# Need help identifying this bike



## Cast Iron guy (Dec 19, 2017)

Purchased this bike while picking for cast iron and Texas pottery. Without cleaning it up, it appears to be a Davis Sewing, 1915, black and red paint (appears original), “The Lester” sprocket pat. 1911, wood wheels. Appears complete, no fenders?


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## redline1968 (Dec 19, 2017)

Needs fenders they are missing. Nice bike though.


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## Goldenindian (Dec 20, 2017)

I am going with Davis sewing machine. Awesome find. Thanks for sharing.


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## Goldenindian (Dec 20, 2017)

Can we see the bottom bracket?


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## Goldenindian (Dec 20, 2017)

I think this is the badge.


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## shoe3 (Dec 22, 2017)

Goldenindian said:


> I think this is the badge. View attachment 727113



That surely is the badge, cause Davis made bicycle for Shapleigh for years.


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## RustySprockets (Dec 22, 2017)




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## petritl (Dec 23, 2017)

I purchased the bike today; the seller thought it was 1915 but the bike has a block chain which makes me think it is earlier.
What year is it?

The numbers on the bottom bracket appear to be faintly stamped 1385

Does anyone have a spare seat clamp they would part with? I would like to reassemble the saddle and mount it as-is.


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## Goldenindian (Dec 23, 2017)

Check/remove more paint under the bottom bracket. Check more in the center, away from the rim. Any single numbers or letters? There “MAY” be more digits. Thanks for sharing. That is an awesome frame! Hope this helps. Congrats


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## rollfaster (Dec 23, 2017)

@hoofhearted


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## cds2323 (Dec 23, 2017)

Here's a 1910 Shapleigh catalog page showing a similar model.


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## shoe3 (Dec 23, 2017)

cds2323 said:


> Here's a 1910 Shapleigh catalog page showing a similar model.View attachment 728303



st louis popular place for military type frames


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## petritl (Dec 23, 2017)

Goldenindian said:


> Check/remove more paint under the bottom bracket. Check more in the center, away from the rim. Any single numbers or letters? There “MAY” be more digits. Thanks for sharing. That is an awesome frame! Hope this helps. Congrats


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## Goldenindian (Dec 23, 2017)

Maybe something there? That ad cds2323 posted looks exactly right! Thanks for sharing that!


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## petritl (Dec 23, 2017)

Goldenindian said:


> Maybe something there? That ad cds2323 posted looks exactly right! Thanks for sharing that! View attachment 728315




When did switch from block to roller chain take place?


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## hoofhearted (Dec 23, 2017)

rollfaster said:


> @hoofhearted




*Thank you for the heads-up .. rollfaster  !!*

*Both machines, Cast Iron guy (first machine) AND petritl  (second machine)
are both Davis-Built.  Second machine has no information as to who the
distributor was ... could be another hardware company like, Mumford & Son
Hardware Co.  

Davis may have wholesaled the same model and color scheme machine to
seventeen different distributors.

cds2323 provided what appears to be a 1910 catalog illustration of the same
(as above) bicycle.  The illustration features the same pedals, saddle, handle-
bar, and round-in-cross section crank.

The machines differ in the chainring design compared to the illustration.

Also ... Cast Iron guy's machine features a crank locknut that is of the pin-
spanner variety ... the illustration and petritl's crank locknut are not shown.

CORRECTION as of 10:44 P.M.  EST ... it has now been photographically-
established that petritl's crank locknut is of the pin-spanner variety.

Waaay kool to see two survivors in roughly the same degree of survival.

....... patric

*


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## Goldenindian (Feb 10, 2018)




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## petritl (Feb 11, 2018)

Thanks for the notice; the badge will soon be on this bike.


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## Goldenindian (Feb 11, 2018)

Awesome!..good to hear!


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