# Schwinn scripted brake levers.



## cyclingday (Aug 30, 2017)

Ok, let me get this straight, and then I'll never bring this subject up ever again.
So, just for the record, Arnold Schwinn & Co. never made a right hand brake lever with the script facing out.
Is this correct?
If so, I find that to be completely bizarre, since most of the bikes they produced with a hand brake, had the lever located on the right side of the handlebar.


Above, is an original left handed brake lever with the script facing out.
There were reproductions made of this lever for the right side of the bars,(examples at the top) but the script was upside down compared to the example above.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I find it hard to believe that AS&Co would have done this originally.
Why produce only a left hand version of the scripted lever?
If that's just the way it is, then ok. I'll move on.
But, I'd like to be clear on this subject before I toss it into the back of my mind.
Thanks for letting me rant. I feel better already.


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## Freqman1 (Aug 30, 2017)

I asked this same question a year or so ago and got the same answer. It still makes no sense to me either Marty! V/r Shawn


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## spoker (Aug 30, 2017)

there are 3 instances where left hand brake levers are used,dual drum,55 and 56 americans came from the factory with front rim brakes with the handle on the left,there was a 2 speed manual handle on the right,optional front rim brakes for ballooners starting in 1949 had the brake lever on the left for correct cable routing and locating wire for the cable,this wire often missing on used setups, hooked on to the stem to act as a cable guide


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## WES PINCHOT (Aug 30, 2017)

cyclingday said:


> View attachment 668438 View attachment 668439 Ok, let me get this straight, and then I'll never bring this subject up ever again.
> So, just for the record, Arnold Schwinn & Co. never made a right hand brake lever with the script facing out.
> Is this correct?
> If so, I find that to be completely bizarre, since most of the bikes they produced with a hand brake, had the lever located on the right side of the handlebar.View attachment 668433
> ...



NO ORIGINAL BRAKE LEVER SCRIPTS UPSIDE DOWN!!!!


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## spoker (Aug 30, 2017)

WES PINCHOT said:


> NO ORIGINAL BRAKE LEVER SCRIPTS UPSIDE DOWN!!!!



i would think that upside down one was a screwup


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## WES PINCHOT (Aug 30, 2017)

spoker said:


> i would think that upside down one was a screwup



NOT BY SCHWINN!


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## GenuineRides (Aug 30, 2017)

Who says that the Schwinn script has to face outward to look good and be "correct"?  I think it can face inward on the right side handlebar and appears just fine also.  Schwinn probably figured this to be rather universal and a cost savings, along with less of an inventory and ordering nightmare for all their applications.




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## WES PINCHOT (Aug 31, 2017)

GenuineRides said:


> Who says that the Schwinn script has to face outward to look good and be "correct"?  I think it can face inward on the right side handlebar and appears just fine also.  Schwinn probably figured this to be rather universal and a cost savings, along with less of an inventory and ordering nightmare for all their applications.View attachment 668655
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I BET SCHWINN NEVER GAVE IT A THOUGHT!


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## GenuineRides (Aug 31, 2017)

Manufacturing logic would have an engineer design and draw the lever, as they like it, then send it through as a prototype to be built and tested by manufacturing or an outside vendor/supplier.  They would have a die cut to stamp the steel (very expensive in those days, no CNC machining).  To create another separate die to run a left and right just to have the Schwinn script to read out and right side up probably wouldn't get past the manufacturing cost accounts or the supplier.  They are told to keep costs low to make money on the low bid they submitted to get the job.  Plus the manufacturing crew on the floor and the assembly staff want less parts to keep track of.  Also if you look at some of the parts catalogs from the 40's you see all kinds of parts with the Schwinn script shown all over the part as line drawings, but we know many don't appear that same way once they hit manufacturing and get put into production.  I'll have to pull some parts catalogs to see if this lever is shown in one of the old parts catalogs.


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## cyclingday (Aug 31, 2017)

I agree completely with that logic, but what I'm puzzled over, is why, since 90%of the bikes Schwinn produced during this period, that came with a handbrake, had the lever located on the right side of the handlebar.
Why they didn't put the script on the right side of the right hand lever?
That would've meant, that 90% of the bicycles sold with a handbrake, would have the name Schwinn clearly visible on the brake lever.
Instead, what they chose to do, was to put the Schwinn script visible on only 10% of all the bicycles they sold,
It just doesn't make any sense.
The only thing that I can see as a possible reason for what they actually did, was that the capital S in the script fit the lever better on the left side than it did on the right.
It could be as simple as that.


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## GTs58 (Aug 31, 2017)

Would everyone agree that the fore brake with rear coaster was the more popular scenario? The left lever is most commonly used for the front brakes and if this was the more popular brake set up the script was intended for the left hand lever for the front drum.


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## spoker (Aug 31, 2017)

had they known there would be alot of? about it,they prolly would have put thr namse on both sides!


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## cyclingday (Sep 1, 2017)

I agree, that the Fore brake with a Coaster brake rear hub combination was the most popular set up sold, but you are wrong about which side the lever was located.
Schwinn always put the Fore Brake lever on the right side of the handlebar.


GTs58 said:


> Would everyone agree that the fore brake with rear coaster was the more popular scenario? The left lever is most commonly used for the front brakes and if this was the more popular brake set up the script was intended for the left hand lever for the front drum.


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Sep 1, 2017)

Scripted that way so you, the rider could see it. Hell, why is the AS on the seat collar on the non flashy side of the bike? Only thing I can think of. 


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## Autocycleplane (Sep 1, 2017)

I always thought it was interesting that the original design called for the stamp but it didn't seem to show up until postwar production.


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## GenuineRides (Sep 1, 2017)

Schwinn marketing and advertising were probably not involved with the brake lever implementation, therefore the script issue facing out wasn't addressed...engineering then probably said, well it's labeled Schwinn that should be good enough...For those of us involved in mass manufacturing over the years, we are not surprised at some of the decision making on product and design at times.  And once something is in production and being cranked out, change orders and redesign does not come easy.


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## GTs58 (Sep 1, 2017)

GenuineRides said:


> Schwinn marketing and advertising were probably not involved with the brake lever implementation, therefore the script issue facing out wasn't addressed...engineering then probably said, well it's labeled Schwinn that should be good enough...For those of us involved in mass manufacturing over the years, we are not surprised at some of the decision making on product and design at times.  And once something is in production and being cranked out, change orders and redesign does not come easy.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




After looking at that drawing I can see exactly why the script is on the left side. Blame it on the draftsman for drawing the lever facing that direction and that's the way it was made, as per the drawing. Nobody ever gave it a second thought or maybe they didn't give a crap what side the script was on. I took three semesters of drafting, one mechanical, and I would have drawn the lever facing that direction also. During my 35 plus years in construction I've seen many drawings that were flawed and nobody ever caught the mistakes until the time of production or afterwards. Build it as per plans and don't question the engineer or the architect.


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## cyclingday (Sep 1, 2017)

Yep!
I thought the same thing.
Most of those line drawings were drawn and signed by Frank Schwinn. This one isn't signed, but it definitely looks like his work, so you would think, he would've thought about the orientation of the lever and how it was going to look on the bike.


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## bobcycles (Sep 1, 2017)

aq


Autocycleplane said:


> View attachment 669117
> 
> I always thought it was interesting that the original design called for the stamp but it didn't seem to show up until postwar production.





.....EARLY  days of Schwinn....remember.....takes a while to learn "cursive" ...they were still writing in Block Letters
back then....


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## rickyd (Nov 3, 2017)

cyclingday said:


> I agree, that the Fore brake with a Coaster brake rear hub combination was the most popular set up sold, but you are wrong about which side the lever was located.
> Schwinn always put the Fore Brake lever on the right side of the handlebar.



Like a motorcycle


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## Devin Corbit (Nov 9, 2018)

Hi everybody ! Can anybody tell me what year the scripted lever came out ? Thanks !


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## barneyguey (Nov 9, 2018)

Obi-Wan Schwinnobi said:


> Scripted that way so you, the rider could see it. Hell, why is the AS on the seat collar on the non flashy side of the bike? Only thing I can think of.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Because when you adjust the seat when you are standing on the left side of the bike. It's more natural that way than doing it from the right side, because you also mount the bike from the left.


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## spoker (Nov 10, 2018)

starting to sound like one of those geeky corvette forums


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## cyclingday (Nov 10, 2018)

Devin Corbit said:


> Hi everybody ! Can anybody tell me what year the scripted lever came out ? Thanks !



1948


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## spoker (Nov 10, 2018)

cyclingday said:


> 1948



what month?


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## cyclingday (Nov 10, 2018)

Probably by September/October of 1947 would be my best guess. Lol!


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## Devin Corbit (Nov 10, 2018)

cyclingday said:


> 1948



Thanks for the info . I have a 47’ that has the non scripted and am putting a brake on a 40’ and have a choice between both styles of levers . If 47’ would have been scripted I would have switched it out. Thanks again for the reply !


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## cyclingday (Nov 10, 2018)

The only reason I guessed that time period, is the model changes usually happen mid year, so that the new stuff is ready to market for the Christmas season.
So, If 48 was going to have full scripted parts, then I'll bet they were starting to show up on the bikes produced in late 47.
I had an original as found serial numbered and crank dated 1939 Super Deluxe AutoCycle, that had the full new edition 1940 components on it.
I'll bet that bike hit the show room floor in time for Christmas 1939 with all the bells and whistles that 1940 had to offer.


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## spoker (Nov 10, 2018)

wonder why they added the name?


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## GTs58 (Nov 10, 2018)

spoker said:


> wonder why they added the name?





This was during times where if Schwinn made it, they had their name on it. Hubs, brake calipers, caged bearings, axles, races, stems etc.


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## spoker (Nov 10, 2018)

if it was schwinn it was the best quality!


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## Driftpr (Nov 10, 2018)

*Any idea when this curve ones came out??



*


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## Freqman1 (Nov 10, 2018)

Devin Corbit said:


> Thanks for the info . I have a 47’ that has the non scripted and am putting a brake on a 40’ and have a choice between both styles of levers . If 47’ would have been scripted I would have switched it out. Thanks again for the reply !




I believe '48 is correct too. That said my newly acquired, original 1950 Phantom has a non-scripted lever. V/r Shawn


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