Sue Cley contacted us with this query -

"Enquiry about an old machine - HA50, it is also stamped up with HA52 and has 'The Standard Eng. Co. Ltd. Leicestershire' in gold lettering to the left of the HA50 mark. I have one of these cutting (?) machines and would like to know when it was in production and whether it's precise use was for cutting. I have images which I can send of the actual machine.   Thank you for your assistance"

Once in receipt of some photographs of the device in question we answered -

"

Hi Sue

 I have checked through the records I have and cannot find the exact model of machine you have there.  I have attached an image from a 1930’s Standard brochure showing a similar machine – the Model 40R, which was, curiously , the exact machine the Standard’s then rival, Whitfield Wylie, offered as the Model 740!

 We can tell from looking at the photographs that you have what we know as a long-throat ranging device.  This was / is used for cutting bends of leather or sheets of rubber into the required sizes to produce more manageably sized bits of leather / rubber for individual shoes.  This rectangle was then further shaped to fit the shoe by using a finishing and scouring machine.

 The version we sell today is a lot smaller, as most shoe repairs are done from pre-cut and shaped soles, which only need a little work from the finishing machine to create the finished, repaired shoe.  Very few repairers cut out their own bends these days.

 I have attached also a photograph of the smaller ranger we sell today.

 I hope the above has been of some use or interest."

Sue came back with,

"Many thanks for the time and trouble you have taken in finding out about the machine we have which is most helpful to me and confirming it's use which is what my husband had thought would be the case. The machine today is certainly very much smaller than the heavyweight in my possession!

 Kind regards, Sue"

C'mon people, can you make the next onde harder for us to identify!

(I know I'm gonna regret asking that.....)