No probs mate, comparison and such of like items makes for the best threads!by reneblacky
Yes, the MkI is clearly a different spec albeit within the same generic type.
The differences between the MkII and MkIII seem to be much more manufacturer related and minor by comparison especially with the central v individual focus method.
As far as I know most of the makers of the MkII onwards were initially involved in making high-end lenses for the photographic and cinemagraphic industries with none being makers of just binoculars etc.
Most of them seemed to have survived by morphing or being absorbed with great success into some of the top of the range large concerns we see today.
The maker of your No2 MkIII, Taylor-Hobson is now concerned with high specification optical instruments and software.
Barr and Stroud evolved through the Pilkington Group (best known for glass products) through the French giant company Thales (heavily into defence industry today) and is now known as Thales Optronics.
Kershaw, the maker of my No2 MkII made their name with lenses for cinema projectors and photography. They made binoculars before and after the war (as did B&S) and in 1920 a pair of glasses almost identical to the No2 would cost you £11.
Kershaw is now a part of the Rank Organisation.
This is the same kind of history one can find concerning most of the wartime manufacturers of eveything from steel helmets (Briggs Motor Bodies made car parts before the war and still do as part of Ford or maybe that is General Motors now via BMC?), to bayonets (Viners were and are a prolific cutlers - interesting history there too with the US firm Oneida).
Learning all this adds to the hobby for me and makes the items in my collection so much more than just bits of ephemera. I only have two sets of binos, both shown in this thread but it was never enough for me to simply say "those are WWII Army and those are WWII Royal Navy". That just seems a bit thin I think
Maybe it's my "investigative mindset"but I find this stuff fascinating
Regards
Mark
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). These ones from a regular dealer were just that - definitely not pristine, but all there and as something of a bonus, the tatty optics still have the graticules.
which had spilt over the binoculars. 5 minutes' gentle chipping away with a small screwdriver removed it all, plus a quick wipeover with a spirit-dipped rag. 'Messed up' maybe, but not 'messed with'. Optics a bit foggy but graticle is present. I'll do some more work on them yet....but I'm rather pleased with these.....
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