Steve wrote:
Thanks, Carlos.
I can't help wondering if Roger hadn't started this thread and confused the teak issue if I wouldn't have secured it for just £46?!
Please be aware that it's NOT a British Colonial model if you spot another one of these OAK 100's. This is a standard production model made for the French market, albeit probably a very short lived one. Was it a French "colonial model"?If so, you might expect it to be teak. Unlike the teak 100 this one does not have a panelled case. Contrary to what has been suggested in other threads, teak 100s, and not teak 101s, were the first to receive a panelled case.
Doing some rudimentary online searches has revealed the existence of at least 3 other surviving examples, one is in the States, one other was owned by the person who shall not be named in this forum - what happened to that one, I wonder? There must be more out there though, surely?
I guess we'll never know how many were made / sold and why the French company wanted an oak model?
I see, Steve, I got confused as well. I presume it has the French La Voix de son Maitre label. I never heard of or saw one before, and the problem with such ultra-rare machines is that even collectors are not aware of them and usually turn them down as forgeries. I've seen that happen every once in a while, and disdainful collectors eventually end up being served a dish of crow. I recall also the other rare Indian machine you showed us here in the forum, a quite nice (and rare) one with the oil bath motor, that most collectors would shun as Indian crap!