Strange 120 Film Spool

Steve Smith

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At the weekend I spent a whole £1 on a 100 year old Brownie box camera.

The spool which was in it is unusual in that only one end has a slot which can engage with the winder. The other end is just a round hole.

I haven't seen anything like this before and wonder what the point is.

It is a plastic spool so I don't think it was the camera's original spool as that would probably have been either all metal or wood and metal. I also don't see how it could be the spool from a film as not all cameras run the film through in the sme direction.

Any ideas?


Steve.
 

Mark_S

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Is it possible that it is a 620 spool, not a 120? - 620 is slightly smaller diameter than a 120, and was done by Kodak to force people to buy their film. It was used on a lot of the old brownies.

620 spools were made both in plastic and metal.
 
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Steve Smith

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No. It's definitely 120.

My later box Brownie is 620 but this one has "use 120 film" embossed on the back.


Steve.
 
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Steve Smith

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Actually, I haven't thought this through properly.

If it had film on it, it wouldn't matter as neither side locates in a slot. It only needs a slot when used as a take up spool. Then it can be put in to match the position of the winder.

I still haven't seen one like this before though.


steve.
 

RichardH

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Hey Steve
This doesn't have anything to do with your post but I thought you'd like to know the pentax stuff I got from you last year is getting good use. I cleaned and put light seals in them. Working great. Hope the lens you got is getting some use also.

Richard Haas
 

railwayman3

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Just checked and I have a few plastic 120 spools like this in my darkroom "junk box", from film used a few years ago, but I have no way now of checking what the brand was. Hadn't really noticed that it was in any way unusual.
 

waynecrider

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Apparently some engineer thought that the spool didn't need a slot on both ends. My 116 spools from the Kodak Autographic series all have slots thru round holes on both ends and they're close to a 100 years old.
 

DLawson

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I have a dozen of so plastic 127 spools, and they have solid nubs on one end and slotted on the other. Fortunately, in a sense, none of my 127 cameras will handle a plastic take-up spool. So I don't have a practical problem with it. (Well, I suppose I would if I were sending the film out.)
 

summicron1

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efke 127 spools are like that -- i am guessing yours is a fairly recent spool made by someone trying to cut corners. A real 100 year old spool would have a wooden core and metal ends.
 
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Steve Smith

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It has a patent No. on it (629067) which is dated 1953 and is assigned to Eastman Kodak.


Steve.
 

Jim Jones

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summicron1 said:
efke 127 spools are like that -- i am guessing yours is a fairly recent spool made by someone trying to cut corners. A real 100 year old spool would have a wooden core and metal ends.
Click to expand...

Some spools with metal flanges and wood cores were made that way to save metal during WWII.
 
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