Help ID this Arch Frame Bicycle

[BrianInPA]

Picked this one up yesterday and need some help with ID and year The serial number is 301442 and there is a V stamped on the bottom bracket also. Has a wooden seat, stem has a T on it. Guessing these parts are not original: chain ring (Elgin?), has 2.125 tires, fenders, and wheels. I appreciate any help!

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Davis-like sideways arrangement of serial number stamping.
Sometimes Davis bikes have a date stamp on the bearing cups.

 

[BrianInPA]

Davis-like sideways arrangement of serial number stamping.
Sometimes Davis bikes have a date stamp on the bearing cups.

Ok let me see what pictures I can find for a Davis. I saw there was a Davis Victor also, wonder is that's what the "V" was for. Also looks similar to Mead and Schwinn Excelsior.

 

[bud poe]

I have a Davis built Victor (non-arch) it has the sideways numbers stamped on the BB. Did not see a V but it might be buried under paint and primer. Nice bike good luck with it!

 

[BrianInPA]

I have a Davis built Victor (non-arch) it has the sideways numbers stamped on the BB. Did not see a V but it might be buried under paint and primer. Nice bike good luck with it!

Oh that's cool! It does seem that the sideways number is a Davis thing after doing some reading here. I would love to find out what year it is. Archie said above to try the bearing cups.

 

[Archie Sturmer]

Thinking maybe 1915; but hard to tell if items might have been swapped?

Found a 5 on the bearing cup, does that designate a particular year?

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1925 would be too late, as Davis went bankrupt earlier than that.

1905 might be too early, as Iver Johnson’s patent for the arch truss frame design might not have yet expired; not sure?

Maybe we can look back at the Sears catalogs to remember when they first offered an Arch bar, (similar for Westfield)?

Maybe there should be a thread with the five or six-digit Davis serial numbers and pictures and the associated digit stampings on the bearing cups;
perhaps to be reverse-engineered to compile an eventual serial numbers to years index?

 

[BrianInPA]

Thinking maybe 1915; but hard to tell if items might have been swapped?


1925 would be too late, as Davis went bankrupt earlier than that.

1905 might be too early, as Iver Johnson’s patent for the arch truss frame design might not have yet expired; not sure?

Maybe we can look back at the Sears catalogs to remember when they first offered an Arch bar, (similar for Westfield)?

Maybe there should be a thread with the five or six-digit Davis serial numbers and pictures and the associated digit stampings on the bearing cups;
perhaps to be reverse-engineered to compile an eventual serial numbers to years index?

Thank you for posting this info. Yes, I thought that Davis had gone bankrupt by that time. I thought about doing a thread on the serial numbers, so I may try to undertake that soon. The Davis thread that is on here is great, I have really enjoyed reading through it! The Sears angle would be a good one too! I was looking at other Victor badged bikes to see if maybe that is what the "V" is for on mine, but no luck there yet. But I will keep digging and may just do that serial number thread too soon.