classic vacuum question

[goadie12]

I have this vacuum it was the first vintage vacuum I ever got and all I know about it is that it is a classic all it says on the vacuum is classic made in england. I once saw a classic before on the website that was from moose jaw but I can no longer find that website. If any one has a classic or knows anything about it can I see some pics or can anyone tell me the history of this vacuum.
thanks

 

[vacbear58]

Classic

No doubt Mouse Jaw will be checking in soon and is likely to have valuable information, but in the mean time .....

I suspect that this was manufactured by the Bylock company who had a "Classic" model in and around 1963, very bottom of range although it got a good rating (for the price) from our comsumer magazine, when I am home I may have some more pics I can post. The early Bylock machines were based on Apex designs and indeed there is still a flavour of Apex here too. Doug will know more but we had a dialogue a few years back about Bylocks being sold in Canada, branded as "President".

Bylock were established before WW2 as a manufacturer of hair dryers, but it seems that around 1950 of so they branched out into cannister vacuum cleaners & polishers. As I said these were origionally Apex design (including the unusual Apex nozzles and in some cases wands). The design evolved away from Apex towards the end of the 1950s, but there was a wide variety for such a small manufacturer, and they were often "badged" under other names. Bylock's swan song is a very unusual model called the Tablevac which has to be seen to be believed, there is plenty in the archives about that one. But these were mostly sold as a "fire sale" at very low cost after the company went bust. In the early 1960s they also sold a mixer (not their manufacture) and a washing machine (probably Rolls - not Rolls Royce).

Bylock was purchased in 1963 by the Rolls Razor company (who actually manufactured a range of Twin Tub washing machines) but went down when Rolls went bust in 1964 - hence the "fire sale". Bylock is a particular favourite of mine as it was the first cleaner my parents had, bought in 1957 while my mother was pregnant we me

Al

 

[vacbear58]

And...

My guess is that it is very rare, so look after it

Al

 

[goadie12]

Ya I thaught it might be rare I have only seen one other. thanks for the background information.

 

[collector2]

Hi Zachary:

Just sent you an email. The Classic vaccums were one of the house brands of the State Vacuum Stores - A chain of vacuum stores that operated across Canada in the 40's and 50's. Their other house brands included President and Silovac. All the house brands were just rebranded machines, usually made in England by Bylock, Vactric, and possibly Siroma Engineering or Phoenix Manufacturing.

State Vacuum Stores also had representatives in alot of places that sold door to door. In fact my Grandmother bought her first and only vacuum, a President, from a bus driver here in town that sold for State Vaccum Stores on the side. He came to the house and demonstrated it after talking to her on the bus.

Doug

PS - it was my web page you saw it on. Wish I had time to get it working again.

 

[collector2]

OOPS - forgot - here's my Classic. From the colour of it it was being used as a step down machine for the Silovac (which was the same colour)