Finally found a suitable stand for my AO Spencer Model 26! Putting them together has converted the Model 26 into a Model 25, so now I have two. The more the merrier, I always say...
AO Spencer c. 1951 on the left, Spencer Buffalo c. 1944 on the right.
The AO Spencer sports a very beautifully engraved "GRADUATING DEPT." down its spine, and I was told it was used by the Bosch company for making surveying instruments in California, only surplussed recently when the plant relocated to Malaysia. It evidences more wear on the outside than the Buffalo Spencer, but the optics are absolutely pristine as far as I have been able to determine, even inside the prism housings and paired objective assemblies. My guess is the workers in its former lab really knew how to clean and care for fine optics, as makers of surveying equipment might. At any rate, it's wonderful to see.
The Buffalo Spencer, though older, is in nearly original condition, what I call a "time capsule". Note the glass stage is nearly perfect and unscratched, a very rare thing to see! A couple small edge chips, and a ding in the right prism housing, are about all that keep it from rating pristine condition. The optics appeared to have never been cleaned, or at least, not in a very, very long time. But they're spotless now, thanks to a lengthy and laborious cleaning process. And as hoped, I haven't run across a single scratch or mark yet on any of the lenses of optical surfaces.
What I consider the single most astonishing fact about these scopes is that they came to me for just over $50 each on eBay.
But it probably needs to be mentioned that these models have relatively modest working distances, and are therefore not suitable for many applications. I'll turn to my AO Spencer Cycloptic for examining pond water sample containers, or pulling splinters out of fingers. But the tack sharp optics and higher magnifications of the Model 25/26 can't be surpassed for studying things like coins, rocks & minerals, butterfly/moth/etc. wings, fresh diatom slimy-strews, etc.
)
