Wood Dale Handles

[Winz]

From the vintage gallery (awesome resource by the way!), it appears there are 3 styles of handles on the Wood Dale lids. In chronological order: 

Style 1 is metal that points away from the vent:



Style 2 is metal that points at the vent:



Style 3 is a wood handle that points at the vent:



Any ideas as to the dates of manufacture for style 1, style 2, and style 3?

Winz

[Craig]

While not nailed down completely, the metal handles on 22/26 kettleswere pointed away from the vents in 1958 but pointed at the vent by 1963. Wood handles came out by 1964.

[Winz]

Thanks Craig.  It is that transition year between style 1 and style 2 (mine) that I am trying to get some data on so that I can better understand the date of my Wood Dale. 

If they were pointed at the vent by 63, and 64 was the first year of wooden handles, that would tell me that it is a 1963.  Or do you think that the metal handle was reconfigured earlier (early 60's?)

Winz

[ramsfan]

One of them handles looks awfully familiar?

[Winz]

One of them handles looks awfully familiar?

Yes indeed - best example of a wood handle Wood Dale I could find...

Winz

[Craig]

Thanks Craig.  It is that transition year between style 1 and style 2 (mine) that I am trying to get some data on so that I can better understand the date of my Wood Dale. 

If they were pointed at the vent by 63, and 64 was the first year of wooden handles, that would tell me that it is a 1963.  Or do you think that the metal handle was reconfigured earlier (early 60's?)

Winz

Well, the best information we have currently on the handle orientation comes from the 1962 catalog (I'll have to find my scan of it) that has the handles pointed away from the vents. Now the '62 catalog could have been shot in 1961. We haven't seen an actual 1961 catalog yet. The 1963 grey mist "Plainsman" has the handle oriented towards the vent. At this time that is the best information we have on this. Did I mention that I'm super stoked that you scored the Westerner? If you want to send it to me I'll study it for a while..

[Craig]

Incidentally the Westerner that's featured in Webers timeline as 1958 has the lid handle turned away from the vent.

[Winz]

Did I mention that I'm super stoked that you scored the Westerner? If you want to send it to me I'll study it for a while..

Yes - your posts throughout the acquisition process were stellar and I really appreciate it.  I am not sure what "Ewok dance! YUB NUB!" is, but I like it!

So it sounds like 62 or 63 is most likely for a wood dale, metal handle pointed toward the vent.  Hopefully some more early 60's catalogs will surface over time.  I saw the image for the 58 westerner on the Weber site.

More pics to come, but I want to do it right.  I have already been comparing my westerner to the pics of the one sold on Ebay - some very notable differences in the cosmetics.  Full report to come to be included in the vintage gallery.  For now, just trying to understand as much about it as possible.

Thanks,

Winz

[pbe gummi bear]

Ewoks dancing

[Winz]

Nice blue smoke - are they doing pork butt on a weber in the lower frame? 

[Craig]

Nice blue smoke - are they doing pork butt on a weber in the lower frame?

They're smoking a stormtrooper butt off camera... 

[zavod44]

One question I have is was the orientation of the 26ers always the same as the 22's?

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[Craig]

One question I have is was the orientation of the 26ers always the same as the 22's?

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Should have been. Which way is Grandpa oriented?

[pbe gummi bear]

What was the first year of the 26r?

[Craig]

What was the first year of the 26r?

Unkown for sure. Earliest one seen so far is the '58 version of the Westerner in the timeline. I would think that black would have been out at the same time but more digging needs to be done.