Gerstner Gurus: I needs some info.

toddjb · Jan 21, 2015

All, to my luck I picked up this fine box at the flea market this weekend for the steeeeep price of $15. I'm pumped.

But this Gerstner has a few things I've not seen and I'm hoping ya'll more enlightened might be able to share some knowledge.

First it's one of the leather/leather-ish covered ones

The drawers have a tin (?) bottom

The draw cover that typically slides under the bottom drawers, does not. It just hinges down.

Could this not be a machinist chest and used for a different purpose?

Any idea to an approximate age?

And (this is my wife's question) what is the purpose of the mirror?

Thanks in advance for any and all info.

PFSard · Jan 21, 2015

The mirror on wood machinists tool boxes.…
http://www.woodworking.com/forum/showthread.php?8477-The-mirror-on-wood-machinists-tool-boxes

Why is there a Mirror in the top of a Gerstner Chest?
http://forum.gerstnerusa.com/showthread.php?53-Why-is-there-a-Mirror-in-the-top-of-a-Gerstner-Chest

herfalerf · Jan 21, 2015

Neither of those links work for me.

nine4gmc · Jan 21, 2015

For $15, if it's genuine, you got a steal! Beatcad should be along shortly to help out. :beer:

alwaysFlOoReD · Jan 21, 2015

^^^
first link fubar
second link is to general forum website and redirects to a secondary gerstner site.

toddjb · Jan 21, 2015

Thanks, but it doesn't look like any of those links work currently.

I did find this link, which states

The Company Response:

The mirror was first installed in the early 1900’s on some of the very earliest Gerstner chest designs. In those days, very few manufacturing and/or tool & die companies had indoor plumbing. In other words, there were few companies with lavatories (with wash basins and mirrors) for toolmakers and other factory workers to use to clean up at the end of the day.

The “mirror” mounted inside a Gerstner tool chest provided the wherewithal for the chest owner to check his appearance and comb his hair before heading home (or, perhaps, going in to ask the boss for a raise). At various times over the years, we have introduced a few tool chests without including a mirror. Interestingly enough, the feedback from customers has been, “Without a mirror, the chest doesn’t look like a Gerstner.” So . . .you may notice that virtually all new model Gerstners feature a “mirror” inside the tip lid.

bluebolt · Jan 21, 2015

Model # BK310 is apparently a makeup case. Not much info on those. Can't say whether it is real or not.

$15 for a fake is a good score. $15 for a real one is the "you ****" of the week.

toddjb · Jan 21, 2015

Fake has been brought up twice. Is that a common thing? How does one tell?

toddjb · Jan 21, 2015

Make up case huh? Well it will now be a tool box. Is there a model list somewhere?

drivesitfar · Jan 22, 2015

Gertsner drawers do have metal bottoms. Mirror I heard w as so owner could get the sawdust or metal chip out of eye. I'll look closer when on laptop, but it looks like a keeper.

Kevin54 · Jan 22, 2015

for $15.00 YOU ****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mirrors come in Machinist boxes all for the fact that machinist get metal in their eyes. A lot of Gerstners came with metal in the bottom of the drawers.

You have a genuine Gerstner, you got the deal of the year, and it looks to be in SUPER shape as most of the time the leather it shot on those. Someone took very good care of that one. And as soon as you want to double your money, hit me up and I'll scrape together $30 :thumbup:

PFSard · Jan 22, 2015

herfalerf said:
Neither of those links work for me.

Sorry about that. The links must be obsolete. I should have checked them first (I have them stored on a spreadsheet).

softailgarage · Jan 22, 2015

Yes, Gerstners have tin bottoms on the drawers. If you contact gerstners, for a fee, they will tell you when the box was made. It may be worth it, personally I've never seen one with that covering, always just wood. Do the latches have "Gerstner" engraved on them?

nine4gmc · Jan 22, 2015

Softail, I have a vintage genuine Gerstner machinist box that I got from bluebolt that's covered like that but in much worse condition. I can vouch for the covering and now that bluebolt identified it as a make up case, I'm pretty sure this one is real as well.
The only reason I mentioned anything about it being real, the layout and hardware looked off to me. Make up case explains the look.

Good find OP, I'd probably use it for my watches or something NOT tool related due to the great condition.
Also, YOU ****!! :beer:

bluebolt · Jan 22, 2015

Here's a picture of a filled up Gerstner makeup case.

rlitman · Jan 22, 2015

bluebolt said:
Here's a picture of a filled up Gerstner makeup case.

I googled your picture and found this:
http://makingupamerica.com/tag/neiman-marcus/
"This Gerstner makeup kit belonged to MGM’s Ray Romero, who worked for 60 years as a Hollywood makeup artist beginning in 1914."

Nice find. Yeah, it's clearly not a machinists case, but also clearly a genuine Gerstner, and still totally a YOU **** kinda find.

The tall top section and the hinged front are giveaways that it's not a machinists case. The hinged front makes sense for a case that spends more time traveling closed than sitting open. The tall top is clearly for tall containers of something (aerosol cans might fit well...).

As for the galvanized steel bottomed drawers. Most good wooden cases use steel bottomed drawers (my Gerstner, and my wooden Union Tool case as well as another unnamed mahogany wood case I have all have steel bottoms). They leave you with more vertical space in the drawer, and are more dimensionally stable than a wood slab.

toddjb · Jan 22, 2015

nine4gmc said:
Good find OP, I'd probably use it for my watches or something NOT tool related due to the great condition.

I'm not a watch guy, but once cleaned up this will likely hold some more precision items that stay clean. So, she won't get beat on.

softailgarage said:
If you contact gerstners, for a fee, they will tell you when the box was made...... Do the latches have "Gerstner" engraved on them?

I saw that they will date it, but honestly $35 is more than I'm willing to pay at this point for the information. I would like to just get a rough guess, maybe the decade. Also there are no markings on the latches.

rlitman said:
I googled your picture and found this:
http://makingupamerica.com/tag/neiman-marcus/
"This Gerstner makeup kit belonged to MGM’s Ray Romero, who worked for 60 years as a Hollywood makeup artist beginning in 1914."

That pic and bio are cool. Thanks for the sleuth work, guys.

And now looking at this pic again, I would suspect that red-ish powder on the felt and those ring marks in the drawers are likely makeup residues.

Suggested method of cleaning the felt up?

rlitman · Jan 22, 2015

Vacuum?

toddjb · Jan 22, 2015

Ha. Yes. That will be the method for removing the loose stuff. But I would guess it will require a bit of scrubbing to get the color out. I just don't want to hurt the old felt.

FJ 432 · Jan 22, 2015

Only a guess but I believe that the top number would indicate the box being made in 1982.

rlitman · Jan 22, 2015

Now that I think of it, you might want to look into pool table felt cleaning products.
I used to use a brush for most cleaning, and a vacuum. But there are some spray products for more serious messes.

Outlawmws · Jan 22, 2015

Look on the drawer bottoms, a lot of them got a name and date there (probably for ready ID if ever stolen...)

bluebolt · Jan 22, 2015

toddjb said:
Ha. Yes. That will be the method for removing the loose stuff. But I would guess it will require a bit of scrubbing to get the color out. I just don't want to hurt the old felt.

Get out what you can and don't worry about the rest. It's part of the boxes history!

toddjb · Jan 23, 2015

rlitman said:
Now that I think of it, you might want to look into pool table felt cleaning products.
I used to use a brush for most cleaning, and a vacuum. But there are some spray products for more serious messes.

That makes sense. Thanks!

Outlawmws said:
Look on the drawer bottoms, a lot of them got a name and date there (probably for ready ID if ever stolen...)

Alas, the only handwriting is the L 4 -1 pictured above, and then numbers 1-8 on the back of the drawers, presumably put there by the guy fitting the box in the factory.

bluebolt said:
Get out what you can and don't worry about the rest. It's part of the boxes history!

Thanks for the reminder. I have a nasty habit of going to far with clean up and restoration, this is super clean and fully functional, as is. Less is more in this case.

Steinmetz · Jan 23, 2015

It looks like a TV parts caddy to me. Maybe a makeup case though.

softailgarage · Jan 23, 2015

bluebolt said:
Here's a picture of a filled up Gerstner makeup case.

rlitman said:
I googled your picture and found this:
http://makingupamerica.com/tag/neiman-marcus/
"This Gerstner makeup kit belonged to MGM’s Ray Romero, who worked for 60 years as a Hollywood makeup artist beginning in 1914."

Nice find. Yeah, it's clearly not a machinists case, but also clearly a genuine Gerstner, and still totally a YOU **** kinda find.

The tall top section and the hinged front are giveaways that it's not a machinists case. The hinged front makes sense for a case that spends more time traveling closed than sitting open. The tall top is clearly for tall containers of something (aerosol cans might fit well...).

As for the galvanized steel bottomed drawers. Most good wooden cases use steel bottomed drawers (my Gerstner, and my wooden Union Tool case as well as another unnamed mahogany wood case I have all have steel bottoms). They leave you with more vertical space in the drawer, and are more dimensionally stable than a wood slab.

Wow! It really is a makeup case, who'd a thunk! I thought that was just a nickname...learn something new every day.

beatcad · Jan 23, 2015

for 15 bucks you do ****. :beer:

that covering gerstner calls leatherette. i read it called something else in old tool catalogs but thats what it's called.

i will admit i dont know much about the specialty chests like the make-up and dental chests.
since the drawer emblem is missing that doesnt help me.
looking at the other clues(the hardware) theres 2 parts i nail an aprox time down. and one that i wish i had the answer to.
i'll check my notes and chests for some answers.
but i bet its 70s & up.

beatcad · Jan 23, 2015

i cant check my chests 'cause theyre all(except my new one) are all pre 70s.
but i did look thru my notes and i bet it's 80s

nine4gmc · Jan 23, 2015

beatcad said:
for 15 bucks you do ****.

that covering gerstner calls leatherette. i read it called something else in old tool catalogs but thats what it's called.

i will admit i dont know much about the specialty chests like the make-up and dental chests.
since the drawer emblem is missing that doesnt help me.
looking at the other clues(the hardware) theres 2 parts i nail an aprox time down. and one that i wish i had the answer to.
i'll check my notes and chests for some answers.
but i bet its 70s & up.

I think the word you're looking for is "tolex" vinyl. It's used extensively in audio amplifier cabinets. :beer:

beatcad · Jan 24, 2015

nine4gmc said:
I think the word you're looking for is "tolex" vinyl. It's used extensively in audio amplifier cabinets.

you're probably right my friend.
i do know that gerstner has called it leatherette for 70 to 100 years.
i checked my notes and in a '38 tool catalog(not gerstner) called it fabrikoid.
i've also heard it called oilcloth.

all those names are acceptable to me for what it is.
but leatherette sounds so damn **** :lol:

bluebolt · Jan 24, 2015

beatcad said:
you're probably right my friend.
i do know that gerstner has called it leatherette for 70 to 100 years.
i checked my notes and in a '38 tool catalog(not gerstner) called it fabrikoid.
i've also heard it called oilcloth.

all those names are acceptable to me for what it is.
but leatherette sounds so damn ****

Yeah my wood is wrapped in leatherette LOL!

Outlawmws · Jan 24, 2015

bluebolt said:
Yeah my wood is wrapped in leatherette LOL!

That just sounds so wrong...

Gerstner Gurus: I needs some info.

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