Rarely seen: 1950’s “Custom”

The grill you see here is about 60 years old, and cooks just as well as a new one. Let that sink in for a minute.

When WKC forum member charred saw this listed online for “free,” he didn’t hesitate to get it. He knew it was special, but only learned afterwards just how special. Click here to learn more about that journey. We present it here unrestored; the twist ash pan isn’t original to this model — those were introduced later.

Few of us have ever seen a Weber kettle from the 1950s, but several details identify this 18.5″ model as such. The solid triangle pan is the most obvious clue, but details such as the bowl handles welded “flat” (squared off against the bowl) and metal (rounded) lid handle also point to a machine made before the mid-60s.

And what about that pattern? Today it’s known as “Custom,” referring to the random squiggle lines added in the style popularly known as Chromoveil. First seen on pottery made by Brush-McCoy, we don’t know if the “cobweb” design was a collaboration with The Brush Pottery Co. or merely inspired by it. Here’s a bit of history about the pottery company.

Thank you Jeff, and Martin, for contributing to this gallery entry!