Age Guide

[Bman]

Where did the comments go?  Specifically, all of Craig's replies where he zero'd in the 70-79 decade...
There was a ton of useful information in there that is no longer with this latest 'update'.

http://weberkettleclub.com/determine-age-of-old-grill/

[Troy]

nice catch.

some backend changes apparently disabled comments on the page.

the info is still stored in the database, and the adviser team is about to start rebuilding the age guide. thanks for pointing this out!

[Bman]

Before it gets buried & lost...

Info from Craig ---

Unknown as to how many were produced. If my continued research is right, the Westerner was introduced in 1958 as a MTH kettle, though not shown in the 1962 or 1964, or 1966 catalogs, they featured a grey Fleetwood in '62 (Brian's "Grandpa" Kettle) and George Stephen cooking on a red Aristocrat in the '64-'66 catalogs (same image used in both). The Westerner is pictured again as a MBH 26 in the 1967-68 catalog just like the one that's in the auction, but is gone by 1972. We have yet to see any catalogs from 1969-1971, but its a good bet that The Westerner along with the Estate (Chestnut Coppertone/pink 22) were most likely discontinued after 1968 favor of the Copper Mist (brown) line of kettles by 1969 as evident from the earliest known browns having the Patent Pending vents and we have yet to see any Pat. Pending pinks or Steer heads OR browns with pre patent thumbscrews for that matter.

So in short order..... Westerner estimated timeline of manufacture: 1958-1968

Estimated age of the one in the auction based on its rounded tab lid vent.... 1964-1968 or thereabouts. Note: that is my best guess and NOT fact. This is based on examples we have seen of kettles with wood lid handles but still sport squared tabs on Wood Dale stamped lid vents.


Ok, I'll take my nerd glasses off and may the best Grillfella win. 

[Winz]

Bman - nice summary,  I agree with you that the Ebay Westerner kettle was 64 or later based on the information you laid out.  I also believe that my Westerner is likely a 62 or 63 based on the information from the Wood Dale post in the forum.  My summary to Troy below, trying to capture the dates of Wood Dale kettles:

Troy,

The information below would indicate that our dates on the timeline weber age guide might need to be modified.  The current information says that starting 1962 wooden handles were used - the information below says 1964.

This is from an article from 2002 called the Grill Out Times and Weber comments on the "wooden insulators" being added in 1964.

My conclusions from the thread on Wood Dale

• Metal handles ran perpendicular to the vents until 1962
• From 1962 to 1963, kettles were still produced at Wood Dale with metal handles pointing at the vents
• Starting sometime in 1963, kettles began to be produced in Arlington heights, with wood handles being added to kettles in 1964

There are some "transition" kettles that have wooden handles with Wood Dale vents, likely due to the consumption of Wood Dale parts inventory.  These kettles may have been produced in the Arlington heights factory

Do with this what you will - just trying to update our collective "best known information" from all the discussion on that post.

Winz