Mike Lev
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Sorry started a new post.
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Basic gear from mid-twentieth-century Britain: Dunlop, Heinke, Siebe-Gorman etc
- Thread starter David Wilson
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David Wilson
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I get a message saying "The requested attachment could not be found" when I click on those links, Mike.
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same here
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David Wilson
Contributor
Today's offering focuses on Heinke's later fin models, which retained their connection with Hans Hass.
Hans Hass Explorer Fins
The product caption read as follows: "Hans Hass Explorer Fins. Soft rubber foot pocket with open toe to ensure comfortable fit. Twin buckle adjustable strap, best quality black rubber. Hard rubber angled blade for maximum drive with minimum drag. Size 8/9/10." So the fixed open-heel Hans Hass fin became an adjustable fin with an extended heel-plate and then were upgraded with a toe opening for wearing comfort in the case of the Explorer.
The Hans Hass Explorer survived the merger with Siebe-Gorman to appear in the 1963 Siebe-Heinke Blue Book:
Hans Hass Explorer Fins
The product caption read as follows: "Hans Hass Explorer Fins. Soft rubber foot pocket with open toe to ensure comfortable fit. Twin buckle adjustable strap, best quality black rubber. Hard rubber angled blade for maximum drive with minimum drag. Size 8/9/10." So the fixed open-heel Hans Hass fin became an adjustable fin with an extended heel-plate and then were upgraded with a toe opening for wearing comfort in the case of the Explorer.
The Hans Hass Explorer survived the merger with Siebe-Gorman to appear in the 1963 Siebe-Heinke Blue Book:
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David Wilson
Contributor
On to the second of the improved 1960 models of Hans Hass fins.
Hans Hass Sea Hunter Fins
Product description: "Hans Hass Sea Hunter Fins. Soft rubber foot pocket with open toe to ensure good comfortable fit. Single buckle adjustable strap. Hard rubber angled blade for maximum drive with minimum drag. Blue. Size 6/7/8".The Sea Hunter was cheaper than the Explorer, doubtless reflecting the fact that the former came with just one strap buckle and no extended foot platform to protect the sole of the foot.
The Sea Hunter also survived to appear in the Siebe-Heinke Blue Book of 1963:
Interestingly enough, the Sea Hunter was only available as size 6/7/8 under Heinke and only offered as size 8/9/10 under Siebe-Heinke.
We'll move on to Heinke diving masks next.
Hans Hass Sea Hunter Fins
The Sea Hunter also survived to appear in the Siebe-Heinke Blue Book of 1963:
Interestingly enough, the Sea Hunter was only available as size 6/7/8 under Heinke and only offered as size 8/9/10 under Siebe-Heinke.
We'll move on to Heinke diving masks next.
OP
David Wilson
Contributor
So, Heinke diving masks. We'll begin with the Hans Hass original, which was available in Junior and Senior sizes.
Hans Hass mask
The product description was as follows: "Hans Hass Mask. Manufactured in a high-grade black rubber, which ensures that the feather edge sealing surface retains its shape. The strap has ridges moulded into it, which prevents it from pulling through the buckles when wet. The laminated safety glass is retained in its housing by a chromium plated retaining strip. Senior and junior sizes." The last image above shows the cardboard box in which the mask was sold.
I have a Heinke Hans Hass mask in my collection. The absence of perishing, or even hardening, is a testimony to the quality of the mask body material at a time when natural rubber was routinely mixed with clay and other fillers for reasons of economy when fabricating diving equipment for the recreational market. Nor is there a speck of rust on the stainless-steel clamp and top screw retaining the lens in place. This mask was designed for professional divers who worked underwater in Heinke drysuits and demanded the best.
The Senior version of the Hans Hass mask had a long shelf life, even surviving Heinke's merger with Siebe-Gorman in the early 1960s. The image below appeared in the Siebe-Heinke Blue Book of 1963:
Hans Hass mask
The product description was as follows: "Hans Hass Mask. Manufactured in a high-grade black rubber, which ensures that the feather edge sealing surface retains its shape. The strap has ridges moulded into it, which prevents it from pulling through the buckles when wet. The laminated safety glass is retained in its housing by a chromium plated retaining strip. Senior and junior sizes." The last image above shows the cardboard box in which the mask was sold.
I have a Heinke Hans Hass mask in my collection. The absence of perishing, or even hardening, is a testimony to the quality of the mask body material at a time when natural rubber was routinely mixed with clay and other fillers for reasons of economy when fabricating diving equipment for the recreational market. Nor is there a speck of rust on the stainless-steel clamp and top screw retaining the lens in place. This mask was designed for professional divers who worked underwater in Heinke drysuits and demanded the best.
The Senior version of the Hans Hass mask had a long shelf life, even surviving Heinke's merger with Siebe-Gorman in the early 1960s. The image below appeared in the Siebe-Heinke Blue Book of 1963:
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David Wilson
Contributor
Two further models complemented the Hans Hass in the Heinke diving mask range.
Heinke Full Face mask
The image above appeared in the Lillywhites catalogue of 1958. It would probably have been used with the "Heinke-Lung" breathing apparatus.
Heinke Sea Hunter mask
The product caption: "Hans Hass Sea Hunter Face Mask. Superior quality blue rubber surround incorporating a new design feather edge giving a first class seal. Fitted with adjustable strap and Perspex lens." The main difference in appearance between the Hans Hass and the Sea Hunter was that the former featured a stainless-steel retaining clamp and top screw, while the latter lacked this selling point.
The Sea Hunter probably made its début around 1960, as witness this Heinke ad from that year:
Like the Hans Hass, remained in production post-merger at least until 1965:
The Heinke snorkel next.
Heinke Full Face mask
The image above appeared in the Lillywhites catalogue of 1958. It would probably have been used with the "Heinke-Lung" breathing apparatus.
Heinke Sea Hunter mask
The product caption: "Hans Hass Sea Hunter Face Mask. Superior quality blue rubber surround incorporating a new design feather edge giving a first class seal. Fitted with adjustable strap and Perspex lens." The main difference in appearance between the Hans Hass and the Sea Hunter was that the former featured a stainless-steel retaining clamp and top screw, while the latter lacked this selling point.
The Sea Hunter probably made its début around 1960, as witness this Heinke ad from that year:
Like the Hans Hass, remained in production post-merger at least until 1965:
The Heinke snorkel next.
OP
David Wilson
Contributor
Heinke's snorkel also enjoyed remarkable longevity, perhaps due to the simplicity of its design.
Heinke snorkel
The snorkel is described thus in Heinke's 1957 catalogue: "Snorkel Tube. 2/B1289. Manufactured in anodised aluminium with safety swaged end. Supplied with mask clip which can be dispensed with when worn for safety in conjunction with a breathing set. Can be quickly withdrawn from belt." The "swaged end", designed to prevent any sharp metal from protruding, can clearly be seen at the bottom right of the third image above.
The Heinke snorkel was also a post-merger survivor, appearing as late as 1965 in the Siebe-Heinke literature:
Lillywhites stocked the snorkel over several years. Here it is in the London sporting goods store's 1960 catalogue:
It was last stocked by Lillywhites in 1964.
Finally, the Heinke snorkel was one of the breathing tubes tested by Which? consumer magazine in its August 1965 issue:
While clearing water on the surface presented no difficulty for the Heinke snorkel, the stiffness of the model's mouthpiece (below) proved to be a source of discomfort. I have a Heinke snorkel in my collection and can confirm that the gumshield is far from soft.
I'll be moving on soon to the basic diving equipment manufactured by the Siebe-Gorman company.
Heinke snorkel
The snorkel is described thus in Heinke's 1957 catalogue: "Snorkel Tube. 2/B1289. Manufactured in anodised aluminium with safety swaged end. Supplied with mask clip which can be dispensed with when worn for safety in conjunction with a breathing set. Can be quickly withdrawn from belt." The "swaged end", designed to prevent any sharp metal from protruding, can clearly be seen at the bottom right of the third image above.
The Heinke snorkel was also a post-merger survivor, appearing as late as 1965 in the Siebe-Heinke literature:
Lillywhites stocked the snorkel over several years. Here it is in the London sporting goods store's 1960 catalogue:
It was last stocked by Lillywhites in 1964.
Finally, the Heinke snorkel was one of the breathing tubes tested by Which? consumer magazine in its August 1965 issue:
While clearing water on the surface presented no difficulty for the Heinke snorkel, the stiffness of the model's mouthpiece (below) proved to be a source of discomfort. I have a Heinke snorkel in my collection and can confirm that the gumshield is far from soft.
I'll be moving on soon to the basic diving equipment manufactured by the Siebe-Gorman company.
OP
David Wilson
Contributor
Time to have a look at basic gear manufactured by the Siebe-Gorman company. Like Heinke, Siebe-Gorman is probably best known for its "hard-hat" diving helmets. If you want to know more about the company, there is a potted history in the Wikipedia article at Siebe Gorman - Wikipedia. This article doesn't shed light, however, on which firm had responsibility for the production of fins in England during World War II. I had always attributed this role to the Dunlop Rubber Company and Sir Ronald Storrs' book "Dunlop in War and Peace" confirms the enterprise's part in wartime fin manufacture. Another story is told in "The Frogmen of Burma", whose author Lieutenant-Commander Bruce S. Wright was a World War II pioneer of combat swimming who trained in Southern California, where he was equipped by the "small but energetically managed" Sea-Net Manufacturing Company. When he flew from Canada to England in a bomber in 1942, his diving equipment was transported by sea. Here's what happened to it:
And here's what then happened, a perfect example of the British popular wartime spirit encapsulated in the sentence "The difficult we can do today; the impossible takes a little longer":
Sir Ronald Storrs' book also speaks of the loss of a consignment of fins from America when the ship was torpedoed. There seems to have been a similar effort by Dunlop to reproduce the fin design based on a Hollywood picture of a starlet wearing a pair of swim fins on her feet the wrong way round.
I haven't found any literature online or in print to explain which English company, Dunlop or Siebe-Gorman, made swim fins for the war effort and perhaps the answer is that the two concerns collaborated in the national interest.
And here's what then happened, a perfect example of the British popular wartime spirit encapsulated in the sentence "The difficult we can do today; the impossible takes a little longer":
Sir Ronald Storrs' book also speaks of the loss of a consignment of fins from America when the ship was torpedoed. There seems to have been a similar effort by Dunlop to reproduce the fin design based on a Hollywood picture of a starlet wearing a pair of swim fins on her feet the wrong way round.
I haven't found any literature online or in print to explain which English company, Dunlop or Siebe-Gorman, made swim fins for the war effort and perhaps the answer is that the two concerns collaborated in the national interest.
OP
David Wilson
Contributor
On to Siebe-Gorman fins of the 1950s and later.
Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Adjustable type
The above appeared in Siebe-Gorman's 1957 and 1958 catalogues respectively. The product description read: "Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Adjustable type. Designed to give maximum efficiency with minimum effort. Adjustable ankle straps. Note the diamond-shaped label on the underside with the Siebe-Gorman logo.
In 1963, after Heinke merged with Siebe-Gorman, the Siebe-Heinke company withdrew their adjustable Admiralty fins, replacing them with a non-adjustable model of their Admiralty pattern fins. These fins were still available in the 1969 catalogue, when the company's name had since reverted to "Siebe-Gorman":
Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Non-adjustable type
The caption read: "Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Non-adjustable type with an oblique blade, approved by the Admiralty for use by Royal Navy frogmen. A suitable fin for serious work underwater. Comes in one size only." It's odd that a one-size-fits-all non-adjustable fin should succeed an adjustable fin and one possible answer to the puzzle is that Siebe-Gorman simply acquired Dunlop's stock of non-adjustable Admiralty pattern fins, pictured below:
Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Adjustable type
The above appeared in Siebe-Gorman's 1957 and 1958 catalogues respectively. The product description read: "Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Adjustable type. Designed to give maximum efficiency with minimum effort. Adjustable ankle straps. Note the diamond-shaped label on the underside with the Siebe-Gorman logo.
In 1963, after Heinke merged with Siebe-Gorman, the Siebe-Heinke company withdrew their adjustable Admiralty fins, replacing them with a non-adjustable model of their Admiralty pattern fins. These fins were still available in the 1969 catalogue, when the company's name had since reverted to "Siebe-Gorman":
Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Non-adjustable type
The caption read: "Admiralty Pattern Swim Fins. Non-adjustable type with an oblique blade, approved by the Admiralty for use by Royal Navy frogmen. A suitable fin for serious work underwater. Comes in one size only." It's odd that a one-size-fits-all non-adjustable fin should succeed an adjustable fin and one possible answer to the puzzle is that Siebe-Gorman simply acquired Dunlop's stock of non-adjustable Admiralty pattern fins, pictured below:
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