Bohdan_Kozak
Bohdan_Kozak
2 June 2023, 11:13

It's time to weigh everything - a collector from Odessa Vitaly Tomchik about his hobby

It's time to weigh everything - a collector from Odessa Vitaly Tomchik about his hobby
The world of collecting is diverse and amazing. We do not always guess what may become a subject of interest for a collector. An interesting thing from the past can be elevated to a cult, you can start collecting similar things, exploring it, thereby making a discovery for yourself and making the desired acquisitions.
"The Violity PRO Collecting" team has prepared a new story about a collector of scales and weights. This collection has many scales and thousands of weights, which is amazing ...
Vitaliy Tomchik, from Odessa, not only collects, he also classifies items from different countries and different time periods, publishes his research in reputable journals and maintains an author's blog. The collector himself came up with a name for his own hobby - "poundophilia/funtophilia".

It turns out that scales are very diverse in the type of mechanism and in the scope of use. There are lever, spring, "minless"; postal, trade, pharmacy, medical ...
For different weights - different kettlebells. There are also many varieties of weights. There are about three thousand of them in the collection of Vitaliy Tomchik. But weights and weights are not only metal, but also ceramic. Their history and design is so amazing that for the first time you wonder what unexpected nuances can be associated with an ordinary item that seems simple at first glance.
A separate place is occupied by hallmarks, which can be used to find out where and when the item was produced. Deciphering hallmarks is known to be one of the most important and favorite activities of collectors.
Vitaly told us by the way the story of one kettlebell, but it turned out to be so fascinating and difficult ..!

So, this weight of three pounds (in real life - 1243 grams) was made in Tula, in the center for the manufacture of weights and weights, where many famous masters of bronze casting worked.
  The weight was made in the workshops of M. Arzamastsev, who branded the weights with the inscription "ARZAMASTS IN TULE" or, in short, especially on small weights "MA".
  Before the revolution, weights were mainly produced, known to all of a spherical shape or flat weights for a complex pound. Pound weights of the so-called non-traditional form, close to modern, were relatively rare. The gears had a slightly conical shape, tapering towards the bottom.
Having made the described weight, the workshop, before releasing it to the public, carried out a check of the weight in a special tent. Perhaps, at large weight productions, specialists were certified who checked the weights or came with stamps to the production, so as not to carry tons of weights to the test tent.
 Received the first test mark in 1904. Perhaps the kettlebell was made this year, why keep it in stock?
Until 1907, the test marks were in the form of a double-headed eagle, carrying the number of the test tent on its chest, and under its paws - the last numbers of the year of the test.
  On our weight on the chest of the bird, No. 7 (Tula's test tent) and 04 (1904) are stamped.

Further, probably, Khondzinsky's scale factory in Kyiv bought a batch of weights in Tula and the weight arrived in Kyiv. Khodzinsky marked this event with his brand on the weight. The weight at the factory was adjusted to the exact weight, and in Kyiv, in 1905, it was branded with a special rectangular brand, intended for precise (not household) weights and measures. Five years later, it was time for another review. The weight stood up a little, lost its accuracy and in 1910 received a new stamp.
In 1907, the double-headed eagle on the hallmarks was replaced by the Imperial monogram - the letter "H", below it is II (Nicholas II), above it is the crown. Above the crossbar of the letter "H" was the number of the test tent, and on both sides the last two digits of the year of verification.
By the way, it is very interesting that on the number "7" you can see a gap in the stamp as a mechanical damage. In fact, this is a “trick” - protection against fake stamps, which only trusted persons knew about. Also in 1913, the weight was checked again in tent No. 11 (Kyiv).
In 1917, well-known events took place that led to the destruction of the symbols of the hated tsarism.
New marks for weights were also made. Now it was just the letter "P" (Checking tent) with the number of the tent inside and the numbers of the year in all directions. The last time our weight was verified by this new mark was in 1918.

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