What's for sale?
This is a small pair of vintage Bakelite or early plastic field or racing binoculars, by British maker ESL.
They're lightweight and an ideal size for a coat or suit pocket.
They're a simple straight-through design, which unlike prism binoculars, are more robust and easier to dismantle for cleaning.
The focusing mechanism is a knurled wheel which simply moves the ocular lenses back and forth along an extending rod. Both lenses are focussed equally; there's no separate focusing ring for one of the eyepieces.
Magnification is around x5 and they're fine for sporting events and garden bird watching.
Bakelite has become a generic term for items made of the early plastics and resins, like Lucite, Catalin, Galalith, Bakelite and urea-formaldehyde. This hasn't been tested to determine which type it is.
What condition are they in?
- Second-hand
- In good condition
- The black plastic finish is good with no cracks
- The steel fittings are a little pitted and corroded
- The polished finish on the pistons is quite good
- The lenses are reasonably clean and vision through them is very good
What are the measurements?
- 6.5cm to 8.5cm length
- 10.5cm width
- 208 grams
If you have any questions, just send an email to help@3bcshop.com.
