New to the wonderful world-Eager for answers about my 1860s Bicycle

[hoofhearted]

Things To AVOID Doing To Your Prize Relic …..

Wash it.
Soak it in CLR.
Fiddle with wear and tear flaws in the paint, using a nut-pick.
Rub it with an old wool, cotton or synthetic sock soaked in kerosene.
Polish it out, with four-ought steel wool and bacon drippings.
Clean it.
Rub on it with half of a raw potato.
Wipe it down using a green Scotchbrite pad and denatured alcohol.
Use a Mr. Clean MAGIC ERASER on it.
Clear-coat the machine with Krylon Matte-Finish spray paint.
Apply boiled Linseed-Oil to all painted parts. Let the oil dry.
Apply Armor-All to all rubber parts.
Apply Olive-Oil to all leather parts.
Apply Marvel Mystery-Oil to all moving parts.
Apply Vick's Vaporub to all nickel-plated parts.
Polish the Vaporub away after one-hour, with a seersucker apron.
Display it behind the biggest window in the house that has a Southern exposure.
Attend to any chips in the paint with a decent toilet-bowl cleaner and a Q-Tip.

Some Things You CAN DO With Your Prize Relic …..
Dust it with a brand-new, authentic, feather-duster.
Enjoy your machine for as long as you care to.

May the winds of good fortune continue to fill your sails, young lady ….

….. patric

 

[stoney]

Things To AVOID Doing To Your Prize Relic …..

Wash it.
Soak it in CLR.
Fiddle with wear and tear flaws in the paint, using a nut-pick.
Rub it with an old wool, cotton or synthetic sock soaked in kerosene.
Polish it out, with four-ought steel wool and bacon drippings.
Clean it.
Rub on it with half of a raw potato.
Wipe it down using a green Scotchbrite pad and denatured alcohol.
Use a Mr. Clean MAGIC ERASER on it.
Clear-coat the machine with Krylon Matte-Finish spray paint.
Apply boiled Linseed-Oil to all painted parts. Let the oil dry.
Apply Armor-All to all rubber parts.
Apply Olive-Oil to all leather parts.
Apply Marvel Mystery-Oil to all moving parts.
Apply Vick's Vaporub to all nickel-plated parts.
Polish the Vaporub away after one-hour, with a seersucker apron.
Display it behind the biggest window in the house that has a Southern exposure.
Attend to any chips in the paint with a decent toilet-bowl cleaner and a Q-Tip.

Something You CAN DO To Your Prize Relic …..
Dust it with a brand-new, authentic, feather-duster.
Enjoy your machine for as long as you care to.

May the winds of good fortune continue to fill your sails, young lady ….

….. patric

As usual, eloquently said. Mr. Patric is a man to listen to.

 

[hoofhearted]

Thank you for your kindness, stoney !!

….. patric

 

[GiovanniLiCalsi]

I think it needs to go to the chrome shop and then after that flames applied!

 

[bikewhorder]

Looks like other examples have sold for $6,000- $16,000. https://copakeauction.hibid.com/auctions/past/lots/?q=star+pony&cat=

 

[Rustngrease]

I recently inherited a mystery machine from my late great husband. Know nothing on this subject. Eager for answers on this antique bicycle that is in my care. It has a marker on it that reads H.B. Smith Machine CO/PAT. OCT 26th. NOV 23rd. 1880 AND something 29th. 1884 JULY 7 something THEN ITS MARKED BELOW EITHER 2678 OR 3678 THE METAL IS KIND OF WORN....
I plan to include pictures of this extraordinary thing. I hate to be a bother, but if anyone should let me know exactly what I have come into. I would be forever grateful! I am older, but am actually wondering upon what it would feel like to ride this machine. If I should try too! THANKYOUView attachment 1093220View attachment 1093220

View attachment 1093221

Beautiful!!! It will be very rewarding to take er for a spin

 

[bikemonkey]

Great find but I dont think I would try to ride it. It is very old and people were pretty small and didnt weigh much.It would be tragic to have something break.

Yes, and the bike might get damaged, too.

Before riding this machine (or making an attempt) you may wish to read Don's recent misadventure in this CABE thread, "My custom bed bike build".

BTW - Don (DonChristie) is the first member who replied to your post and ended by saying, "You should ride it!"...

 

[frampton]

 

[Goldenrod]

I can see a ride if all your extended family and friends were holding you up. Great Christmas picture.

 

[mike cates]

I've had Stars of all of the different versions (American, Special, Semi Racing, Safety versions, Rover, Ladies Drop Frame) and taken them totally apart to fix, do general maintenance or totally restore so just sharing my history with them.
My unrestored Special Pony Star I'm selling is the same as yours except it has 39" X 24" hard solid rubber tires and is serial number 3977 making it 1891-92.
Mine has the upgraded roller bearings on the rear wheel, tangential (crossed spokes) and hollow rims.
Hollow frames, unlike yours or my solid forged frame, were also offered on Stars along with cushion and pneumatic tires in these later year stars.
The cushion tire and pneumatic tire versions had to have the split (two halves) brake spoon attachment plate moved up a half inch because these cushion tire and pneumatic tire versions were actually 40" diameter on the rear wheel. The split (two halves) halve brake spoon attachment plate has an internal register dowel pin that fits into one of two holes made into the solid forged or hollow frames to accomplish this mounting difference for the larger 40" diameter rear wheel.
Input and Catalog listings by Blue Streak are nice for your research.
Comment made by bikewhorder is correct in the price range of $6000-$16,000 so thanks for that current price value.
Mike Cates, CA.