Hayden H Posted September 2, 2011 Share Posted September 2, 2011 Champion 400 Blower, doesn't say "Champion" on the bottom the fan housing front, it says "No 400", its a Champion blower and forge co. blower typical patent dates and all, why doesn't it have the cursive Champion wriitne on it? Is it an odd ball? Does it make it more valuable? Whats it worth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Hicks Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 sounds just like mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden H Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 I'm asking $250 for it publicly, and $150 on here. Its got the stand and all, I'm waiting on Farmall to email me back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrous Beuler Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Hayden I have two of those blowers, among the finest ever made. Many say the finest. Anyhoo, this was covered here a couple of years ago maybe. Both of mine are identical in all respects except that one of them has the raised script Champion cast into the front half of the blower fan housing below the air intake hole and the other does not. Both of them have the same raised numbers 400 above the intake hole. IIRC in the older thread someone replied that the Champion script was added as a tribute or commemoration for someone important at Champion upon their retirement (?) Perhaps the foreman of the foundry shop? I don't know how long the practice was continued, perhaps only during one year? I really don't know. They do seem to be rather rare. I have never seen another in person and I believe I've only seen a few pictures of blowers with the script. Being that is the only difference between the two the value of either is the same in a practical sense because the one with the script doesn't work any different than the one without it. They are certainly a nice looking touch though. Collectors may put a premium on it and want to get more money out of one but like I said, it doesn't make a lick of difference in the shop. I hate to see old blacksmithing equipment squirreled away like leprechaun treasure by "collectors", never to be used again. If someone wants to collect things let it be stamps or butterflies and any old blacksmithing equipment that happens to turn up should be politely left at the doorstep of the closest blacksmith shop. (this brings the donor eternal luck, BTW) Maybe the old thread will turn up with a search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden H Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 THe Champion logo on the front of the blower housing goes back to the company owner, (whose name escapes me) died in 1920, so the blowers without the enscription on the front are older, thus forth, amybe harder to find, I've found 3 with the Champion faceplate, and bought the one without it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 At my school, I've used a number of different blowers. All my Champions are different. One 400 has a small fan case, maybe 10", but it puts out plenty of air. Another says Champion on one side and Spiral Gear Midway on the other. Another has Champion in raised script letters. Two of them have the gear case attached a right angles to the fan case. My Buffalo blowers also vary. The gear cases are similar on four of them, but two fan cases are cast iron and two are sheet metal. One oddball, probably the oldest, has the gear case at right angles to the fan case. Only one has a "200" on it. Since the patents on these old blowers began around the turn of the 20th century, in the following years, different models and ideas were tried. George DeArment founded Champion in the 1880's under his own last name. In the 1920's, it became Champion-DeArment. It is currently the Channellock Company in Meadville, PA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden H Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 You learn something new everyday around here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferrous Beuler Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Actually the Champion-DeArment/Channellock company is not the same company associated with the Champion blacksmithing forge blowers. The blowers (and a lot of other blacksmithing equipment) were made by the Champion Blower and Forge Company of Lancaster, Pa. Two different companies, both using the name "Champion" but having no association with each other. Champion of Lancaster was founded by 17 year old Henry B. Keiper in 1875. It was this teenage whiz-kid who invented and patented the hand operated rotary forge blower.http://vintagemachin...ail.aspx?id=165http://vintagemachin...px?id=165&tab=7http://vintagemachin...px?id=165&tab=4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Thanks for that information, Ferrous. I had heard vaguely, 'Before Internet,' that there was equipment marked Lancaster. I think I saw one time a quite old, cast iron forge with raised lettering, "Lancaster." However, memory fades as one gets older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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