Dan - think you better double-check your sources. Most (not all) Commercial Ektars were four-element, esp in that focal length. Ektars were
themselves made in several quality grades, with some private-labeled. At least that's what my late brother told me. He sold them. But I'm no
expert on those lenses myself. Check with Jim Galli. .... And Alan, the dagor design was made for the better part of a century, so had quite an
internal evolution in terms of glass types, shutters, coatings, and even available brands. The multicoated fourteen-inch Kern, marketed by
Schneider, was the last of them, with the exception of the current hyper-expensive XXL Schneiders for ULF use.
Drew, have your memory checked. Tessars have four elements in three groups. EKCo's Commercial Ektars are f/6.3 tessar types. Here's my source, only slightly secondary:
Dead Link Removed Visit it and see for yourself.
Perhaps your brother was telling you about Kodak Anastigmats. EKCo made a number of f/6.3 and f/7.7 dialyte type lenses engraved Kodak Anastigmat, including a 203/7.7 that was later engraved jes' plain Ektar. Ektar, not Commercial Ektar. If your brother is still alive and still of whole mind ask him to refresh your memory.
Where did you get the ideas that Ektars were made in different quality grades and that EKCo sold them private-labeled? Ektar is a trade name, meant "our best in that line."
About the last dagor type, when was the last Kern Dagor made? Boyer sold Beryls (some engraved Beryl S, others engraved Emeraude), their Dagor type, until the firm finally closed in 1982. You should be aware, though, that Eric Beltrando, who was a friend of Boyer's last owner, has told me that many of the lenses Boyer sold after his friend bought the company were assembled from elements that had been ground before he bought it.