# 1913-16 Sears Master



## cl222 (Jan 23, 2013)

I bought a Sears Master Bicycle and i don't know much about it. If anyone has any information about it please tell me. One thing i want to know is how to tell the year. i think it is from a range of 1913-16 but i am not sure. If you need better pictures i can post new ones.


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## dave the wave (Jan 23, 2013)

1915-16 was the years they produced that style frame.they had 2 colors gun metal gray and olive.


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## chitown (Jan 23, 2013)

Yikes... was that badge painted recently (this decade abouts) and is there a hole for the bottom screw or... even better, can you remove the head badge to see if it even matches that frame. That fork was offered by Schwinn and Mead during the same times. Looks like a Ranger more to my eye. Ranger red mostly picked off and painted black at some point?

1913-18 would be about right.

Here is a copy of a 1917 Arnold Schwinn Excelsior catalog showing that fork:





Here is the patent filed in 1912 with George Lewis as witness (VP of Mead Cycle Co)


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## cl222 (Jan 23, 2013)

the serial number is 35206. The bottom screw on the badge broke. That can be fixed. The badge is original to the bike and yes someone did try to paint the badge. It was not me.


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## cl222 (Jan 23, 2013)

1 other thing the paint looks like it was red and then painted over because it had red and green pinstripes and the red was put on first then taped off with gray sprayed over then green was put on.


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## chitown (Jan 23, 2013)

cl222 said:


> 1 other thing the paint looks like it was red and then painted over because it had red and green pinstripes and the red was put on first then taped off with gray sprayed over then green was put on.





Ranger Red!

That badge don't look right to me. It doesn't look like there is a corresponding hole on the bottom to screw into??? That's why I asked if you could try and remove it for further examination. The screw looks like it has screwdriver marks from tightening it... so could have been done before you got it.


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## cl222 (Jan 23, 2013)

There are 2 holes that line up with the badge and from what the paint under it looks like i don't think its been off before. 1 hole one broken screw.


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## cl222 (Jan 23, 2013)

Here is an ad. The stripes are red and blue on this one and they are red and green on mine. That is the only difference.


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## chitown (Jan 23, 2013)

So the red would be the primer than I suppose.

Nice bike, what are your intentions with her?


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## cl222 (Jan 23, 2013)

I plan on putting it back to the way it was when it was new. All original parts except maybe a few screws or so.


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## sam (Jan 23, 2013)

The badge was originally enamel.Looks chipped and painted over.


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## chitown (Jan 23, 2013)

You've got your work cut out for you. Pretty rare parts to track down, but not impossible. Best of luck and keep us posted as it's always good to see these survivors 100+ years from when they were built.


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## Balloontyre (Jan 24, 2013)

*1913 Sears Ad*

Here is the catalog cut from Sears 1913, in the description of color, popular Light French gray with red and blue hairline pins.
Shoot me your email if ya want a hi res copy.


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## sam (Jan 26, 2013)

Another sears page


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## cl222 (Oct 26, 2021)

Well it’s been almost 9 years- I got this bike frame for my 14th birthday, I’m about to turn 23 now. I finally think this bike is where I want it to be. When I was younger I didn’t have the financial freedom for a project like this. Then this project got put to the side for the last 4 years while I was in the Marine Corps. This bike got me into the hobby at a young age, so after almost 9 years it’s very rewarding to finally do this bike right.
There’s still some small things to finish up, but here’s the bike now.





















Thank you to all the Cabe members who have pitched in some knowledge or that I’ve sourced any parts from.
- Curtis


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## Archie Sturmer (Oct 26, 2021)

Nice bike; haze gray and underway!

I had a Davis-built diamond frame (Rugby) with a sideways 191,000-serial; and the headset and bottom bracket cup necks were all *stamped* with the number “3” making me believe that the bicycle dated from 1913.


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## ccmerz (Oct 26, 2021)

Nicely done Curtis! You are now the commander of your Master! Patience and persistence does pay off...


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## Kato (Oct 26, 2021)

That looks 100% perfect in my book - killer job !!!!
Thanks for your service !!!!
Kato


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## nick tures (Oct 26, 2021)

nice job, looks great !!


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## manuel rivera (Oct 26, 2021)

Wow  wow! What a beauty!


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## Iverider (Oct 27, 2021)

I remember when you go this bike. Really nicely put together. Great job!


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## BRad90 (Oct 28, 2021)

Such a stunning bicycle. Did a wonderful job.


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## JO BO (Oct 28, 2021)

cl222 said:


> View attachment 81320
> Here is an ad. The stripes are red and blue on this one and they are red and green on mine. That is the only difference.




Shipping weight 70 lbs?  That’s a heavy bike


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## cl222 (Oct 28, 2021)

It is a hefty one. I took it downtown for pictures today and loaded it in the car to avoid riding on the nice og saddle. Between the weight, 28” wheels, and 26” California bars it was quite the feat.


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## dave429 (Oct 28, 2021)

Wow! Nice work! Glad you didn’t lose interest after all these years.


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## locomotion (Oct 29, 2021)

cl222 said:


> It is a hefty one. I took it downtown for pictures today and loaded it in the car to avoid riding on the nice og saddle. Between the weight, 28” wheels, and 26” California bars it was quite the feat.



looking good, love the early light grays/french grays from that period

good idea to carry it in your car, never never ride an original saddle , I have seen and bought way too many bikes with a torn OG saddle because the previous owner decided to give it a quick try


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## cl222 (Oct 29, 2021)

Thank you everyone, I'm happy to see the bike getting some love. Like I said above, I took the bike out for some nicer pictures and shot with both digital and film- so I'll round out this thread with these two that I took on my digital here and post the film results over in the bike photography thread when it comes back from the lab. My town has some good spots with early 1900's industrial buildings and the film roll of 400 Tmax was taken at a much cooler location than these. Unfortunately with the way my adaptor fits my digital camera, it wouldn't fit in the space needed to get any pictures there.


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## Billythekid (Oct 29, 2021)

Congratulations my thoughts on the really old ones grab them while you can and build when the extra moneys there it takes a lot to make them right it looks great you should be proud


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## MEKANIXFIX (Oct 29, 2021)

cl222 said:


> Well it’s been almost 9 years- I got this bike frame for my 14th birthday, I’m about to turn 23 now. I finally think this bike is where I want it to be. When I was younger I didn’t have the financial freedom for a project like this. Then this project got put to the side for the last 4 years while I was in the Marine Corps. This bike got me into the hobby at a young age, so after almost 9 years it’s very rewarding to finally do this bike right.
> There’s still some small things to finish up, but here’s the bike now.
> View attachment 1502603
> 
> ...



HOLA @cl222  CONGRATS*!* for your Master bicycle project, well done*!* keeps this until your goal is reach*!*


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