Kelsey press ages

Hi, is there any reference or knowledge base out there on determining when a given Kelsey press was made? I see that my Model U appears to have a more “modern” looking handle than others that I’ve seen, but I don’t know what else to look for.

Thanks!

Log in to reply   8 replies so far

Most of the Kelsey presses have a coded date of manufacture stamped into the top center of the chase bed. If you locate and post that info here, I will be able to determine the date for you.

Hi, the code on mine is B75J

Here’s the code -
B = 5” x 8” (inside chase dimensions)
75 = 1975 (The year of manufacture)
J = October (The month of manufacture)

You have a 5x8 Model U made in October 1975

Here’s the code -
B = 5” x 8” (inside chase dimensions)
75 = 1975 (The year of manufacture)
J = October (The month of manufacture)

You have a 5x8 Model U made in October 1975

Wow, thank you! That’s great to know. I thought it was a very late model, all right.

What year did Kelsey cease production? 1975 had to be near the end.

Duplicate

This is great info! I ran upstairs to check my own Kelsey 5x8, but I found no code on the chase bed. Disappointing! But perhaps even that information rules out some years? I know that it’s older than 1944. Does anyone know when the code came into use?

In all of our Kelsey self-inking table top restorations, the earliest date we have seen (of those marked… all models) has been December 1952. That press was a 6 X 10 Q model.
Tom
www.tandtpressrestoration.com