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Hi all,

Many thanks to those who have spent the time and
effort compiling lists of instrument (sextant) makers
and/or sellers - a most interesting but also daunting
subject which could prove an endless task. I am
certainly not an instrument collector, yet have in my
possession two (2) which, as best as I can tell,
appear on no list posted to date; they are ....

Sextant by       A. Dobbie, Glasgow - aquired 1945
Octant by        John Bliss & Co., NY - aquired 1943

I at one time also owned a Japanese Naval Sextant of
an alloy construction that, as a striking feature,
sported a 7 x 50 monocular in place of a telescope, as
well as a minute reading micrometer drum and
associated lighting system. It was a great instrument
for star sights and prettty accurate, but required a
small suitcase to transport and was very unstready to
hold in a wind or rough sea. I do not read Japanese
and really have no idea who the maker may have been.

Regards,

Henry




--- George Huxtable  wrote:

>
> Alex provided an interesting list of "sextant
> manufacturers", but if he is
> going to make it comprehensive, he has a lot of
> labour in store. However, it
> could be well worth while.
>
> I think few of the English names on his list
> actually made their own
> instruments, though they may have bought them in to
> put into a box and
> attach their own name. There was a lot of
> badge-engineering went on, even
> then. Even just on the English list, there may be
> many more names to add.
>
> One example, not on Alex's list, is Sewill, of
> Liverpool, who describes
> himself on the label as "Maker to the Royal Navy".
> Sewill "made" my own
> Vernier sextant, which appears in all respects to be
> a rebadged Heath clone,
> but lacking their endless-tangent feature,
> introduced into Heath's own
> instruments around the same time.
>
> Alex may remember that he checked out the
> adjustments of that sextant when
> he visited me in Oxford, in the Summer. It had
> interested him because its
> Kew certificate stated that the corrections were
> zero at all angles.
>
> One item on his list is-
>
> | Henry Hughes and Son, formerly Kelvin and Hughes,
> |                (Fenchurch str., London)
>
> but I suggest that ought to be the other way round..
>
> As far as English sextants are concerned, the
> acknowleged authority is
> Gloria Clifton, who maintains a database of sextant
> makers. She is also the
> author of a directory of London instrument-makers. I
> have found her to be
> very helpful.
>
> Dr G.C. Clifton,
> Head of Royal Observatory, Greenwich,
> National Maritime Museum,
> Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
> Tel. 020 8312 6758
> Fax 020 8312 6734
> email "Gloria Clifton" 
>
>
> =============
>
> George.
>
> contact George Huxtable at george@huxtable.u-net.com
> or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
> or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13
> 5HX, UK.
>
>
>
>
>
>


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