Posted 10 years ago
Ginseng108
(46 items)
This is one of the few solid wood pins I own. As a former plastics engineer, my interests lie primarily with the various forms and evolution of the plastic coated pins. That said, this is an absolutely mint, fresh from factory specimen of a pin that is on the order of 60+ years old. Exceptionally good storage conditions (dry and dark) results in exceptional preservation. The pin is one piece of solid wood, painted overall and with hand-applied crown neckband and printed medallion. The King and Red Crown branding reaches into the first half of the 20th century and I imagine that as I research further, I'll learn more about company and how these marks and names came about. The drizzle of caramelish color at the base of the pin is a residual streamer of adhesive from the mounting of the protective ring at the base. As I've said before, although designed with some consideration for aesthetics, in the end, these are punishment-absorbers meant to take repeated impacts until either the pin splits of the neck breaks.