gearhound
member
Reged: 08/02/08
Posts: 25
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Hi people!
Anyone ever heard of a MIJ brand called KOFU?
7x35, 6.5 FOV, JB116.
My late father picked them up sometime in the early 60's?
I've been using an old 8x30 Mercury that he also owned.
Have fun!!
Steve
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KennyJ
The British Flash
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 20139
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Hi Steve ,
I saw your post in the other thread , but hesitated to comment due to having no personal knowledge or experience of any of the four names of the binoculars you inherited from your father .
There are literally hundreds of models from that era that were made in Japan , many of which were very similar to each other , and which have been all but lost in the mists of memory .
I remain fascinated by certain aspects of binocular manufacturing from those days , such as the fine quality of machining and finishing of countersunk cover plate fixing screws and IPD adjustment indicators in millimetre scales , used at a time when most British and American people barely knew what a millimetre was , having been brought up to think and work in fractions of an inch ! :-)
Regardless of any monetary value ( which more often than not tend to be disappointingly low ) I think there is an emotional value factor related to such bequests that one cannot put a price upon .
Since you appear to be au fait with the JB code system in place at that time , and can clearly identify the one under which the KOFU was made , at least you easily trace the manufacturer of that one by refering to the list on the wonderfully informative Peter Abraham's history of the telescope and binoculars web site , to which a simple google
search will direct you .
Good luck with tracking the origins of the others , too !
Kind regards
Kenny
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Milton Wilcox R.I.P
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gearhound
member
Reged: 08/02/08
Posts: 25
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For some reason....there are two manufacturers listed for JB116.
Does that mean the original company went out-of-business and the JB number was assigned to another manufacturer?
Steve
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Mac2c
newbie
Reged: 04/28/08
Posts: 3
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Hi Folks:
I just got another pair of binoculars and wondered if anyone could tell me about them. They are marked Stream Line 7x35 and the center adjustment nob has a inscribed circle with a triangle within and the letters KOC in deco style. The diopter adjustment in on the right objective lens, and the eye cups swivel up and down. Any ideas?
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Jay_Bird
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/04/06
Posts: 1493
Loc: Nevada, USA 36N 115W
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USN Binocular question:
Browsing at a recent charity sale where I saw a crusty non-usable Mk 21 made me wonder about getting an older pair of U S Navy 7x50s if I see one that's in good shape.
How do the USN 1940's binoculars stack up over time? I know the Mk 41 (and Mk 43) wide fields are sought after and pricey.
What about the Mk 21, 28, 30, 32, 44, 45, all 7x50?
If a clean pair is found for $50 or less, will they hold up well compared to modern $250-300 porro marine binos in sharpness, even though they will be heavier, and have less transmissive coatings? Were any "Marks" better or worse than the others?
Thanks!
PS Mac2C - KOC is Katsuma Optical Co., go back 2-3 pages in this thread for a look at a AMC brand 7x35 by KOC, and a link to FanTao's page with a Katsuma-made wide field 10x50 Celestron listed there. They are mentioned more if you search within CN bino forum.
PPS - BillC I'm hoping you are feeling better, and wish you best of luck with your new US Army landlubbing optical endeavors
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'these things stand like stone - kindness in another's troubles, courage in your own' Gordon
C-8, SV80 & C102 achros, 6" Newt, Porta & GEM, Lunt 35; Binoculars 21mm-80mm & p-gram
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Mac2c
newbie
Reged: 04/28/08
Posts: 3
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Jay_Bird
Thanks for your prompt and helpful response. The logo on FanTao's page is the same as mine. My binoculars, however, look slightly different and have "J" markings.
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Mac2c
newbie
Reged: 04/28/08
Posts: 3
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Does anyone have thoughts on the advantages or disadvantages of a diopter adjustment on the objective lens?
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Simon S
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/07/07
Posts: 2206
Loc: Crawley West Sussex UK
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Yes, less likely to knock it, but more than often only found on Zoom binoculars.
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All binocular repairs are undertaken at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to any instrument resulting from my suggestions.
My binocular collection
Binoculars by date of addition
Binoculars in Alphabetical order
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Simon S
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/07/07
Posts: 2206
Loc: Crawley West Sussex UK
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Here is another surprisingly good binocular. The Smaller Chinon jb101 is a nice sized binocular and has a well controlled focus across the field. This is one of my favourite 7 x 35's.
The image colour is on the cool side but this is possibly its only drawback.
The Chinon below is inferior in every way, soft and much less pleasing to use.
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All binocular repairs are undertaken at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to any instrument resulting from my suggestions.
My binocular collection
Binoculars by date of addition
Binoculars in Alphabetical order
Edited by Simon S (08/10/08 05:17 AM)
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gearhound
member
Reged: 08/02/08
Posts: 25
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My wife is quite amused at a set of 7x50 Westinghouse-made M15A1 binoculars I picked up.
Huge and heavy, the optics are quite good for their age.
The wife though was less than impressed, holding them up with that look of disdain, she usually reserves for other "useless" items like empty beer cans.
"Whaddya gonna do with these?"
"Great, aren't they!"
"If you say so?"
She doesn't like stick shifts, record players, or tube amps.
So I guess a great old pair of bino's isn't high up on her "wish list".
Steve
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Simon S
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/07/07
Posts: 2206
Loc: Crawley West Sussex UK
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Just bought a pair of Bushnell Custom 10x50 binoculars. They are huge, and a bit heavy even for a porro design, but optically wonderful, well up to the Swift Supreme and close to the Jenoptem.
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All binocular repairs are undertaken at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to any instrument resulting from my suggestions.
My binocular collection
Binoculars by date of addition
Binoculars in Alphabetical order
Edited by Simon S (08/22/08 02:25 PM)
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 17931
Loc: Oort Cloud 9
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There was a time, long ago, when Bushnell was a name that implied quality. In fact, some very early Bushnell binoculars were made by Fuji-Meibo. (Fujinon)
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
☄ ⒼⒶⓁⒶⒸⓉⒾⒸ ⓈⓉⓄⓃⒺ ☞ www.galactic-stone.com
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Simon S
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/07/07
Posts: 2206
Loc: Crawley West Sussex UK
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Quote:
There was a time, long ago, when Bushnell was a name that implied quality. In fact, some very early Bushnell binoculars were made by Fuji-Meibo. (Fujinon)
Thanks for that! I wonder if these are..........
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All binocular repairs are undertaken at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to any instrument resulting from my suggestions.
My binocular collection
Binoculars by date of addition
Binoculars in Alphabetical order
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brentwood
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/04/05
Posts: 2042
Loc: BC Canada
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Quote:
Quote:
There was a time, long ago, when Bushnell was a name that implied quality. In fact, some very early Bushnell binoculars were made by Fuji-Meibo. (Fujinon)
Thanks for that! I wonder if these are..........
Yes they are! Too jet -lagged to write more.
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Big telescope.Small telescopes.
Ridiculous binocular collection
Be sincere, even if you don't mean it.
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Simon S
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/07/07
Posts: 2206
Loc: Crawley West Sussex UK
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This pair of Sard 7x50 is a strange one. The eyepieces have built in filters that can be flipped in when needed. This has resulted in slight scratching to the eye element. Also the eye relief is very short and when the eye caps are fitted the FOV becomes very narrow. Removing them gives a wide FOV and good overall image. Can the scratches be removed?
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All binocular repairs are undertaken at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to any instrument resulting from my suggestions.
My binocular collection
Binoculars by date of addition
Binoculars in Alphabetical order
Edited by Simon S (08/24/08 05:30 PM)
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DJB
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/23/05
Posts: 1742
Loc: Lisle NY
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Hi Simon,
I have two of them, one of which I split out (two halves) and cut one half into two pieces, so that anyone can see how they were made. (Pretty simple, really.) The one I took down was purchased on eBay and did not function well. So I decided to keep it and just do a tear down.
To your question. Probably the filter hinge got bent a bit and the filter housings are scraping on the ocular lens. I would not use the filters.
More than likely, the result that you see is a scratching of the coating on the ocular lens. Don't forget, these coatings were developed during WWII, and they are old and basic. Even tho you could have them recoated, I would suggest that you leave them as they are.
Hope this helps you a bit.
Best regards,
Dave.
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Simon S
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/07/07
Posts: 2206
Loc: Crawley West Sussex UK
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Regarding the Bushnell's being made by Fujinon, I can now confirm these models where not. It would seem the earlier versions where but mine have the symbol of a diamond and BOL stamped on them. There is also the standard markings of jb138 and je4 in the hinge.
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All binocular repairs are undertaken at your own risk. I cannot be held responsible for any damage to any instrument resulting from my suggestions.
My binocular collection
Binoculars by date of addition
Binoculars in Alphabetical order
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 17931
Loc: Oort Cloud 9
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Simon,
I onced owned a Bushnell spotting scope that was made in the late 1950's to mid-1960's. (I can't be sure of the exact date of manufacture) It was a 10x50mm fixed power scope with a tripod adapter on the bottom. It was very solidly built and the optics were very sharp. It also had the "Diamond BOL" maker's mark on it. So, I would expect your binocular to be of high quality. Although it's not made by Fuji, the maker did produce some worthy optics. 
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
☄ ⒼⒶⓁⒶⒸⓉⒾⒸ ⓈⓉⓄⓃⒺ ☞ www.galactic-stone.com
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KennyJ
The British Flash
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 20139
Loc: Lancashire UK
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I see from the list on Peter Abraham's web site that the manufacturer allocated J - B138 was Toyo Jitsugyo Co.Ltd.
So , not made by Fujinon , then , it would appear .
I wonder if my friend BRENTWOOD has emerged from his well earned deep sleep yet ? --
- HELLO JOHN ! -- are you back in the land of the living ? :-)
I'm not sure if the diamond surrounded BOL is just the manufacturer of the tripod adaptor piece .
What intrigues me about those Japanese JB code numbers is that there were almost 350 of them !
I could be wrong , but I doubt if there will be anything like one TENTH of that number of different factories manufacturing binoculars in China right now !
Regards
Kenny
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Milton Wilcox R.I.P
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KennyJ
The British Flash
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 20139
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Those with broadband connections and any interest in this thread may enjoy watching this short video , which although hardly educational , has a typically English quaintness about it all the same ! :-)
http://www.oldbinoculars.com/oldbinocularsvideo.html
I don't know about anyone else , but I could almost SMELL some of these old binoculars and cases ! :-)
An aside which may well be of special interest to Glassthrowing Mike is that the location of the antique fair is the same one as where I saw Led Zeppelin at the Bath Rock and Blues festival in the summer of 1970 !
Kenny
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Milton Wilcox R.I.P
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