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Big and Small: Rainbow binoculars |
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Big and Small: Lupinus binoculars |
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BIG & SMALL #8 binoculars |
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BINOCULARS RESEARCH WEBSITE, NOT FOR PROFIT FERNGLAS-FORSCHUNGS-WEBSITE, NICHT GEWINNORIENTIERT SITE DE RECHERCHE SUR LES JUMELLES, À BUT NON LUCRATIF |
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Shinsei Shoji Company Ltd. 信誠商事株式会社 of Japan, a contract manufacturer and exporter, held the Japanese domestic trademark #465898 for Rainbow for binoculars/ NICE class 9 products (application of 1952 granted in 1955, h lapsed 20150. My smallest 8x20 Rainbow binoculars post date the US occupation period, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959, and carry the “MSC” logo of Meiji Seiko Kogaku Ltd. 明治精工株式会社 of Japan. My small 10x20 Rainbow binoculars were assembled by JB47/ Tokuhiro Micro Binocular Co: (Tokuhiro Koki Seisakusho Inc)( 徳弘光機製作所株式会社 ), of Japan, and also carry the associated NAOKI mark. My next largst 7x50 Rainbow binoculars were assembled by JB207/ Hiyoshi Optical Co.Ltd. of Japan, with a frame/body by JE11 /Omiya Kogaku Kikai Seisalcujo of Japan. My largest Rainbow 20x50 binoculars were assembled by . JB207/ Hiyoshi Optical Co.Ltd. of Japan, with a frame/body by JE11 /Omiya Kogaku Kikai Seisalcujo of Japan. . |
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20x50 Rainbow binoculars kindly donated to the collection by Jerry Stellar |
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Lupinus was a binoculars brand of Japanese distributor Kowa Co Ltd. who marketed them in the US starting 1958, and who held Canadian and Australian Lupinus binoculars trademarks from 1965. My small 7x18 AND my small 8x20 AND my small 10x20 Lupinus binoculars ALL post date the US occupation period, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959, and all have the “ K ” logo indicating the assembling manufacturer was Omori Sogo Kogaku of Japan. My larger 10x50 Lupinus binoculars were assembled by JB34 Musashi Kogaku Co. Ltd. Of Japan. My larger 16x50 Lupinus binoculars were assembled by JB34/ Musashi Kogaku Co. Ltd. Of Japan with frame/ body made by JE1/ Toa Kogaku Co.Ltd. |
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Big and Small: York binoculars |
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York was a binoculars brand of US importer/ wholesaler/ retailer York Cutlery Co of York Pa. My small York 6x15 binoculars were assembled by JB47 /Tokuhiro Micro Binocular Co: (Tokuhiro Koki Seisakusho Inc)( 徳弘光機製作所株式会社 ) of Japan, with frame by JB7 / Nippon Kogaku of Japan. My other York 6x15 binoculars post date the US occupation period, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959, and carry the “ K ” logo of indicating the assembling manufacturer was Omori Sogo Kogaku of Japan. My big York 7x50 binoculars were assembled by JB26 / Futaba Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. of Japan, with body by JE43 / Tozaki Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. Of Japan. |
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Big and Small: many Jason binoculars |
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Jason was a trade marked brand in various countries of Jake Levin & Son starting 1952, and then Jason Empire, and then Bushnell. My small Jason 6X15 post date the US occupation period, but seem to predate JB codes, so date 1952- Nov. 1959. My small Jason 6X15 bright chrome binoculars post date the US occupation period, but seem to predate JB codes, so date 1952- Nov. 1959. My small Jason 6X15 CF were assembled by JB93 / Siewa Optical Co. Ltd. (Seiwa Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushiki-geisha ) ( 清和光学株式会社 ) of Japan, with frame by JB50 Tanaka Koki Seisakujo. Inc. of Japan. My small Jason 7x18 binoculars post date the US occupation period, but seem to predate JB codes, so date 1952- Nov. 1959, and have the AKC marking of assembled by AKC /Akebono Kogako Co./ 曙光学工業 of Japan . My larger Jason model mercury model 1116F were made in Hong Kong. |
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My Jason 7x25 binoculars were assembled by JB93 / JB93/ Siewa Optical Co. Ltd. (Seiwa Kōgaku Kōgyō Kabushiki-geisha ) ( 清和光学株式会社 ) of Japan. My second larger Jason model mercury model 1116 were made in Japan. My other larger Jason Clipper 7x35 model 118 binoculars were made by JB118/ Yoshikawa Koki Co. Ltd. Of Japan. My larger Jason 8 to 12 x40 binoculars were assembled by JB21 / Kokisha Co. Ltd. of Japan, with body by JE25 / Zuiho Kogaku Seiki Co. Ltd. Of Japan. . My larger Jason model 312 10x50 binoculars were made in Korea. |
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Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. WEBSITE MUSEUM |
![Text Box: CLICK ON PAGE LINE. CLIQUEZ SUR LA LIGNE DE PAGE. KLICKEN SIE AUF SEITENZEILE. HAGA CLIC EN LÍNEA DE PÁGINA..[ページ行]をクリックします。НАЖМИТЕ НА СТРОКУ СТРАНИЦЫ. ALSO SEE INDEX.](image2881.gif)
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Big and Small non Nippon Kogaku Nikko binoculars |
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FOR MILITARY BINOCULARS SEE SECTIONS “ OTHER BINOCULARS ” |
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After Nippon Kogaku stopped using the Nikko logo branding in 1949, a Canadian importer started placing a plain text NIKKO branding on some of the binoculars they imported ( use completely unrelated to Nippon Kogaku ), to associate with a known desired brand. Similar to thei using faux “dienstglas” german military markings, and name variations on the Zeiss brand. |
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My Nikko non Nippon Kogaku 8x20 binoculars post date the US occupation period, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959. Their K logo indicates the assembling manufacturer was Omori Sogo Kogaku of Japan. |
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My Nikko non Nippon Kogaku gray 6x30 binoculars were assembled by JB241 / Kazuo Tsuchihashi of Japan, with body made by JE30 / Kofu Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. of Japan, and date after Nov. 1959. |
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Big and Small: Delta Todai binoculars |
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I have never found documentation defining the background of Delta brand use on binoculars, or found Todai, which does not seem to appear on the 1959 Japanese assemblers list. Both my Delta Todai binoculars post date the US occupation period, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959. |
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Big and Small: Weiss L.I.C. binoculars |
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The “Weiss” name was intended to invoke Zeiss, and L.I.C. is not actually a recognized business acronym, but was intended to invoke Lic. (licensed/l licensee). My smaller Weiss L.I.C. 7x18 binoculars were assembled by JB5/ Meiji Seiko Kogaku Ltd. 明治精工株式会社 of Japan , with frame by JB50 Tanaka Koki Seisakujo. Inc. of Japan. My larger 16x50 Weiss L.I.C. binoculars were assembled by JB 127 / Koei Seiki Co. Ltd. Of Japan, with body by JE 30 / Kofu Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. Of Japan. Importer is unknown at this time. |
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Big and Small: Rex binoculars |
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I have never found documentation defining the background of REX brand use on binoculars relevant to this time period (later TM is unrelated). My small REX 8x20 binoculars post date the US occupation, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959, with the “ K ” logo of indicating the assembling manufacturer was Omori Sogo Kogaku of Japan. My larger Rex 10x50 binoculars were assembled by JB 82/ Sanwa Kogaku Co. Ltd. Of Japan with body by JE 24/ Ichikawa Kogaku Kogyo Co. Ltd. Of Japan. |
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Big and Small: Royal binoculars |
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I have never found documentation defining the background of ROYAL brand use on binoculars. My small ROYAL 6x15 binoculars post date the US occupation, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959 . My small ROYAL 7x15 binoculars post date the US occupation, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959 . My small ROYAL 7x18 binoculars post date the US occupation, but predate JB codes, so date 1952 to Nov. 1959 . My larger ROYAL 8x26 binoculars may or may not be same brand related or Japanese made. |
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Ōfuna Kōgaku-Kikai Seisakusho ( 大船光学機械製作所 ) Ofuna Optical Instrument Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was formed during WWII, and became defunct in 1963. Binoculars were a main product. Occupied Japan markings were mandated on exported Japanese products from Feb. 20 1947-Dec. 5 1949 by SCAPIN 1535. My smaller Ofuna 6x18 binoculars serial number 17548 and my smaller 6x18 Ofuna 6x18 binoculars serial number 16604 both date from then. So do my Ofuna 7x35 binoculars serial number 1192, and my Ofuna 7x50 binoculars serial number 4997. |
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Big and Small: Ofuna Occupied Japan binoculars |
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Uniscope” and “Precision Uniscope’” b inoculars were widely distributed around the 1960’s in the US, UK, Europe, Australia/NZ markets and show up in Japan suggesting it is the brand of a Japanese Exporter rather than of an end use country importer. My two smaller Uniscope 7x18 were both assembled by JB5 / Meiji Seiko Kogaku Ltd. 明治精工株式会社 of Japan, and have MSK or MSC markings, and have frames by JE50 / Tanaka Koki Seisakujo of Japan. My smaller 10x20 Uniscope binoculars were assembled by JB47/ Tokuhiro Micro Binocular Co: (Tokuhiro Koki Seisakusho Inc) ( 徳弘光機製作所株式会社 ) of Japan, and also carry the associated NAOKI mark. My larger 7x50 Uniscope binoculars were assembled by JB71/ Toho Koki Co. Ltd.of Japan. |
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Big and Small: Uniscope binoculars |
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Big and Small: Orient binoculars including an Occupied Japan pair |
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My understanding is that my Orient big and small binoculars were made by Shōwa Kōki Kogaku ( 昭和光機 ) , successor to Inouye Kogaku in the 1940’s, located in Setagaya-ku (Southwest Tokyo), and who continued the prior use of the Orient brand and logo by Inouye, and used the S.K.K logo in the 1940’s/1950’s. Camera Wiki says that Shōwa Kōki submitted samples of two types of binoculars plus an export plan to occupation authorities in 1946 and later exported binoculars through importer USCC. My larger Orient binoculars date to the period when SCAPIN 1335 mandated occupied Japan markings so date Feb.1947-Dec 1949. My smaller Orient binoculars post date mandated Occupied Japan markings but predate JB codes, so around 1949-1959. |