i got a black and decker valet today
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kenmore81
Well-known member
Do you happen to have a pic? I don't remember what that is lol. Is it a dustbuster type?
collector2
Well-known member
HI:
Just for reference here is the one out of my collection with all the parts.
Doug
Just for reference here is the one out of my collection with all the parts.
Doug
eurekaprince
Well-known member
That Black and Decker canister is identical to the original 1960's Regina canister with the hose port off center.
Since the Canadian Iona factory used to make our Regina Elektrikbrooms, and later became the Fantom factory, I wonder what kind of contract Black and Decker had with Iona to make this canister. Does the name plate say "Made in Welland, Ontario"?
Since the Canadian Iona factory used to make our Regina Elektrikbrooms, and later became the Fantom factory, I wonder what kind of contract Black and Decker had with Iona to make this canister. Does the name plate say "Made in Welland, Ontario"?
kirbylux77
Well-known member
Brian, just so you know, there was also a GE canister in baby blue that was EXACTLY IDENTICAL to this one. And I have heard this was produced in several different names....apparently Canadian Tire even had their own brand name canister similar to this one. I believe Trendvac was the name, but don't quote me on that.
Rob
Rob
kenmore81
Well-known member
Ohh yeah now I remember. I dk why I was thinking of Dustbuster or smaller canister. Its in nice shape.
collector2
Well-known member
If I remember correctly GE bought the rights to the design in Canada from Regina around 1980 - same time as Iona bought the rights to the electric brooms then, when Black & Decker bought out the GE small appliances in Canada (around 1985) it passed to them.
collector2
Well-known member
Also in thinking of this Regina may not have owned the patent rights to that design - Switson Industries in Welland Ontario (Later General Signal Appliances) Made the machines for Regina as well as making them under other names for various stores. Eg - Bradford for Zellers, Baycrest for the Hudsons Bay Co.and Trendvac for Canadian Tire
Here is a picture of a few of them in my collection:
Doug
Here is a picture of a few of them in my collection:
Doug
suckolux
Well-known member
We had Bradford House for W.T.Grants here.
kirbylux77
Well-known member
Hey Doug, just out of curiosity....how many other makes did Switson Industries manufacture for?? I know Eureka was one of the others, but who else?? Seems like this company must have been perhaps the biggest manufacturer in Canada at one point.
Rob
Rob
collector2
Well-known member
Hey Rob:
I've never heard of them making Eureka's but I do know they made Kirbys here for a while.
The other brands I've come across are Baycrest, Bradford, Coronado, Eatonia, Fairbanks Morse, Mastercraft, Regina, Switson, Valliant, Viking, and Waverly. There are probably more than that too. These were all variations on the basic models that they put out at the time with colour and name being pretty much the only changes. The model numbers always reflected Switsons Production eg - I have a Switson Tank model in dark green and chrome (model D22), Regina cannister model in Plum and grey (Model D23), Switson cannister model also in dark green and grey (model D24) and a Valliant in Pink and cream (Model D28)
Because I know that the two Switson models were sold by Simpsons in 1959 its not a stretch to say that the Regina was also produced in 1959.
Doug
I've never heard of them making Eureka's but I do know they made Kirbys here for a while.
The other brands I've come across are Baycrest, Bradford, Coronado, Eatonia, Fairbanks Morse, Mastercraft, Regina, Switson, Valliant, Viking, and Waverly. There are probably more than that too. These were all variations on the basic models that they put out at the time with colour and name being pretty much the only changes. The model numbers always reflected Switsons Production eg - I have a Switson Tank model in dark green and chrome (model D22), Regina cannister model in Plum and grey (Model D23), Switson cannister model also in dark green and grey (model D24) and a Valliant in Pink and cream (Model D28)
Because I know that the two Switson models were sold by Simpsons in 1959 its not a stretch to say that the Regina was also produced in 1959.
Doug
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Hey there Doug - thanks for that clarification!
Would be interesting to read a full history of vacuum manufacturing at that plant in Welland, Ontario - who opened the first factory, what brands came out of that location and when, and a history of the corporate take-overs and purchase of brand-name rights. Am I remembering correctly that this is the factory that eventually produced Canadian Fantom vacs?
And now the big question: Was that Switson/Regina canister design with the off-center hose port a Canadian design, or an American design? Because we know that those Regina canisters were sold in the USA too, and I imagine that Regina's main corporate headquarters was in the States (Rahway, New Jersey, if I remember correctly), I wonder if Regina USA contracted Switson to produce the Canadian vacs for them. Unlike Hoover in Hamilton and Eureka in Kitchener, I guess Regina decided not to set up their own Canadian factory - and instead contracted Switson to do it for them.
All in all, an interesting chapter in vacuum history in Canada. Just goes to show you, that you never know these days who actually makes a product just by looking at the brand name. In the "olden" days, when you saw a Sunbeam product, you knew which factory and corporation and physical address produced it. Now when you see a product with the name Sunbeam on it, chances are it just a brandname bought by some other multilayered multinational company and who knows who is responsible for what you just bought.
Would be interesting to read a full history of vacuum manufacturing at that plant in Welland, Ontario - who opened the first factory, what brands came out of that location and when, and a history of the corporate take-overs and purchase of brand-name rights. Am I remembering correctly that this is the factory that eventually produced Canadian Fantom vacs?
And now the big question: Was that Switson/Regina canister design with the off-center hose port a Canadian design, or an American design? Because we know that those Regina canisters were sold in the USA too, and I imagine that Regina's main corporate headquarters was in the States (Rahway, New Jersey, if I remember correctly), I wonder if Regina USA contracted Switson to produce the Canadian vacs for them. Unlike Hoover in Hamilton and Eureka in Kitchener, I guess Regina decided not to set up their own Canadian factory - and instead contracted Switson to do it for them.
All in all, an interesting chapter in vacuum history in Canada. Just goes to show you, that you never know these days who actually makes a product just by looking at the brand name. In the "olden" days, when you saw a Sunbeam product, you knew which factory and corporation and physical address produced it. Now when you see a product with the name Sunbeam on it, chances are it just a brandname bought by some other multilayered multinational company and who knows who is responsible for what you just bought.
kirbylux77
Well-known member
WHAT?!?! Switson Industries made Kirbys??
OK Doug, spill....what year did this start & end?? Surprising that Kirby wouldn't have set up their own Canadian division, considering how they are so careful about producing a quality product.
Rob
OK Doug, spill....what year did this start & end?? Surprising that Kirby wouldn't have set up their own Canadian division, considering how they are so careful about producing a quality product.
Rob
collector2
Well-known member
Hey Rob:
Just from the Kirby's that I have in my collection here is the name plate info:
model 510 - Made by Gelling Ltd, Ontario, Canada
model 615 - Made by Switson Ind. - Welland, Ont, Canada
Sanitronic model 662 - Made by Switson Ind. - Welland, Ont, Canada
Dual Sanitronic 50 - Made by Scott & Fetzer, USA
Based on that I would say Switson started making them around 1955 and by 1965 Kirby switched to importing them from the US. It appears that the Switson made machines model numbers started with 6 instead of 5 like in the US.
The one obvious giveaway with the "500/600" series machines is the dusting brush - instead of being the one that came with the US models it is the same brush used with the 1950's regina / valliant / waverly / switson machines.
Just from the Kirby's that I have in my collection here is the name plate info:
model 510 - Made by Gelling Ltd, Ontario, Canada
model 615 - Made by Switson Ind. - Welland, Ont, Canada
Sanitronic model 662 - Made by Switson Ind. - Welland, Ont, Canada
Dual Sanitronic 50 - Made by Scott & Fetzer, USA
Based on that I would say Switson started making them around 1955 and by 1965 Kirby switched to importing them from the US. It appears that the Switson made machines model numbers started with 6 instead of 5 like in the US.
The one obvious giveaway with the "500/600" series machines is the dusting brush - instead of being the one that came with the US models it is the same brush used with the 1950's regina / valliant / waverly / switson machines.
Doug, collection & knowledge...
Hello Doug.
I am always impressed with your 'wide collection' of machines (including the 'other' brands ~~lol~~). I am equally impressed with the knowledge you possess that goes along with the machines in your collection.
I'm glad I am pretty much concerned with just the accuracy of my knowledge with Kirby models, (& anything Jim Kirby was associated with in the designing of); & the history that goes along with the same.
I have only one Canadian Kirby in my collection at present. It's a Kirby 509, & it too was made in Welland, Ont, CA.
Again, kudos to you!!!
Cheers & hagd all,
Bill
Ps: Would you kindly post a photo of the manufacturer's plate for the 615 & 662 kirbys? Thank you in advance!
Hello Doug.
I am always impressed with your 'wide collection' of machines (including the 'other' brands ~~lol~~). I am equally impressed with the knowledge you possess that goes along with the machines in your collection.
I'm glad I am pretty much concerned with just the accuracy of my knowledge with Kirby models, (& anything Jim Kirby was associated with in the designing of); & the history that goes along with the same.
I have only one Canadian Kirby in my collection at present. It's a Kirby 509, & it too was made in Welland, Ont, CA.
Again, kudos to you!!!
Cheers & hagd all,
Bill
Ps: Would you kindly post a photo of the manufacturer's plate for the 615 & 662 kirbys? Thank you in advance!
