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I know this eBay seller and so I took a look at this portable phonograph he has listed.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-King-O-Tone-Vi ... 23114740f2

It is in good shape and has some nice features. The leather case has a brass tag that says its cow hide. The seams on the corners are sewn like you would see on a saddle. Has anyone ever seen something like this before on a phonograph?

Also, the diaphragm is aluminum. The motor board is mahogany and there is what feels like velvet or velour lining the record storage compartment and horn opening. All the hardware is really clean and aside from needing the gaskets replaced, it sounds surprisingly good.

Has anyone heard of this company or seen one of these before? It's ID tag has a spot for a patent number/date and model number, but there was never anything stamped in the spots. They are blank. Could this have been a prototype for the company and they never ended up producing them? It's struck me as interesting as these components seemed to be nice additions to a portable phonograph so I thought I would ask about it here.

That's a very nice machine- I think you'll find that the motor is Swiss, judging from the crank.

I wouldn't read too much into the model and serial number spaces on the plate. Small compamies often adopted these flourishes to look more impressive and to suggest a larger production. I have a very crude portable from Brattleboro Vt. -it's the only known model built by the company but the plate says it's a Model B.

I think the reproducer is a Columbia one. I can tell because of the bezel ring with the 4 small holes. Columbia did make a reproducer like this with an aluminum diaphragm.
Harvey Kravitz

I've spotted a couple of conflicting references to the name King-O-Tone

From "Iron Age" Vol. 108 (1921)--

"The King-O-Tone Phonograph Co.. Philadelphia, has been incorporated under Delaware laws with capital of $500,000.00 to manufacture talking machines and parts...."
http://books.google.com/books?id=ws0cAQ ... 22&f=false

However, another (1922) reference, from From "Music Trades," Vol 64 states -- "The Bay State Music Corp. is the local representative for the General Phonograph Corp., which concern also produces the Odeon record and the King-O-Tone talking machine. The King-O-Tone is a light weight portable summer model, aiming for the trade of transient vacationists...."
http://books.google.com/books?id=7JZQAA ... ph&f=false

Ortho_Fan wrote:I've spotted a couple of conflicting references to the name King-O-Tone

From "Iron Age" Vol. 108 (1921)--

"The King-O-Tone Phonograph Co.. Philadelphia, has been incorporated under Delaware laws with capital of $500,000.00 to manufacture talking machines and parts...."
http://books.google.com/books?id=ws0cAQ ... 22&f=false

However, another (1922) reference, from From "Music Trades," Vol 64 states -- "The Bay State Music Corp. is the local representative for the General Phonograph Corp., which concern also produces the Odeon record and the King-O-Tone talking machine. The King-O-Tone is a light weight portable summer model, aiming for the trade of transient vacationists...."
http://books.google.com/books?id=7JZQAA ... ph&f=false

That doesn't surprise me- General Phonograph Corp. was Otto Heineman who imported a lot of Swiss phonograph parts. The reproducer doesn't look like a Columbia to me, I've got a couple of European style reproducers with screw-on front bezels. The machine DOES look like it's imitating the Columbia style though.

a screenshot: