Category: Press and typeface identification
Later topic: Chandler and Price Letterpress
Earlier topic: Dawson and Payne cylinder press

Press ID Please

  • Ink Spot
  • on 27 Aug 12 (19:48)
  • Updated 27 Aug 12 (19:52)

We have run across a press that we can not identify. We do not physically have the press in our possession, pictures will have to do. I am seeking additional information from the seller, it is a little slow in coming. The Ink disk is 10.5” in diameter. The letters NGI are cast on one frame side.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Terri
T & T Press Restoration

image: press.jpg

press.jpg

image: press 2.jpg

press 2.jpg

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  • inky
  • on 30 Aug 12 (12:40)

You have a puzzler here.
The wizards have not come out of the weeds.
Let’s bring it back to the top and remind the experts that it needs to be identified.
I am guessing European.

I wonder if “NGI” might be the initials of a Japanese company. A few years ago there were some reproduction tabletop presses coming out of Japan. This one looks a lot like the “American” (I think it was called) made in Germany by F.M. Weiler around the turn of the 19th-20th Century.

Bob

I thought it resembled the Weiler also. Bottom of page one in Briar -Lever Press- Museum. Different base, 4 legs instead of one round one.
-Mike

  • The Arm NYC
  • on 30 Aug 12 (17:50)
  • Updated 30 Aug 12 (17:53)

http://tinyurl.com/americanpress

This looks about right.

Daniel Morris
The Arm Letterpress
Brooklyn, NY

image: adsf.jpg

http://www.briarpress.org/23916

I have a press just like it…it’s definitely a Japanese press. Mine has the nameplate of a Japanese machine maker…
Here’s the translation of the plate:
Makise Insatsu Kizairyo Seizo Kabushikigaisha
(Producers of High Quality Printers and Binding Machines)
Head Office:
Tokyo-To Chiyoda-ku, Jinbocho 1-37
Phone (293) 8321-3

NGI stands for Nagai, the foundry. I tried getting more info from Japanese sources a few years ago, even writing to a museum there. Nearest I can tell, it was made in post-war Japan. I saw a video once that showed a recent letterpress workshop in Japan, and they had an array of eight or so of these same presses, a student at each one.
We use it frequently in my shop, although it has its foibles.

Thank you one and all for the help in identifying this press.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nanikatsu/6820965382/in/pool-tabletoppressgang

This must be the shop that Erst was talking about!

Dan

NGI is the most popular Japanese lever press.
In Japan,We usually call “TEFUTO” or “TEKIN”.
The manufacturer was NAGAI MACHINE MFG. Co.,Ltd.
The official product name was “NA-2”.
They made first NA-2 in 1948.
About 15,000 presses were manufactured.

http://www.nagaikikai.co.jp/faq/cat25/cat26/post_70.html