Does this Wald stem exist?

[Freqman1]

@cyclingday don't you have another variant of this stem?

 

[Hoagie57]

Most likely any collector if they found one would love to add to their collection. I think it's cool as heck.
Some on here would sell it for a small fortune! Just like some "reproduction" items priced insanely high for reproductions.

 

[cyclingday]

@cyclingday don't you have another variant of this stem?

Not exactly like that one.
There were three variations of the Tomahawk stem that I’ve seen, but none had the long fore part like that patent drawing.
The third variant that I’ve seen, was a blade type, but because the trailing edge of the blade interfered with the ability to insert the long quill bolt, the bolt was inserted from the bottom, and it was nutted at the top with a acorn type cap nut.
But, the blade on that one was still similar to the more familiar Wald # 5 type.
I’ve never seen the type shown in that drawing.

 

[NBHAA]

Does anyone have or has anyone seen one of these Tomahawk stems in person?

View attachment 1866787

There was a whole series of prewar Wald streamlined handlebar stems. The most common of these was the Wald #3 which continued to be made and sold into the 1960s.

The remaining stems (some of which reached production) are today sorely misunderstood and rumored and otherwise talked about among internet folk and hobbyists. NBHAA has the complete set or production stems, literature and design drawings. We began saving and preserving this stuff in the 1960s. We sold a few of the many extras we had in the 1980s (we once had hundreds in boxes).

But collectors, after seeing one on one of my Shelby Speedlines, somehow acquired the wild idea that these were OEM original on Shelbys. Been turning up on Shelby Speedline Airflows and Hiawatha Arrows ever since.

Of course, these stems were not OEM to Shelby Speedlines or Hiawatha Arrows. But the train left the station and to this day, some still believe these are Shelby and Hiawatha stems and will argue about it. Not.

By the way... you know who coined the "tomahawk" name for the stem don't you?????


Leon Dixon
National Bicycle History Archive of America

 

[morton]

Birth control device? Should come with a titanium cup!

 

[Gimletbikes]

yup, forehead splitter