is HERE.

Not sure if that helps you much but it's all I could find.

Bingo.

It's a replica.

Well done JustMike!!!

I thought it was and a prophouse duplicate confirms it.

a reply to: Psynic


Oh, take a look at this report.

Wreckage of SS Ohau found.

It might be it washed up with the cabin wreckage and the finder didn't report it.

originally posted by: ntech

originally posted by: JustMike
a reply to: ntech
Interesting. Seems very unlikely it's from that ship that went down off NZ, both because the bell's date doesn't match and the ship's exact location is unknown.

The only exact match I could find for a ship's bell with "SS Oahu 1892" on it is from a Lennie Marvin's Prop Heaven, a movie and theatre props rental place in California. The link to the precise page is HERE.

Not sure if that helps you much but it's all I could find.

I wonder if they have checked their inventory lately? Maybe it's missing.

More likely just a common reproduction but a prop usually has a little inventory tag on it somewhere.

originally posted by: ntech
a reply to: Psynic


Oh, take a look at this report.

Wreckage of SS Ohau found.

It might be it washed up with the cabin wreckage and the finder didn't report it.

Oh hoh! The plot thickens.

Interesting report, very specific list. No bell mentioned, which is usually the single strongest ship identifier since they always have the name cast in.

Now I'm wondering whether the story of the Ohau wasn't depicted in a Hollywood movie?

If it's a reproduction, why choose the name S.S.Oahu?