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GOLD Plated JBL Spear Gun
HELP !
HISTORY
t was 1981 (38 years ago) Joseph Benjamin La Monica had been in the diving business for 25 years.
He had been very successful as a wet suit maker (Del Mar) a subcontractor producing a variety of items for all the major dive manufactures and the designer and manufacturer a unique and unequaled spear gun for Voit Rubber Company. Voit was acquired by Mares, who were located in Colorado at that time and Voit slowly disappeared from diving.
But the gun was still being marketed by Mares. After Mares made a sudden disappearance from the American market Joe purchased the rights to his magnificent spear gun and began marketing it as the JBL line of spear guns. He soon became one of the worlds major manufactures of spear guns.
In 1981 Joe had been in the diving manufacturing business since 1956 - 25 years and he had prospered. He wanted something to unique share with his friends, customers ,and selected diving personalities this milestone
Joe, his sales manager Ron Prevelka and senior JBL official Mike Thornhill put their thinking caps on and determined it should be a serialized gold plated spear gun. A presentation heir loom gun like no other and there has never been another Gold Plated Presentation Spear Gun It would be the very popular and never equaled the "Sawed off Magnum"
It was 1981 therefore 81 "Sawed off Magnums" were hand selected. The handles and muzzles were polished to absolute perfection, serialized and Gold plated. The barrel and balance bars were also hand selected highly polished and coated with a special high luster hard black finish.
After the guns were very careful inspection by Joe Lamonica approximately 20 of the guns were rejected and destroyed. Consequently only 61 guns were available for presentation
Then they were carefully assembled in to compered guns and packaged in presentation cases
The first seven were given to family members and key JBL personnel . Joe , of course received gun number one, (1) Ron Prevelka received gun number seven (7). I was honored and privileged to receive gun number eight, (8) the very first gun presented out side of the company. The other 53 or so were presented to the top JBL dealers throughout the world and selected diving personages in the US.
With Joe's demise, the passage of time, 38 years, and the company being acquired by Guy Skinner all the records of the JBL Gold Presentation spear guns has been lost.
The following guns are known to exist
Number 1 Joes family
Number 7 Ron Prevelka
Number 8 Sam Miller
Number 24 Sam Miller - A RCMP gift
Number unknown - Del Mar dive shop in Mesa Arizona
Number unknown - sold on e bay - over $1000- 15 years ago
QUESTIONS
1) Do any of the members frequent dive shops, quarries, charter operations that were prominent
in the diving business prior to 1981 that may own and or display a JBL Gold Spear gun ?
If so please provide the name of the shop, the original recipient and the serial number of the spear gun which is located on the bottom of the handle
2) Spear gun number 24 was stored for over 20 years in a cool damp environment. There is considerable damage to the gold plating which needs serious attention.
Any gold smiths who need a project or challenge ?
Amy one have access to some sort of a stripping device or suggested chemicals for stripping gold?
Any and all suggestions are appreciated
Sam Miller, III
Some of you may recall the article I published in my dedicated column "The way it was" in the national dive magazine Discover Diving-- title "The man with the golden gun" .
IF you have a copy of the article please advise asap
sdm
HELP !
HISTORY
t was 1981 (38 years ago) Joseph Benjamin La Monica had been in the diving business for 25 years.
He had been very successful as a wet suit maker (Del Mar) a subcontractor producing a variety of items for all the major dive manufactures and the designer and manufacturer a unique and unequaled spear gun for Voit Rubber Company. Voit was acquired by Mares, who were located in Colorado at that time and Voit slowly disappeared from diving.
But the gun was still being marketed by Mares. After Mares made a sudden disappearance from the American market Joe purchased the rights to his magnificent spear gun and began marketing it as the JBL line of spear guns. He soon became one of the worlds major manufactures of spear guns.
In 1981 Joe had been in the diving manufacturing business since 1956 - 25 years and he had prospered. He wanted something to unique share with his friends, customers ,and selected diving personalities this milestone
Joe, his sales manager Ron Prevelka and senior JBL official Mike Thornhill put their thinking caps on and determined it should be a serialized gold plated spear gun. A presentation heir loom gun like no other and there has never been another Gold Plated Presentation Spear Gun It would be the very popular and never equaled the "Sawed off Magnum"
It was 1981 therefore 81 "Sawed off Magnums" were hand selected. The handles and muzzles were polished to absolute perfection, serialized and Gold plated. The barrel and balance bars were also hand selected highly polished and coated with a special high luster hard black finish.
After the guns were very careful inspection by Joe Lamonica approximately 20 of the guns were rejected and destroyed. Consequently only 61 guns were available for presentation
Then they were carefully assembled in to compered guns and packaged in presentation cases
The first seven were given to family members and key JBL personnel . Joe , of course received gun number one, (1) Ron Prevelka received gun number seven (7). I was honored and privileged to receive gun number eight, (8) the very first gun presented out side of the company. The other 53 or so were presented to the top JBL dealers throughout the world and selected diving personages in the US.
With Joe's demise, the passage of time, 38 years, and the company being acquired by Guy Skinner all the records of the JBL Gold Presentation spear guns has been lost.
The following guns are known to exist
Number 1 Joes family
Number 7 Ron Prevelka
Number 8 Sam Miller
Number 24 Sam Miller - A RCMP gift
Number unknown - Del Mar dive shop in Mesa Arizona
Number unknown - sold on e bay - over $1000- 15 years ago
QUESTIONS
1) Do any of the members frequent dive shops, quarries, charter operations that were prominent
in the diving business prior to 1981 that may own and or display a JBL Gold Spear gun ?
If so please provide the name of the shop, the original recipient and the serial number of the spear gun which is located on the bottom of the handle
2) Spear gun number 24 was stored for over 20 years in a cool damp environment. There is considerable damage to the gold plating which needs serious attention.
Any gold smiths who need a project or challenge ?
Amy one have access to some sort of a stripping device or suggested chemicals for stripping gold?
Any and all suggestions are appreciated
Sam Miller, III
Some of you may recall the article I published in my dedicated column "The way it was" in the national dive magazine Discover Diving-- title "The man with the golden gun" .
IF you have a copy of the article please advise asap
sdm
