Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Britain: Dunlop, Heinke, Siebe-Gorman etc

[David Wilson]

In 1960, before Siebe-Gorman merged with Heinke, the company offered a model of adjustable fins called the "Essgee". The product name derived from the initial letters of Siebe-Gorman, "SG".

Essgee Adjustable fins

The images above leave me at least with a sense of déjà vu. You may recall Dunlop Aquafort fins:

My take on this resemblance is that Siebe-Gorman took delivery of Dunlop's surplus stock of basic gear after the latter was minded to discontinue its Aquafort range of recreational diving equipment in the early 1960s. This would explain the appearance of Dunlop's fixed-heel Admiralty pattern fins in Siebe-Gorman's 1960s catalogues. Or perhaps somebody knows different? If so, please speak up!

The Siebe-Heinke catalogues of 1963 and 1964 also offered Heinke's old line of Hans Hass fins:

We've reviewed these already in the "Heinke" section of this thread. A final word on fins in Siebe-Gorman's catalogues. The 1969 catalogue offers "Sea King" swimfins in floating and non-floating versions:

The catalogue contains no illustration of these fins. "Sea King" is the name of a popular fin made by the Italian diving equipment manufacturer Mares. The model was available in 1969, leading to the hypothesis that Siebe-Gorman "carried" these fins. Anyway here are some pictures of the Mares "Sea King" fin:

We'll move on soon to Siebe-Gorman diving masks.

 

[David Wilson]

On to Siebe-Gorman diving masks. We'll begin with the Essgee Full Face Mask.

Essgee Full Face Mask

The first image is Siebe-Gorman's, while the second picture is from a Lillywhites Catalogue. Both date from 1957.

 

[David Wilson]

In 1957, Siebe-Gorman complemented their Full Face Mask for scuba use with a basic oval mask covering eyes and nose only: the Essgee Dive Mask Mark II. The name "Essgee" derives, of course, from the initials "SG", short for Siebe-Gorman.

Essgee Dive Mask Mark II

The product description lays emphasis on ease of maintenance and replaceability of parts. Metalwork is minimal to reduce the possible impact of salt-water corrosion. So no lens-retaining band and adjusting screw, making it easier to replace the lens when necessary. Note the reinforced walls of the mask body in response to the perceived need during the 1950s to prevent high-volume diving masks from collapsing due to water pressure at depth.

The "Tous Visages" model offered by Hurricane of France in 1956 features similar ribs designed to reinforce the mask body walls:

 

[David Wilson]

While the Essgee Mark II diving mask lacked a stainless-steel lens-retaining clamp and top screw, another Siebe-Gorman model had both features.

Siebe-Gorman diving mask with clamp and screw

This model may have been the original "Essgee mask Mark I". The second image above confirms the mask's Siebe-Gorman provenance without indicating the model name.

We'll leave it there for today and review in several days' time the masks offered in the Siebe-Heinke catalogues of 1963/1964 and the Siebe-Gorman catalogue of 1969.

 

[Sam Miller III]

David

This last Siebe-Gorman mask is most interesting …

In the 1940s and early 1950s Charlie Sturgil was making one of a kind custom mask for his dive buddy/friends.
Only 40 or so were made and best count only3 have survived in tact with the passage of all these years, his wife and mine which are round shaped and Harry Vetter's which is now owned by Alex Pierce of Canada .which was a later model and was oval in shape.

All of Charlies mask had the compression screw at he bottom ala the Siebe-Gorman mask and his homemade attachment points were at the side similar to the Siebe-Gorman but were silver soldered rather that riveted.

These two mask - one homemade in a garage in SoCal and the other made in a UK factory were the only two masks I recall seeing that had compression screws at the bottom and the very secure similar attachment points-- Makes one question was it a serendipitous discovery or was there some sort of a communication between Charlie Sturgil and Siebe-Gorman ? At this late date we will never know,

Once again-- IF you ever produce a book on European dive mask I want copy number one off the press with a lavish inscription...

A the late great American vaudevillian always closed the act " My mother Thanks You, My father Thanks You, My sister Thanks You but most of all I THANK YOU "

Keep up the GREAT work - It is appreciated by all

Sam Miller, III​

 

[David Wilson]

Thanks, as always, for your input and encouragement, Sam. Your mention of the riveted attachment points reminded me of a mask from the "Respirator" factory in Moscow I reviewed in my Soviet mask thread:

Note the complete absence of markings. I only managed to identify the mask by the distinctive appearance of the metal attachment between the headstrap and the mask skirt. Note how the metal rivets can be seen both outside and inside the mask.

Here is a contemporary description of this mask:
Russian original: Полумаска московского завода «Респиратор» имеет овальное смотровое (силикатное) стекло, закрепленное в эластичном резиновом корпусе ободком из нержавеющей стали. Полумаска по своей конструкции очень схожа с полумаской типа I ленинградского завода РТИ и является одной из наиболее удобных и простых конструкций полумасок отечественного производства. Недостатком конструкции полумаски является вид закрепления пряжек для затылочных ремней к корпусу, выполненный в виде заклепок.
Rough translation: The semi face mask from the Moscow ‘Respirator’ plant has an oval (silicate) glass lens, fixed into an elastic body with a stainless-steel rim. In design, the semi face mask is very similar to the Type I semi face mask from the Leningrad rubber goods plant, and it is one of the most comfortable and simple designs of domestically manufactured semi face mask. A drawback of this design of semi face mask is the kind of buckle used to attach the head-strap to the body, namely rivets.

The softness of the skirt was the main selling point of this mask. It may have only come in a dark green colour. Here is another picture of the mask (lower left), this time accompanied by a pair of Mosrezina Model 4 fins:

 

[David Wilson]

I promised to review in the masks offered in the Siebe-Heinke catalogues of 1963/1964 and the Siebe-Gorman catalogue of 1969.

The image above is from the Siebe-Heinke Blue Book of 1963. The two masks illustrated in this catalogue clearly came from the Heinke's Hans Hass range of basic gear, while Siebe-Gorman's Essgee mask was conspicuous by its absence.

The "Senior" dive mask referenced 2/B1159 in 1963 also appeared in the Siebe-Gorman catalogue of 1969, referenced there as 061159-00:

Siebe-Gorman's 1969 catalogue also featured a compensator mask, referenced 051728.00:

Whether this model was manufactured, or simply "carried", by Siebe-Gorman, is unknown.

 

[David Wilson]

Now for Siebe-Gorman range of snorkels. In 1960, a year or two before the company's merger with Heinke, Essgee "Snort" Tubes came in two versions:

Essgee "Snort" Tube Ref. No. 18,220

An identical, or similar, model appeared in the 1969 Siebe-Gorman catalogue, referenced 051730.00:

The textured rubber elbow at the lower end of this snorkel is reminiscent of the same feature on the UK-made Milbro R294 snorkel:

The other 1960 Essgee "Snort" tube was absent from the 1963 Siebe-Heinke Blue Book and the 1969 Siebe-Gorman catalogue.

Essgee "Snort" Tube Ref. No. 18,221

This model is reminiscent in turn of the Milbro R295 snorkel, which came, however, with a ball valve as standard:

 

[David Wilson]

Two more models appeared in Siebe's snorkel range during the 1960s. The first was the "single-bend snorkel tube" pictured in the 1963 "Blue Book" above and in the 1969 catalogue below, referenced 061289.00:

This simple J-shaped snorkel had remarkable longevity, dating as it did back to the 1950s, when it first appeared in Heinke's Hans Hass range.

The last snorkel in Siebe-Heinke's range was referenced 051731.00 and only appeared in the 1969 catalogue.

Siebe-Gorman Snorkel Ref. No. 18,221

This L-shaped model came with an offset mouthpiece and a lanyard. The configuration is not unlike Mares' contemporary "Tubo F" (below) and may even be the same model.

So that's it for the Siebe-Gorman range of basic underwater gear. Siebe-Gorman eventually abandoned underwater equipment manufacture, focusing instead on firemen's breathing apparatus. Anyone interested can always read their fill of the company's Wikipedia article at Siebe Gorman - Wikipedia.

Next time we'll be moving on to the "etc" bit in the title of this thread, in other words, the minor British players in the basic diving equipment manufacturing league. This is also your opportunity to add any companies that I inadvertently omit from review.

 

[regulator bj]

Hi David, First time ever seeing the "Siebe Gorman " half mask other than in catalogues quite a rare item.Have added a couple of images of "FullFace" circa 1955 and the later 1959 "Vista"




john68