# Yet another question about badges...



## snickle

Ok, I have been pondering this for awhile now and maybe my fellow Schwinners can help me out. 

What criteria determined which style badge went on which style bike? For example, the Arnold Schwinn World badge versus the fat oval badge? I see some bikes of the same year and model with 2 different style badges. Was it just a matter of what the dealer had laying around? What about the Winged oval badge? When was that used? I have bikes from the 50's with all 3 style badges, not that it matters much but I certainly would be suspicious of a Planes & Trains badge on a 50's bike.. Anyone have any input on this?

Hey Greenphantom, does your extensive book cover this?


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## vintage2wheel

*maybe a little help but not much*

people put all kinds of badges on all kinds of bikes.  see on the prewar bikes like 4 of mine it has a henderson badge and it says henderson on the down tube as well same with admiral majestic and packard and so on


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## greenephantom

Yup, there's a chapter on badges.  The winged badges were used on lightweights exclusively, plus a couple kid bikes like the Pixie for a couple years.

Early 1950s there was some overlap in badges, the Tall Oval was in use, but also the ribbon style Excelsior and custom dealer badges of all types.  Not sure the exact cut-off year when Schwinn stopped using custom dealer badges (with the exception of Goodrich) on their bikes and used only the Tall Oval, something like '52 is what I strongly suspect, but I haven't sat down and done the research on this. 

Goodrich badged bikes, also haven't sat down and hashed it out, but I think '58 was the last year Goodrich sold Schwinns.

Hope that's helpful.

Cheers, Geoff


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## greenephantom

Years for winged badges off the top of my head 1950 - 1961. Could well have started ealier.

Cheers, Geoff


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## snickle

Thanks for the info, I have a 53 B6 that has the winged badge (bike is not original anyway) but do you think the lightweight fork tube is the same diameter as the ballooner to be able to fit a lightweight badge on a heavyweight bike? I also have a 57 Pixie with the smaller wing badge and the little truss rods, it currently has the hard rubber tires on it, I hope some day to get some nice chrome S-7 to fit on it.


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## oempartsman

*Badges*

I have 2 1953 26 inchers with different badges. The meteor has the ribbon style excelsior badge, and the wasp has "The world" badge.

                    Pat


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## Larmo63

My '49 B-6 has the ribbon "Excelsior" badge on it.

I would think that the smaller badges (narrower hole spacing top to bottom) were until '51?

I may need clarification on this.............?


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## dungo

My 57 spitfire has a Mahowalds badge


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## REC

snickle said:


> Thanks for the info, I have a 53 B6 that has the winged badge (bike is not original anyway) but do you think the lightweight fork tube is the same diameter as the ballooner to be able to fit a lightweight badge on a heavyweight bike? I also have a 57 Pixie with the smaller wing badge and the little truss rods, it currently has the hard rubber tires on it, I hope some day to get some nice chrome S-7 to fit on it.




The steering and head tubes' diameters were the same on all the earlier bikes as far as I know. No real "specifics on badge size. I have many that make that point. Perhaps it had to do with a model sold a certain way. I have early ones with long and short badges, later ones (in the 50s) the same way.

REC


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## silvercreek

I would imagine if a manufacturer made the slightest or insignificant change they would use a different head badge.


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## jedijoe59

I have a 1936 Motorbike frame that's missing the head badge ( mounting holes are 2 5/8 inches apart). I still can't find a prewar Schwinn head badge that fits it.


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## snickle

This is all very interesting information about badges and it helps to narrow it down, and yet add more confusion to the history. When were planes and trains last used? Also, thanks for the clarification regarding the head tube.


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## greenephantom

Hey Dunigan, post a picture of your Mahowald badge if you can.  I googled around a bit on it, there's some info out there on a Mahowald Cycle shop. 

Cheers, Geoff


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## dungo

*Badge*



greenephantom said:


> Hey Dunigan, post a picture of your Mahowald badge if you can.  I googled around a bit on it, there's some info out there on a Mahowald Cycle shop.
> 
> Cheers, Geoff




Heres a picture of the badge,



The quality isnt great, but its still ok.


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## greenephantom

Interesting badge.  Looks somewhat squared off with straight edges?  Haven't seen one like that.

Google 'Mahowald Cycle Shop' (or something to that effect) and it turns up an old shop.  I didn't do much more than just see that stuff came up on google.

Would be interesting to see if the paint behind the badge is weathered in the shape of this badge or if perhaps it's weathered in the shape of the usual oval badge with this one being put on later.  But the badge on there seems to match the wear level of the rest of the bike, so it wouldn't surprise me if it was on there since new.

Cheers, Geoff


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