I bought my MAL sharpener years ago. I think he only made about 12 or so. Clever chap was Mallinson. I remember once telephoning him to discuss the design for a new type weight adjuster. He was interested in manufacturing it for me, but sadly not long after this conversation, he died. A sad loss.
I still have the box and instructions, and 10 "fat" thorns in their little packet which he supplied with the sharpener. I still use the sharpener, alongside the Davey sharpener with the grindstone wheel.
The MAL sharpener
- Steve
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3194
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 4:40 pm
- Location: London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, Evesham
Re: The MAL sharpener
He made a lot more than 12, I can tell you! He was certainly a very skilled and clever chap, as is his (twin?) brother.old country chemist wrote: ↑Fri Oct 01, 2021 11:16 am I bought my MAL sharpener years ago. I think he only made about 12 or so. Clever chap was Mallinson. I remember once telephoning him to discuss the design for a new type weight adjuster. He was interested in manufacturing it for me, but sadly not long after this conversation, he died. A sad loss.
I still have the box and instructions, and 10 "fat" thorns in their little packet which he supplied with the sharpener. I still use the sharpener, alongside the Davey sharpener with the grindstone wheel.
- Marco Gilardetti
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1398
- Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:19 am
- Personal Text: F. Depero, "Grammofono", 1923.
- Location: Italy
- Contact:
Re: The MAL sharpener
Since it reportedly works so well and since it reportedly sells for over 200£, what if anyone owning the appropriate machinery would craft a new batch of MAL-type sharpeners?
Last edited by Marco Gilardetti on Mon Oct 11, 2021 6:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
- emgcr
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1088
- Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:57 am
- Location: Hampshire, England.
- Contact:
Re: The MAL sharpener
Yes indeed ! I have had that project on the back burner for many years but there are so many projects...............
- Marco Gilardetti
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1398
- Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:19 am
- Personal Text: F. Depero, "Grammofono", 1923.
- Location: Italy
- Contact:
Re: The MAL sharpener
Count me among your customers...
- emgcr
- Victor IV
- Posts: 1088
- Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:57 am
- Location: Hampshire, England.
- Contact:
Re: The MAL sharpener
Thank you Marco and if many others say the same thing I might be happy to oblige.
-
- Victor VI
- Posts: 3001
- Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 2:04 pm
- Contact:
Re: The MAL sharpener
yes a brilliant man , he once had an Edison with a missing ident plate so he photoed one then acid etched a new one ! He repainted a Gem for me which a customer gave me to restore , unfortunately it took 18 months to send back to me and he charged £0 but by then I had lost the paperwork so i still have the Gem base here anyone here sent it to me ?
His answerphone message was very funny with Nipper running amok causing mayhem , I wish I had recorded it , perhaps someone has ?
His answerphone message was very funny with Nipper running amok causing mayhem , I wish I had recorded it , perhaps someone has ?
- Paolo_MK68
- Victor Jr
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2020 4:49 am
- Location: Italy
-
- Victor I
- Posts: 121
- Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:52 pm
- Location: Chicago
Re: The MAL sharpener
I'm also interested! I actually have a sample packet of BCN, and I haven't purchased any yet because of lack of a suitable sharpener - a problem that's possibly a bit more acute here in the US than the UK where these needles were more popular, and thus potentially have more vintage sharpeners available...
-
- Victor II
- Posts: 314
- Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2018 7:59 am
Re: The MAL sharpener
I remember Miles saying that he wasn't making any more sharpeners because he couldn't get the right kind of brass. It would only have affected the colour slightly, but Miles was a perfectionist. He was indeed the twin brother of Roger, and I believe they had had much fun in earlier life pretending to be each other. Another of Miles's jokes was that in his aged but immaculate Volkswagen Golf was a tape which, when the ignition key was turned, produced the sound of a car refusing to start.