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Old Swarovski 10x40 binoculars (1 Viewer)

Foxy

Well-known member
I have a magnificent pair of the older style Swarovski 10x40's which I saved for penny by penny and finally bought in 1996. They have served me so well from ice to sand and heat and still in great shape apart from one of the soft plastic eye cups which I lost this weekend.

I can try Swarovski but I once spent ages trying to get a spare rubber eye cup for my (equally magnificent) 'scope so I wonder if anyone might have a spare one from an old/damaged pair? Happy to pay for it of course.

Thanks
 
I'm guessing these would be the porro prism Habicht. Perhaps a photo or two may help as they came with a variety of finishes ( black or green rubber armouring and I think black leather styles ).
I would imagine Swarovski as your first port of call, as you suggest.
 
They are roof prisms with green rubberised finish but I agree a photo would be a good idea. Over the years when I have ditched binoculars I have always hung on to the detachable bits 'just in case anyone ever needed them' so I guess I am hope for a little Karma!
 
I can't find any old 10x40 Swarovski roof prism binboculars.

Maybe Steve Moore can check his old price list from the 1970's(?) from a dealer in Scranton, PA to see if there was one from that era? There were early versions of the 8x30 SLC and 7x30 SLC listed in it.

Bob
 
Magnificent service from Swarovski. Sent them the details and new eye-pieces arrived within 2 days. Now that is tremendous. Well done Swarovski and thank you!
 
Looks like a Spitfire, Tempest had "straight edge" wingtips I recall, and only four blades in the propeller.
 
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Spitfires had three, four or five blade props. Mainly as the power went up.
There was a Griffon engine also.
The Tempest might vary. I have a 1/72 model somewhere.

B.
 
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I can't find any old 10x40 Swarovski roof prism binboculars.

Maybe Steve Moore can check his old price list from the 1970's(?) from a dealer in Scranton, PA to see if there was one from that era? There were early versions of the 8x30 SLC and 7x30 SLC listed in it.

Bob

I am glad Foxy got excellent service from Swarovski I did not find my old price list of the dealer in Scranton , they have been out of business for quite some time.
 
Foxy, post 1,
In the documentation I have from Swarovski the company started making roof prism binoculars in 1985 (8x30, 7x30), followed by other models later among others the SLC 10x42. I have not seen any 10x40.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Foxy, nice to see you got the eye cups, by the way is your avatar a Spitfire or Hawker Tempest.

Andy W.

Sorry for the delayed reply, it is a Photo Reconnaissance Spitfire PR XIX photographed at the RIAT display, Fairford.
 
Spitfires had three, four or five blade props. Mainly as the power went up.
There was a Griffon engine also.
The Tempest might vary. I have a 1/72 model somewhere.

B.

The PR XIX in the photo is actually has a Griffon engine Binastro. You're spot on with the comments about the power going up which was also linked to the weight increasing. The all up weight of the late model Spitfires was nearly twice the weight of the Mk 1 and a lot of pilots will testify that as the power and weight increased they lost the delightful handling characteristics of the earlier models
 
Foxy,
It is claimed that in about 1952 a Spitfire in a dive reached Mach 0.96, maybe 690mph at that altitude.
The highest speed in a piston engined prop. Not sure if a turboprop could do better.
This is a testament to the wing design and adaptability of the Spitfire, although they took a lot of man hours to make.
I have various 1/72 models of Spitfires made by the man who made the models for the RAF museum.
His widow gave 700 lovely models to the charity shop and I bought 300. Many were damaged by the shop workers and customers. I got most of the intact ones.

When I was young the sound barrier was broken often at air shows and locally. The RAF got fed up paying for broken windows. The Victor broke many windows near Hatfield.

Did you get a replacement eyecup for the Swarovski 10x40? I have a well worn similar binocular.
 
Hi Binastro,
Thank you for your excellent message! Yes, the Spitfire's design was as practical as it was - is - elegant. Those models you have must be treasured possessions!
Air Display regulations now will not allow aircraft to break the sound barrier so windows are safe but when the Vulcan used to be displayed more vigorously when in service the tremors created by its engines at high power would set off car alarms all over the field.
Swarovski were amazing with the eye cups. I emailed their help desk which is in Austria and I had a pair of replacements - so they would feel like a pair and not be one old one new- delivered to me within 24 hours. Now that is fantastic!
 
Foxy,
This is a testament to the wing design and adaptability of the Spitfire, although they took a lot of man hours to make.

If I remember correctly there were also Spits with 'clipped' wingtips to increase low-level manoeverability (rate of roll) as well as some with extended wingtips to allow them to reach higher altitudes.

Lee
 
Yes Lee, there are clipped wing Spitfires.
Not sure if one of my models has those.
If I had been offered all the 700 models intact, I would have bought the lot.
He must have made thousands of models in all, mainly 1/72 but some larger scale.

I saw a radio controlled large model A12 (SR71) on a Youtube video yesterday with apparently afterburning jet engines. I think this model must reach perhaps 150mph???. Amazing.

Foxy, great service from Swarovski.
They completely overhauled my secondhand Swarovski 10x25 and also gave me an extra case. All F.O.C.
I didn't get a free bone as I don't have a dog to chew the binocular.

My Docter 10x25 had one rubber eyecup completely 'moth' eaten, so last week I took an eyecup from a cheapo 10x25, which is actually quite good, and fitted it onto the Docter. It fits well but the eyecup is 2mm short and has bezels instead of being flat, but it works, although it looks odd.
I suppose I could take the other eyecup off the cheap 10x25 and fit it to the Docter to make them match.

I have always liked 10x25s and got lots from charity shops for around £3 each.
Also 8x21s, but I don't much like these.

Charity shops are strange. They throw masses of good stuff straight into the large garbage containers. They had hundreds of donated new Parker ballpoint pens. I got about six for nothing, because I did not want to be greedy. Next time they were gone. I asked where they were and was told 'chucked'. The new pens I use as replacement refills. The only 'problem' with these new pens was that they had a special name on them.

At least I got an as new Hensoldt 16x56 from the same charity shop for £20. They had never heard of Hensoldt. If it said Zeiss they would have priced it correctly.
I also got four professional tripods and a dolly for about £40.
Eventually, I stopped looking, as I had no more room.

The waste that humans produce is totally amazing.
The Earth is one large dustbin.
 
Foxy,
It is claimed that in about 1952 a Spitfire in a dive reached Mach 0.96, maybe 690mph at that altitude.
The highest speed in a piston engined prop. Not sure if a turboprop could do better.
This is a testament to the wing design and adaptability of the Spitfire, although they took a lot of man hours to make.
I have various 1/72 models of Spitfires made by the man who made the models for the RAF museum.
His widow gave 700 lovely models to the charity shop and I bought 300. Many were damaged by the shop workers and customers. I got most of the intact ones.

When I was young the sound barrier was broken often at air shows and locally. The RAF got fed up paying for broken windows. The Victor broke many windows near Hatfield.

Did you get a replacement eyecup for the Swarovski 10x40? I have a well worn similar binocular.

I know it's off original topic but wanted to add I was at boarding school in Somerset in the west of England in the late 1960s where many a dreamy summer afternoon standing bored in the outfield of scratch cricket games was livened up by seeing - and hearing - Concorde flying over on test flights from Filton on its way out to sea and supersonic speeds. On the early flights it broke the sound barrier while still over land; we certainly heard a lot of talk of broken windows though I never actually saw the damage for myself.

It turned out that the test pilot, Brian Trubshaw, was an old boy of my next school. Small world.

Tom
 
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Hi Tom,
I listened to the last flight inbound of the Concorde.
The traffic controllers and pilot conversation was great fun to hear.

But I suppose the amount of fuel it needed was not good for the environment, and it was very loud.

Regards,
B.
 
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