Real or Memorex?

[TR6SC]

The shiny on on the left without red paint has possibly been flash chromed. It is non-ferrous. The one one the right has cleaner casting seams. It looks like nicely patinaed Aluminum.

Good detail in both.

Funny how the wedge slopes are opposite.

Does anyone know if they came this way? Is one a repop?

 

[bike]

I dont think those were repoped-I have had them in chrome and aluminum finish, chrome being less common- really good chrome is hard to find.
2cents

 

[catfish]

Strange. I don't knw that these have ever be re popped. Seams like it wouldn't be worth the effort. These stems are easy to find.

 

[bicycle larry]

I have this one on my hawthorn and a nother one that's bin rechromed .

 

[Freqman1]

I've seen these both ways so I don't think either is a reproduction. V/r Shawn

 

[Jeff54]

Maybe, the painted one was finished better but, harshly. The shiny one, without paint, has heavy seam lines while the other has none or hardly. Possibly, the painted one had big seams lines after casting and got ground down a bit too much, 'harshly'.

 

[gkeep]

That seam sure looks substandard compared to the other one. The design seem a bit less refined too, like it's a casting made from a mold of the other. Would the factory send out a stem with all that seam flashing still showing? That seem looks like a sand casting from high school metal shop. Is it significant that the bevel for the quill is facing the other way?

Rough seams, file marks, less crisp details were always the way to ferret out reproduction cast tron toys from original ones. But, during the Gold Rush the popular buckles every miner wanted to wear were cast and recast from third and fourth generation castings done in California. They are crude copies of the originals from the east coast foundries but they are still original to the 1850s.