Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett OVB 28" No. 100 by Stanley Rosewood Adjustable Level For Sale

HSB & Co. OVB 28" No. 100 Adjustable Plumb and Levelin Rosewood and Brass.Manufactured by Stanley and marked OVB (Our Very Best), the No. 100 was a Stanley No. 25 Platform which was a Mahogany level, but the 100 was made from Rosewood. The introduction of the 100 coincided with Stanley's release of the newest rotating disc with the hole to facilitate the adjustment. The discs on the 100 are not marked Stanley.
The Level Plate is impressed as follows:HSB&COOVBOUR VERY BESTMade in USANo. 100TO ADJUSTREMOVE PLATES
This Level is 24"x 2-3/32" x 1"Weighing 3# 4 Oz plus packagingPlease read the description.This level was cleaned, The original level vial removed and reset, clear coated with lacquer, waxed and polished. The brass had been agressively cleaned by a previous owner and was carefully buffed to remove the scratches and gently buffed with green and white pads. There are a few dents and dings left as part of its provenance.Please read the description and view pictures carefully. Our goal is to provide you with a great buying experience. We are selling vintage items and accept returns if you are unhappy. We would prefer not to cost either of us the inconvenience of a return. We respond to questions as quickly as possible.For combined shipping, please place items in your cart and request a total. We will package accordingly and give you the best possible shipping rates. We do not ship outside the continental United States. No exceptions.Each item is carefully packaged to protect it in transit. Keeping thrift in mind, I ship using recycled materials and pack according to fragility.
What you get from me. I often purchase tools that come to me with undeclared flaws. I go through them and correct as many flaws as possible and sometimes use the tool for parts if it beyond refurbishing. Replacement parts are no longer made and sourcing them is difficult and expensive. Sometimes, I must purchase another tool just for a single part. I believe in transparency and tell you what I have done. I have decades of experience restoring antique tools. Please look closely at the pictures and make sure this is the item you want before purchasing. Only the item listed is included. Items in the background are for scale reference and display suggestion only.
Read below a fictitious story of how the No. 100 might have come to be. This level offered is a production model and not the prototype mentioned.

OurVery Best

The No. 100The Level that Almost Didn't Happen

By Pete Feehery

Foreward

After much research about Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett and Co., OVB, and the Stanley made No.100 and inspecting a possible prototype in the posession of a collector, my own being of ancestry to some prominent members of Wells Fargo Freight, and a student of American Tool industry, I wrote the following historical fiction story about how this level might have come to be.

Chapter One

The Owl’s Nest

Jake peered down athis finger nails and noticed they were dirty, especially when compared to hisnew manager, who seemed to be a young and disrespectful man who thought he hadall the answers. At one time, Jake would have worried about his appearance and intimidated by his own dirty nails. He could simply say that he was a working man. In the deep recesses of his heart, he knew thereal reason was that he just didn’t care about cleaning them as often anymore.He was growing comfortable with older age and just couldn’t be bothered.

It should have been an exciting time, moving to the newbuilding and the start-up of new operations. The state of the art State StreetBridge fireproof building they had occupied since 1903 was now being condemned.For Jake, it was as if his whole existence had been condemned along with theold building wondering if he too would be replaced soon.The 1920's were not starting out to be such a good time. Too many changes. Bill Reuben, his new manager was pushing Jaketo get everything done. He wanted to know what Jake intended to do about warehouse Locker 42.

As they opened the creaky doors and flipped the switch, thedim light revealed the shelves populated with items from the past. Many boxesof replacement parts and now obsolete items that were of great value and seemedtoo good to discard at the time and had placed, as protocol, on the shelves, were nowpresenting themselves as an embarrassment.

“What is all this?”

“These are old replacement parts, some proto-types and itemsthat we no longer offer. We kept these items catalogued and available as itemsof our company’s history. Should be coming up on 75 years before long.” Jake responded with a sense of pride andaccomplishment.

“It’s dead stock, inventory that is taking up valuable space.It’s all rubbish and I want it thrown out and not moved to the new building.”

With that, Bill turned and pranced off to his next task. Jakelooked down at the wood handled shovel next to the door and saw the OVB labelon the blade. For a brief moment, the thought...naw! Shouldn't even think like that, and as quickly asked the Lord for forgiveness forhaving such thoughts. Jake settled for calling him a bastard silently to himself.

Jake thought of calling it the Owl's Nest. He remembered as a young man growing up on a farm anddiscovering an owl’s nest in the barn. As he removed the nest as instructed and cleaned outall the straw, sticks and debris, he thought of how hard the owl had worked tocreate his masterpiece and here he was destroying the nest because it was inthe way. He reflected that he now understood how the owl felt when someone witha different agenda came along and didn’t appreciate what he had accomplished.Bill didn’t appreciate his work from all those years and viewed it as a messthat needed to be destroyed.

Jake walked down the hallway and one last time looked in tothe bull pen where he met with his crew every morning to discuss the day’stasks. The old pot belly stove had sat there for many years and used to warmthe coffee pot. Behind the bull pen was the maintenance room with a wall fullof tools for fixing things and adjacent to that was the oak door with a brassname plate and Jake’s name still on it.Mr. Bartlett himself had given this to Jake many years earlier. Heconnected to Mr. Bartlett as he had started with the company as a janitor andlater became one of the principal owners. He always came to see the men andwould talk with them and inspired them all. Jake missed his old friend as he unscrewed the brass plate sign to be taken home.

Jake closed his eyes for a moment and reflected on happiertimes. He now walked back to the storage warehouse and began taking inventoryof the items on the shelves. A handplane made by Sandusky with the name AC Bartlett, Ohio hadn’t been dusted insome time; stacks of wooden boxes with Stanley No. 208 Proved Level Glasseswith the dark green labels made him remember not only shipping these, but thelevels that came back for servicing and vial glass replacement. He saw several small bags of plaster, once used for setting the replacement vials, now hardened from the moisture in the air. These glassreplacement vials were now sold in pasteboard boxes.

And then here it was! One of Jake’s favorite items, arosewood level, sat in the middle of the fourth row of shelves all alone andcarefully protected in a pasteboard box. For a moment, Jake thought of happiertimes, happier times many years ago when he was a young man and important tothe company. His reflection took him back to the No.100.

Chapter Two

The New Guy

It was a Wednesday, September of 1910 and the warehouse was buzzing with activity.Shipments for all the activity in Texas, especially Galveston, and now San Francisco were of highestpriorities. Hardware purveyors everywhere were placing orders as demand waspeaking for tools, hardware, kitchen goods, guns, and kerosene lamps. Dock five and six both hadWells Fargo wagons loading and the rail car docks were all busy with menloading box cars destined for points everywhere. Jake was happiest when it waslike this. Times were very good. Some spoke of those newfangled automobiles and trucks that were to replace the horse and mule drawn wagons.

As he delved into his endless paperwork and manifests a very annoying knock came on the jamb of his always open door.

“Excuse the intrusion sir, but if I may have a quick word with you, Imight be able to be of assistance.”

“And who are you?”

“Name’s Ben Fischal. I am with the Stanley Tool & Level Co. I am yournew salesman.”

“What happened to old Clark?”

“He has retired. Would it be worth your while to invest a few minutes ofyour time to discuss issues you might have?I promise to just take a few minutes.”

Suspicious of this new guy, but impressed that he appeared tobe interested in what he did Jake responds, “I can give you about tenminutes.”

“Perfect, I really appreciate your time. In looking over your account, Isee that Hibbard, Spencer and Bartlett Company are very important to ourcompany. Stanley Rule & Level Company is one of the largest manufacturersof tools and hardware in the United States and has multiple private labelbrands. I can see that HS&B is one of our largest clients with regard toour levels and several other tool lines. Would it be okay if we discussed thoselines and possibly go a step further and see if you have any ideas pertainingto ways we might be able to grow our businesses together? Would it be all right if I asked you a fewquestions about that?”

Jake replied, “Okay. “

“How many vendors do you deal with on a yearly basis?”

“I deal with too many vendors! It is a real nightmare sometimes to keepup with all of them.”

“I see. Tell me about your receiving process. Does that always gosmoothly?”

“No, as a matter of fact, we often get orders in that we have waited forweeks and they have multiple items backordered. The worst is hardware. We sella lot of hardware and it is bad when we are out of important items.”

“Tell me about your ordering process. How do you decide what to order andthen how do you place the stock order?”

“I have a basket for each group of items, such as tools, which arefurther divided into things like levels, chisels, screwdrivers, hand planes,saws, hammers, screwdrivers and then things like shovels, picks, axes and hoes.As items are pulled to fulfill orders, we begin to build replacement orderswith various manufacturers. No offence, but we buy our hand saws from Disston& Sons. “

“No offence taken, they are the best and make a lot of our saws also.”

“Yeah, but nobody can touch the quality of your miter saw. I know that’sa Disston saw, but we buy the combo of saw and miter stand from you guys.”

“Tell me about the ordering process. How do you place the orders?”

“I use the requisition forms provided by the various manufacturers andpost them. Our company requires a written purchase order for each transaction.The receiving manufacturer then posts a confirmation back to us. The order thenusually arrives in a few weeks. Some take about a month.”

“Do you ever use telegrams to place the order and then post your writtenpurchase order?”

“I hadn’t thought of doing that.”

“My goodness Jake, will you look at the time! We agreed on ten minutesand it’s been eleven. Would it be all right if we continued this conversationon my next visit?”

“Ben, there’s a coffee pot on the stove over there in the bull pen. Whydon’t you pour yourself a cup and come back in here and wait for a few minuteswhile I give a few orders and check on the men. When I get back, we’ll talksome more right now.”

Over the next few weeks, Ben and Jake had many conversationsabout the business and by using the telegraph, the orders placed with Stanleyreduced his lead time by several days. Each purchase order was properlyexecuted and all the paperwork was in order, but Ben had stepped in front ofhis competition by working with the person who could most influence the buydecision, the end users.

The hardware and dry good stores across America were able toget the Stanley tools faster than the other brands and therefore sold more.This caused HS&B to purchase more.

Sure Ben called on the main buyers who arranged the items inthe catalogs and worked in the office portion of the building. They were waryof Ben’s discussions as they wanted each supplier to know their place and keepprices low. Before long, Ben’s offeringof Stanley Tools were dominating the catalog, especially with the private labelOVB or “Our Very Best” brand.

Chapter Three

The Idea

Jake liked Ben and saw him as sharp, personable and a verygood listener. He trusted him enough to share one of his best ideas, theoffering a private label OVB rosewood level that would be popular and sell alot of units.

“I have an idea. I believe if Stanley were to make a Number 25 stylelevel with the rotating disc covers on a laminated rosewood stock, we couldmake that a very popular level. But I would want it to be exclusive to the OVBbrand.”

Ben pondered the uphill battle of convincing folks at Stanleyto build a prototype level and then to bring it to the powers at HS&B andask for a production order. He could just imagine all the reasons they mightgive for it not working or no one would buy it. It was a part of the businesshe was not really allowed to meddle in. But he sure didn’t want to tell Jake itwould never get past the people in the offices.

“Is there someone in this organization that you believe you could tellyour idea and help me move this along to the prototype stage?”

“Oh, you’d be willing to do that and try to advance this forward?”

Now Ben was committed. All he was trying to do was find outif Jake had any allies who might ask for the prototype. Now, Jake had placedthe success or failure of the idea in Ben's hands.

“Mr. Bartlett is my friend. He comes down here often and checks on all ofus. If you happened to be here, you could help me ask him.”

“I’d be happy to do that, but I would caution you. The process they havein place for ordering items and asking for a prototype would be in the office.If we ask Mr. Bartlett out here, if he used the idea he would threaten those inthe office. Maybe if I presented a prototype and see if they thought it was agood idea. There would be no promises though.”

“Heck Ben, I got all the faith in the world in you. If anyone can get this to market, I know itis you.”

As Ben rode the streetcar back to the hotel he wondered howhe got himself into this mess. Then he decided that the challenge was really anopportunity. It would be important that he try and he figured he knew just theman for the task back in New Britain, Connecticut.

Several weeks later he walked into his boss’s office and hada proposal prepared.

“Good to see you Ben! I knew you were the man for the job when I hiredyou. Our sales with Hibbard, Spencer, and Bartlett are up 19% over the previousyear. Just keep doing what you are doing. I like the results.”

Mr. Jackson’s comments were typical. Ben remembered how Mr.Jackson had such doubts when Ben was hired. The committee voted to hire him andMr. Jackson finally went along. Everyone said it was because Ben didn’t kissthe prima donna’s feet.

“Mr. Jackson, I have a proposal. One of the employees at Hibbard, Spencer,and Bartlett has an idea for a level that could be a private label best seller.Would it be okay if I were to have Ebenezer build a prototype? I could take itand present it to the folks at HS&B. Just think if we were to offer a newtool and it was to sell really well, they would really look at you as beingquite the innovator.”

“Ben, you go see Ebenezer and tell him I said to build you a level. Theydon’t like change over there, but you can sure try. Let me know how you do withit.”

Ben was very appreciative that Mr. Jackson granted permissionto proceed. Now all he had to do was convince old Ebenezer to just make it andkeep quiet about it.

Finally in May, the level was ready. Just as he always did,Ebenezer produced a fine level with hand selected rosewood with a laminatedcherry core. One piece had a distinct edge with a small area of sap wood thatwould provide a slight contrast to the stunning curled patterns of the Brazilianrosewood. The lacquer finish was flawless and they gave the level the OVB stampon the nameplate and the designation of Number 100 as Stanley hadn’t used thatnumber yet.

Chapter Four

The Pitch

Even if the decision makers turned him down, Ben knew hecould present the level to Jake and he would treasure it. As the trolley cameto a rolling stop, Ben leaped off with the box under his arm. He anticipatedthe look on Jake’s face when he presented the level.

As he went down the hall toward Jake’s office and past thebull pen, he could see that someone important was in the warehouse today. Hewas an imposing man, tall, stocky build and exuded confidence and power abouthim. Ben speculated he was Mr. Bartlett. He was correct.

Jake could barely contain himself, “Mr. Bartlett, this is theStanley salesman Ben Fischal.”

“Good morning sir, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“Good morning to you. I hear good things about you out here in theshipping and receiving department and inside the offices. Everyone says you arevery helpful.”

“They are very kind sir. You have a great team and they make my job lookeasy.”

“If you ever get tired of working for Stanley, you will always have anopening here if you want it. Salesmen are quite important to the OVB Brand.”

“I appreciate that sir.”

“What do you have in the box?”

Mr. Bartlett circled Ben like a curious cat looking at thepackage he guarded under his arm.

“It is a prototype level sir. One that Jake gave me the idea for.”

Jake glared at Ben for telling Mr. Bartlett it was his idea.

“Well, let’s all have a look.Later this morning we can all go to the war room and you both canpresent it to the marketing team. We’ll see what they say.”

Ben slowly opened the pasteboard box and removed the paperwrapped level. Undoing the twine that secured the paper, the wrapping fell awayin an almost seductive and teasing style revealing a stunning piece of qualitywood working.

“That is a beautiful piece!” Mr. Bartlett exclaimed.

“Most of these rosewood models in the market are brass bound. This levelis fashioned after a fairly common and plain level. What made you decide tomake this model in rosewood?”

A little surprised at Mr. Bartlett’s intimate knowledge ofthe level market, Ben figured he would practice his sales pitch for the boardright now.

“The 300 and 500 line that Stanley private labels as OVB and the Stanleyoffering of the No 30 and No 50 are among Hibbard, Spencer and Bartlett’s topselling common levels. They are part of the Stanley value line of levels thatappeal to the medium level craftsman and the emerging homeowner market. We seemodels from competitors as well as our model 95, 96 and 98 made from Brazilian Rosewoodor Mahogany and bound in brass beginning to be sold outside the gentlemen’s andprofessional wood worker trades group.

The number 100 OVB would be anexclusive model crafted in tri-laminate rosewood and having brass lips and fullend caps and a heavy brass top plate like the No. 25. We could offer the neweradjustable discs that have a hole in the top center of the brass to assist inadjusting the vials. This won’t be introduced until the new model lines appearin late 1911 for the 1912 catalog. If we launch the Model 100 now, it would have the standard Stanleyplates like the prototype. I brought one of the new discs with the hole in thetop, which is proprietary and the patent has been applied for and ispending. We believe this change will beenough to extend the patent design on the discs another few years. We have hadto defend our patent multiple times against several competitors who are tryingto copy the design. I am not supposed to have this.”

Mr. Bartlett inquires, “So you believe by just offering a non-brassbound rosewood level that customers would pay a premium price over a cherry ormahogany level? We don’t even offer the No. 25 as it is hard to sell thepremium for the mahogany, which is only 6% higher than the cherry models. The number 500 is mahogany. Manyof these customers are beginning to buy the all wood value lines such as the No00, 0 and others. We also see the number 5 with a little extra brass and thenumber 3 emerging as the new workhorses.”

Jake interjects, “There is a growing demand for premiumlevels and many tools. I have heard from some of our customers that they areordering Stratton and Stanley premium levels from our competitors. Other linesare emerging from Disston.”

Mr. Bartlett challenges, “Yes but Disston brass bound levels are incherry. Their fluted hand hold is one up on you guys and they are supplying the levels for Simmons. And their overlapped endcap has all but eliminated rail slippage.”

Ben returns to the conversation, “What you say is true. However,given the clientele we cater to through you as a distributor, a moderatelypriced premium level with a lower cost to produce could boost sales and takethe focus off the brass binding, an expensive process. Even the Disston cherrybrass bounds are premium priced because of the binding.”

“Yes and we don’t list them in the catalogue. But let’s bring thisbeautiful prototype before the board this morning; make your presentation andwe’ll let them decide. I am most appreciative to both of you for taking thisinitiative. Regardless of the board’s decision on this level, I would hope youwill introduce some more items.”

As they approached the offices they could see a whirlwind ofactivity on the agenda. Board members were standing out by the edge of the roadinspecting the newest OVB delivery truck. As they entered the waiting area,salesmen from multiple manufacturers waited their turn to make the pitch. Benfelt a little intimidated and decided to do something he probably shouldn’t do.

“Jake, wait here for a moment. I’m going to install the new rotating vialdisc with the adjusting hole on top before we show this. That might give ussome sort of edge.”

“Ben, I like it just the way it is. We can just show them the new disc.Besides, it doesn’t have any writing on it. Stanley requires their patent onthese even if it private label.”

“They don’t know that. It’s just a prototype. I’ll be right back.”

Ben went into the Men’s Room and pulled out the multi-tool hecarried in his pocket at all times. As he unscrewed the cap and selected thescrewdriver blade he wanted, he thought of how smooth and rich the rosewoodhandle felt in his grasp. He quickly removed the left hand side adjusting discand slipped it into his pocket. In its place, he set the new disc.

However, it didn’t quite seat properly as the machining onthe newer disc would call for a different mortising setting. Just thethousandth of an inch difference was detected by touch. Quickly, Ben changedblades to the chisel and skillfully planed the bottom of the hole smooth. Thistime the disc fit perfectly. He removed the blade and returned the multi-toolto his pocket and left the shavings on the floor of the Men’s Room.

Jake was furious that Ben had changed out the disc with thenewer style. It detracted from the beauty of the level. Ben understood from theexperience of hundreds of pitches that they needed to see the concept in actionand often presented samples that had cutaways and multiple applications ofbindings, no bindings, lips, tips and end plates, often on the same level. Thatwould have driven Jake crazy.

As they received the call to make the pitch, Jake lookedpathetic feeling nervous and out of place in front of the board. Ben was ready.

“Imagine our customers entering the hardware store with the intention ofpurchasing a level today. As he looks through the display models, his attentionis drawn to the OVB Number 100 model made in beautiful Brazilian Rosewood. Nothaving added cost of brass bindings, this is a beautiful level that he canjustify and afford. He has the combination of pride and value in this tool.”

The members of the board passed the level around the tableand each ran their fingers over the rosewood appreciating the fine beauty and heft ofthe item.

Ben then went in for the greatest feature of all. “Ifyou will notice that the vial disc on the left has the new adjustment hole atthe top of the disc. This will be a new feature on the 1911-12 models to beintroduced soon.”

Ben wasn’t sure anyone heard him as they kept admiring therosewood.

“This is a beautiful level and we will take it under consideration. I am intrigued by the idea of having a rotating disc without the Stanley name and unique to the OVB model 100.”

With that Ben and Jake were through with the presentation.

As they walked back to the bull pen, Jake remarked, “I don’tsee how you do that. I just froze up and you spoke to them with ease.”

Ben just smiled. On the trolley-ride to his next stop Benwondered what the board’s decision would be. He also worried about the enthusiasm for the solid brass disc without the Stanley name. That had been required and this was the new disc that wasn't even out yet. Ben worried about getting in a lot of trouble.

Chapter Five

Modest Success

A few weeks later the level can back to Jake with a prototypetag for storage. That could mean the level had not been chosen for offering andwould be placed in archive in case it would be reconsidered at another time. Hewas disappointed and yet satisfied with the efforts Ben had made. Jake placedthe level on the shelf in its box and went back to work.

The following morning Jake was informed that the OVB No. 100would be in introduced in the next catalogue and begin ordering stock. Theywould start out offering it the 24” and 28” lengths only. And Stanley had agreed to the plain disc. Jake was ecstatic.

Ben and Jake had become very good friends and proposed othertools and items, most of which were rejected. When America entered the GreatWar, Ben enlisted to go fight. He never returned.

In the dim light in the warehouse locker, Jake reflected on how much he missed Ben and the good timesthey had working together. As the old man held the level he reflected on how itwas his idea. His new boss had told him to discard the items in the warehouse, so he brought the OVB No 100 and several of the wooden level vial boxes home thatnight. He placed the level on the mantle over the fireplace and admired thebeauty of the rosewood. Even though it had been somewhat successful, it wentout of production a few years later. Mr. Bartlett was correct, the premium forthe Rosewood on the No. 100, made some of the patrons purchase the Mahogany No.500 or the Cherry No. 300. The 208 levelboxes bookended the level on the mantle with their finger jointed corners reminding him ofbetter times and the beauty of the items they used to sell, giving way tocardboard boxes and other innovations that weren’t necessarily for the better. He thought of how this new world had absolutely no romance left.

The fate of the prototype.

A few years after its introduction, Stanley and HSB & Co, would movefarther apart and orders for the No. 100 were suspended. Stanley utilized theremaining stock and offered the No. 100 in a limited capacity (never listed ina Stanley catalogue) with the Stanley Top Plate with multiple patent dates andthe rotating discs with Stanley impressed, just like the No. 25 only inRosewood.

When Jake passed away his son came to clean out the house andput it up for sale. Seeing the rosewood level on the mantle he took that forhis own use and it reminded him of his father. He used it several times to hanga shelf in the kitchen for his wife and once to check the construction of theback porch being added to his house.

Jake's grandson would sell it to an antique dealer at an estate saleand today Jake’s level is out there somewhere with its current owners with one Stanley and one plain disc, the one Ben had installedand no doubt worth a great deal. It is aremarkable piece of American history and reflects a time at the turn of thecentury, when the industrial revolution produced some of the greatestinnovation the world has ever seen, and proved that people will purchase what they want and there might not be a predictable reason.

The End