Collectors Lures.

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Record ABU Lures by the Decade 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's

The Safir

 

My friend Toomba from Eskilstuna Northern Sweden makes the following observations based on both my lures here and his own collection of Safir spoons.

SAFIR
 
1: the first thing that struck me is that in the first picks of the lure (on your site f.i) the word Safir is printed obverse. so, this should be the very first version.
 
2: the typing of the word Safir is different on the first and second version. the second version for me is the one with just Safir stamped on it, but now with the letters not upside anymore..  the typing of the word Safir is straight and pointy. Look at the letter "R" and you will see what i mean. It is straight and pointy and perpendicular when the version 3 has a third bend down on the "R".. hope you understand what i mean?
 
3: the third version, and all the versions after this are well documented by you on your site. but the typing of the word "Safir" always stays the same with or without the grams and the word Sweden on it..
 
Fun with so many differences on the same lure! and surely a way to be even more precise with dating lures and boxes!

 

The Safir is a small "Kaleva" style spoon which first shows up in the 1948 Napp och Nytt in the size 10g (3/8 oz.). It was available in G, S, K, Cr, Z, S/G and S/K to the face and it was finished in red enamel on the rear. In 1950 the thinner 7g (1/4 oz.) version was shown in Napp och Nytt.

 



In the early 1950s the lure was sold through Garcia in America and the word "Sweden" was added under the word "Safir". See photo above.

 Occasionally the baits turn up printed "Safire" on both the box and the lure. The lures again were produced in 7g and 10g size only.

My friend John Fishkat from USA  has offered the following observations on the Safir that he has recently added to his collection.

Here’s some trivia.  1 S/K Safir was included and it’s unusual (see scan below).  “SWEDEN” appears to have stamped after the spoon was shaped and separately from the “Safir” imprint.  “SWEDEN” is dimpled slightly inward on the back (convex) side and slightly outward on the belly (concave) side – while “Safir” is not.  “N” and bottom half of second “E” of “SWEDEN” are not imprinted.  “SWEDEN” is not parallel to the S/K line and “Safir.”
 
 
Then I realized that “Safir SWEDEN” was only made 1955-56 – it was just “Safir” prior to 1955.  Garcia no longer cataloged Safir in 1955.  All the other ABU export models that Garcia cataloged in ‘53 and ‘54 were stamped with Sweden.  My theory is that in 1953-54 standard “Safir” models for the US got an extra “SWEDEN” stamp by hand.  I’ll keep an eye out for more like this.
 
I have never seen a “Safire” without “SWEDEN.”  What this means for “Safire SWEDEN” is anybody’s guess.  One might guess 1955-56 the same as “Safir SWEDEN.”  But then, why didn’t Garcia catalog Safire in 1955?
 
John

Perhaps someone can address Joh's question above re the 1955 Garcia catalog omission of the Safir?


Around 1957 the weight was added on the front of the lure (underneath the word "Sweden") also 1957 was the last year that the 10g version was sold, so a lure with 10g stamped on it (m/vaegtang) was only sold for one year.

 

 

More photos of different colours here soon. Copper/Silver and Gold I had never seen before.

 

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Record ABU Lures by the Decade 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's

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