Spotlight > Whistle Categories > Escargot > 119
Whistology
Not too many years ago, the whistles to obtain were Winchester stamped escargots, especially the model 1806. Little did anyone know of the model 1805. The 1807 was just too rare to see offered up for sale. Incidentally, it isn’t even a well-made, special whistle, just a ‘collectible’ stamp. Perhaps not many were manufactured. Needless to say, collecting all three has proven to be a difficult task.
What is the historic background of this stamp ? — Oliver Fischer Winchester B. 1810, D.1880 was the founder.
Ironically, Winchester Repeating Arms started out selling shirts. Eventually by 1866, just after the civil war the arms company was formed, located in Bridgeport Connecticut, moving to New Haven in 1871.
About 1919 Winchester expanded to selling items other than firearms, Winchester branded consumer products including pocketknives, hand tools, roller skates and the like.
In 1922 the first catalog listing of the Winchester whistles models 1805, 1806 and 1807 appeared. Whether they were selling whistles before this time does not appear to be so. At this same time, Winchester products were represented in 5,600 retail outlets, about 25% of all the hardware stores in America.
The Winchester whistle years ago was the sine qua non of collectible whistles. They sometimes demanded 300.00 to 400.00 and scored even higher at times. However, with the growth of whistle collecting and the onset of the internet, eBay, Etsy, auction houses, Amazon, they have dropped to about half price at best, even lower, and yet they remain uncommon.
Still this series deserves a place in the history books of whistle collecting. Looking back in time, it appears that by the time of the great depression of 1929 they had fallen away from production. To find all four today is a challenge and especially difficult to wrest them from the Winchester collectors.
The escargots present some interesting features. For example, the large size escargots were manufactured with very high-quality nickel silver by an unknown maker. See SPOTLIGHT number 10 on interlocking teeth. The mid-sized escargot was of lesser quality, nickel plated brass, but also incorporated interlocking teeth and at the same time used a unique short pillar like top.
Furthermore, the general service whistles ( GSW ) appears to have been by a maker in the USA. Perhaps leading to the conclusion that all the Winchesters were made in the USA. All of the escargots by this particular manufacturer were made with interlocking teeth and focused on sporting goods stamps and followed a theme.
Whistle Archeology
Here is a catalog display from the 1922 catalog. Although the picture of the 1807 clearly looks to be German in design, the actual GSW does not look the same, the top being more rounded and the mouthpiece more of a concave shape.
Whistology
Category – escargot, tube
Class – sports
Group – Winchester
Sub Class – 1805, 1806, 1807
1805 – escargot — two models, large and mid sized
1806 – escargot — one model, large
1807 – tube shaped – one size
There are four known whistles. Two are large escargots, one is midsized, and one is tubular. Another generic large escargot is known with an applique on the side, along with another made from shotgun shell modification and it was likely produced independently as an aftermarket item. Furthermore, a small, chromed escargot, perhaps a replica was seen on auction.
The model 1805 stamp came on two different sizes, mid-size and large size. The 1806 is only known stamped on the large size, all appear to be circa 1922 to 1928. The manufacturer is unknown.
The escargots are of the interlocking teeth design – see SPOTLIGHT # 10
left to right 1806 – 1805 – 1806 – 1807
The two are a size and quality comparison. The mid-size escargot is always nickel-plated brass and of thin construction.
Large size interlocking teeth escargots with different stamps were made for years by this manufacturer, but of lesser quality nickel plated brass. The large model Winchester stamped escargot started in 1922 and is always of nickel silver and thinner construction in the mid-size model.
Below the interlocking teeth can be seen, singular on the mid-size and three per side on the larger escargot. None have been seen without this construction.
Note the two different knops. The smaller knop is idiosyncratic with other escargots made by the same unknown company, yet unique to this manufacturer and an identifying component.
Late in the 1920s other ‘interlocking’ escargots appear with a single tooth like the mid-sized escargots, however no known Winchesters have been found as such. Perhaps indicating that their run was shorter and had already ceased.
Lastly, by honorable mention is another Winchester model with shotgun shell design. This has been seen several times and was an unrelated production designed whistle, again by an unknown manufacturer.
TWG
Posted February 5, 2021
Bibliography
https://www.idahostatejournal.com/outdoors/xtreme_idaho/the-long-history-of-the-winchester-repeating-arms-company/article_83f408e7-0037-5c71-a14b-a4a9272e1204.html
https://www.winchesterguns.com/news/historical-timeline/historical-timeline-1900-1949.html
