# Any info on a Delmar?



## carlalotta (Dec 1, 2009)

Anyone have any info on this bike? It is made by Colson and the badge says "Delmar." I tried to look it up but I couldn't find any thing. Thanks!


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## eazywind (Dec 1, 2009)

*Pre war Colson*

Pre war snap tank bike. Delmar might have been the name of a hardware store? Most bike manufacturers made bikes to sell to hardware stores among others that put their own badges on.


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## militarymonark (Dec 1, 2009)

colson made I have one but without the rack, and head lite. I wish I had them.


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## scribble (May 13, 2010)

*Finally someone with a Delmar*

I'm so happy to see someone that has a Delmar. I have looked for ten years for info. on this bicycle.
Mine is a boy's bike, and it was sold by the Simmons Hardware Co. Yours look's better then mine.
I don't know the year it was made. I do know it was made befor 1936. My Mother-inlaw told me there was an old bike in the rafter's of the barn on the farm. It was her brother's. He got it used in 1936. The bike was placed in the barn in 1950. She said if I can get it out I could have it. Six months later that hunder year old barn fail over. The bike would have been crushed. I'm having trouble posting picture's so you can see it. Hope to have that fixed soon.
Thank you for posting, now I know that it had a tank and what the chain gard looks like.
If anyone has info. on Delmar bicycles Please share.


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## RJWess (Oct 23, 2013)

Another Delmar badged Colson. Yes I know this thread is 4 years old. Anyone else have one?


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## RustyK (Oct 24, 2013)

carlalotta said:


> Anyone have any info on this bike? It is made by Colson and the badge says "Delmar." I tried to look it up but I couldn't find any thing. Thanks!




Love that bike, the yellow is beautiful!


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## Gary Mc (Oct 24, 2013)

I agree, that bike is beautiful & the brilliant yellow color is amazing!!!!!!!!


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## Talewinds (Oct 24, 2013)

Delmar is a St. Louis hardware store branded bike. I don't recall which hardware store, Shapleigh, Guarantee, etc, etc, but I had looked at a map last year of its former location and its property sat right along, you guessed it, Delmar Ave. in St. Louis. At the turn of the century St. Louis, MO was kind of the center of the universe for all things tools, toolmaking, die making, and so on because the tool steel that was produced by the nearby Granite City Steel in Granite City, IL was considered superior to almost all other mills in the United States. Although Granite City today carries the reputation of being "low class" (it was ALWAYS a working man's town), that same mill is sought after by the food industry because it produces excellent food-grade raw steel products for canned goods.


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## RJWess (Oct 24, 2013)

Talewinds said:


> Delmar is a St. Louis hardware store branded bike. I don't recall which hardware store, Shapleigh, Guarantee, etc, etc, but I had looked at a map last year of its former location and its property sat right along, you guessed it, Delmar Ave. in St. Louis. At the turn of the century St. Louis, MO was kind of the center of the universe for all things tools, toolmaking, die making, and so on because the tool steel that was produced by the nearby Granite City Steel in Granite City, IL was considered superior to almost all other mills in the United States. Although Granite City today carries the reputation of being "low class" (it was ALWAYS a working man's town), that same mill is sought after by the food industry because it produces excellent food-grade raw steel products for canned goods.




Thanks Brian,  Its pretty cool to know the background from where the bike came. It didn’t travel very far, I found it in Iowa.


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## tripple3 (Sep 14, 2018)

Sweet; I found it!
I bought this Delmar from my friend @Tim Kersey 
It looks nice now.
The hardware store is Simmons


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## RJWess (Sep 14, 2018)

I have been thinking about this bike for the past few months. It's funny that it pops up now. If you ever decide to let it go let me know.


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## tripple3 (Jan 12, 2019)

Talewinds said:


> Delmar is a St. Louis hardware store branded bike. I don't recall which hardware store, Shapleigh, Guarantee, etc, etc, but I had looked at a map last year of its former location and its property sat right along, you guessed it, Delmar Ave. in St. Louis. At the turn of the century St. Louis, MO was kind of the center of the universe for all things tools, toolmaking, die making, and so on because the tool steel that was produced by the nearby Granite City Steel in Granite City, IL was considered superior to almost all other mills in the United States. Although Granite City today carries the reputation of being "low class" (it was ALWAYS a working man's town), that same mill is sought after by the food industry because it produces excellent food-grade raw steel products for canned goods.



Banner is another badge from Simmons Hardware, On Delmar Ave. St. Louis, MO







More pics and thread here by @hawkster19 https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1940-colson.145040/#post-970680


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## Adamtinkerer (Jan 12, 2019)

Sweet snap tanks! FYI, these have a 2 digit month/year code stamped on the BB. Usually stamped offset to the serial, almost random. 'C 8' would be March '38.


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## fordmike65 (Jan 12, 2019)

Early '36


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