brass letter scale
with stamps compartment

This funny little scale doesn't have a logo or a mark. However, I have recently been able to find the name of the maker, it is the firm Kronheimer & Oldenbusch, located at 366-388 Butler Street, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. The first advertisement I found with an image of this letter scale dates from 1911. It was still advertised in 1912 and 1913. In 1918 the name Kronheimer & Oldenbusch was replaced by K & O Co.. The heightened base on four ball feet contains a real stamp box. The maker did know how to fold and forge metals. The tube parts of the standard and of the support for the top plate are also made by folding. The standard and the round plate are fastened by soldering. The chart of 4 ounces is subdivided into parts of 1/8 oz. The scale is made of brass. There is no leveling screw to adjust the scale to zero in case of a position on a slanting surface. I've seen the following variations of this scale: an egg scale, where the flat plate is replaced by a little cup to hold the egg; and a more simple model of the letter scale, without the stamp box and without the four ball feet. A picture of the egg scale is presented at page 100 in "The Cornell Countryman" of January 1922, see below. Also below more photos of this letter scale.