# S-2 schwinn double knurled



## Mungthetard (Jan 14, 2014)

Got these rims has model d nd rear hub dull silver rims Carlisle tire and typhoon tire very heavy duty rim are this desirable ?


----------



## jpromo (Jan 14, 2014)

They indeed are. Nothing to retire on but nice sets are always in demand since they were on most deluxe balloon Schwinns from 1948 through the 50s. Yours are from before 1955 because of the New Departure hub. Are they just dull chrome? The finish looks almost like cad but I've never heard of S-2s with that finish.


----------



## Mungthetard (Jan 14, 2014)

*Dull*



jpromo said:


> They indeed are. Nothing to retire on but nice sets are always in demand since they were on most deluxe balloon Schwinns from 1948 through the 50s. Yours are from before 1955 because of the New Departure hub. Are they just dull chrome? The finish looks almost like cad but I've never heard of S-2s with that finish.



they indeed are dull and won't shine it's weird absolutely no rust anywhere 
and they are heavy.


----------



## jpromo (Jan 14, 2014)

Mungthetard said:


> they indeed are dull and won't shine it's weird absolutely no rust anywhere
> and they are heavy.




Yeah, I've got a set on my '53 Panther that are very hazy and won't shine. Rust-free as well though. Still a good set of wheels. If you're looking to sell, you shouldn't have much trouble finding a buyer.


----------



## Mungthetard (Jan 14, 2014)

*The coaster arm and hub*

View attachment 132404View attachment 132405View attachment 132406View attachment 132407
Theres some light rust on the spokes I have a couple ND and none looked brand new


----------



## Boris (Jan 14, 2014)

I've also have a set with the dull finish. Anyone know the story behind this particular finish?


----------



## Mungthetard (Jan 14, 2014)

*White whale ooo great white buffalo*

I'd love to hear it. drop that Knowledge bomb


----------



## jpromo (Jan 14, 2014)

Dave Marko said:


> I've also have a set with the dull finish. Anyone know the story behind this particular finish?




Monark, Colson and JC Higgins all used a zinc/cadmium plating on their rims in this same early 50s period. I suspect it was just a period of experimentation. The finish resists rust well, but if they do rust up, you can't really clean them without taking the plating with. Just like New Departure moved to cad plating from chrome around the same time.

This is all speculation, of course. It sounds palatable to me though.


----------



## Mybluevw (Jan 14, 2014)

Schwinn made some S2s using stainless steel. Maybe thats what you have? You might try the magnet test to check.


----------



## Mungthetard (Jan 14, 2014)

*Hmmmmm*



Mybluevw said:


> Schwinn made some S2s using stainless steel. Maybe thats what you have? You might try the magnet test to check.



Yeah magnet stuck like pigs on ship
I just shipped my pants


----------



## TammyN (Jan 14, 2014)

Mybluevw said:


> Schwinn made some S2s using stainless steel. Maybe thats what you have? You might try the magnet test to check.




How does a magnet differentiate? Aren't both types of wheels steel underneath the plating?


----------



## cds2323 (Jan 14, 2014)

I have a 53 Rollfast that also has rims and hubs with a dull finish. I've also seen many New Departure front and rear hubs that have a dull finish. I heard from an old collector almost twenty years ago that these finishes were do to shortages due to the Korean War. Don't rip me a new one if you know why, only passing on what I heard, that material shortages affected the chrome causing manufacturers to try other finishes. 

And my 59 Schwinn has S-2's with a New Departure rear hub.


----------



## Mybluevw (Jan 14, 2014)

TammyN said:


> How does a magnet differentiate? Aren't both types of wheels steel underneath the plating?



I don't think the stainless is plating, the rim is made of stainless. Not plated mild steel.


----------



## dougfisk (Jan 14, 2014)

jpromo said:


> Monark, Colson and JC Higgins all used a zinc/cadmium plating on their rims in this same early 50s period. I suspect it was just a period of experimentation. The finish resists rust well, but if they do rust up, you can't really clean them without taking the plating with. Just like New Departure moved to cad plating from chrome around the same time.
> 
> This is all speculation, of course. It sounds palatable to me though.




I believe that chrome was a little scarce for a time during the Korean war.  I have a Bendix hub from a 52 Schwinn that is blackout finish.  I have seen plenty of dull S2's but have not ascertained for myself what is the reason.


----------



## Mungthetard (Jan 14, 2014)

*Soooooo*

Anyone know there worth and I have the stem handlebars and sprocketcame off same bike


----------



## TammyN (Jan 14, 2014)

Mybluevw said:


> I don't think the stainless is plating, the rim is made of stainless. Not plated mild steel.




Yeah, I wasn't thinking about that. It seems like both alloys would have enough iron for magnets to stick. Not questioning that it works, just trying to learn more.


----------



## greenephantom (Jan 14, 2014)

It's not a special metal finish. It's just chrome that's shot. Rusted and polished and dulled and weathered and rusted again and cleaned with something a bit too abrasive and rusted and cleaned and weathered again. Those hoops are 60 years old. They've seen a lot of time and oxidation. If they were stainless they would shine up like nobody's business and they wouldn't be all mottled looking. But the good news is that there's still no shortage of folks willing to take them off your hands.  $50 - $100 for the pair on eBay if they spin true and aren't all curb-smacked. 
Cheers, Geoff


----------



## jpromo (Jan 15, 2014)

Mungthetard said:


> Yeah magnet stuck like pigs on ship
> I just shipped my pants




A magnet would not stick well if it was stainless. They're steel that have either had the chrome scrubbed clean one too many times or were plated in a different fashion, but they're not the white whale.


----------



## jpromo (Jan 15, 2014)

cds2323 said:


> And my 59 Schwinn has S-2's with a New Departure rear hub.




That would cause me to raise an eyebrow to the date of the bike. New Departure was a division of General Motors. The factory flooded in '54, destroying it, and GM opted not to rebuild. I expect backstock to turn up into 1955, but not much later than that.

What kind of bike is it? In 1959, Schwinn only had two models that remained ballooners; the last year Phantom and the Wasp. So if it's not one of those two models, then I'd reckon the bike is actually earlier. My first thought is that 1959 used a new serial system with the letter then 6 digits, when previously it was a letter then 5 digits. So an Axxxxxx 1959 date could actually be an Axxxxx 1953 date.


----------



## cds2323 (Jan 15, 2014)

jpromo said:


> That would cause me to raise an eyebrow to the date of the bike. New Departure was a division of General Motors. The factory flooded in '54, destroying it, and GM opted not to rebuild. I expect backstock to turn up into 1955, but not much later than that.
> 
> What kind of bike is it? In 1959, Schwinn only had two models that remained ballooners; the last year Phantom and the Wasp. So if it's not one of those two models, then I'd reckon the bike is actually earlier. My first thought is that 1959 used a new serial system with the letter then 6 digits, when previously it was a letter then 5 digits. So an Axxxxxx 1959 date could actually be an Axxxxx 1953 date.




New Departures were produced until 59 when sold to Mattatuck. There is a ND ad on Howie Cohens Website from 1957. As far as my bike it is a 59 from the serial number(letter followed by 6 numbers). If you check the 59 Schwinn catalog you will see that the New Departure was offered as an option on any coaster brake model except Tornadoes.


----------



## jpromo (Jan 15, 2014)

cds2323 said:


> New Departures were produced until 59 when sold to Mattatuck. There is a ND ad on Howie Cohens Website from 1957. As far as my bike it is a 59 from the serial number(letter followed by 6 numbers). If you check the 59 Schwinn catalog you will see that the New Departure was offered as an option on any coaster brake model except Tornadoes.




Color me enlightened! I'd never dug down to the end of the catalog but the ND option is definitely down there. Sorry I sounded so certain in my response. That's amazing. I guess if Schwinn made Bendix, Sachs and Komet the standard hubs, it'd leave few NDs used, allowing them to carry the option for those next years on backstock alone.


----------



## cds2323 (Jan 15, 2014)

jpromo said:


> Sorry I sounded so certain in my response. for those next years on backstock alone.
> 
> No problem, just trying to always learn more. Still confused about the backstock, Montgomery Wards listed ND's on Hawthornes as late as 58 in their catalogs. Evans also had ND's in 58. Maybe Columbia as well?  Been unable to determine that ND production stopped in 55 due to plant shut down. Most sources point to production stopping in 59 due to sale to Mattatuck. I do have an ad from 55 commemorating ND's 28 Millionth! coaster brake so maybe their volume allowed them to exist on backstock for awhile?
> 
> As far as the dull finish, perhaps the shortages due to war affected the durability of the chrome produced leading to the dull finish over the years. Hard to believe someone could scrub away the chrome on a Schwinn, thought they had a rep as high quality. I've had some rusty Schwinns in the past but there was always some trace of chrome left, even after scrubbing with steel wool and wire brushes.


----------



## younggun'85 (Jan 15, 2014)

BEACH CRUISER!
All the bikes I see from the west coast have rims like that.
I believe it's from the sand and salt from riding on the beach.


----------



## cyclonecoaster.com (Jan 16, 2014)

*Mark --- Stainless S-2 rims are marked "SCHWINN STAINLESS S-2"*



Mybluevw said:


> Schwinn made some S2s using stainless steel. Maybe thats what you have? You might try the magnet test to check.




Mark --- Stainless S-2 rims are marked "SCHWINN STAINLESS S-2" instead of "SCHWINN TUBULAR S-2" if I remember correctly Schwinn also did other sized rims in the stainless which were always stamped "STAINLESS" .... Schwinn also had bad chrome in 1954-55 which I have found to be true in those years on the fenders too .... ALSO depending on the metal content or grade some stainless steel is magnetic ....


----------



## spoker (Jan 16, 2014)

some of the schwinns ive seen from 53 seem to have thin chrome on the wheels,maby something to do the military was in korea around that time


----------



## bobcycles (Jan 16, 2014)

*Kwc*

I little better than KFC but not much.  Years ago the Northwest Cascade club guys called the 53'-54' plating Korean War Chrome.   Some kind of diluted chrome that dulled real easy. By 55 things were bright and shiny again. Wonder how Schwinn explained it to their dealers? 

Would you like your KWC extra crispy?


----------



## mickeyc (Jan 17, 2014)

*I have the same set*

I have a set exactly the same.  Came on the '53 Panther I just bought.  Someone had painted them silver.  I removed the paint with stripper and found the same dull rim underneath.  I guess there is no hope of making them nice and shiny?  

Mike


----------



## mickeyc (Jan 17, 2014)

*One on eBay the same*

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-SC...181?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a84a53ad5


----------



## mickeyc (Jan 17, 2014)

*Shiny inside*

Kinda wondering why these dull rims are nice and shiny on the inside?  Mine are exactly that.

Mike


----------

