Hope Page ads

[sitkadiver]

I've been keeping an eye open for a Hope Page mouthpiece for my New England Divers reg.

One of the things I came across while googling on the computer were these ads from the Hope Page Manufacturing company. I was surprised that Hope Page made a metal mouthpiece, and that they were distributed through U.S. Divers. The address on the ad for USD is Broxton Ave, so I'm guessing these ads are prior to 1958.

http://www.skindivinghistory.com/mfg_re ... index.html

I am still learning about vintage gear and this is one of those exciting little tid-bits that gets me excited.

Another interesting fact: Hope Page created a cartoon character named Grunion. This got me to thinking about the USS Grunion, which was found recently near Kiska Island, Alaska. She is still on patrol.

I got to meet the survey crew that located her when they stopped in Sitka for fuel. Great bunch of people and I had a good time chatting with them at the local.

Here is a Youtube video about the USS Grunion:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF5stOv7PeQ[/video]

[21]

Rory Page was a neighbor, fellow pioneer LA Co UW instructor and friend.
Rory lived a block south of my home--but about 10 blocks west.
Rory, Harry Vetter, Doc Matheson and I taught LA Co Certified SCUBA classes at the Long Beach YMCA ...Decades ago.
We visited on occasion to catch up and tell service stories.. He was a USAAC (US ARMY AIR CORPs)Captain in WW11 and I was a USAF Captain in Korean war...Rory had the best stories...He was a fighter pilot in Europe. Was Shot down three times, bailed once crashed twice (but came home with the air craft)
He was sent back to US to train pilots how not to get shot down, where he spent the rest of the war. Never fulfilled his ambition to became an ace.
Went to college became an engineer, invented Hope- Page... Charlie Hope put up the money Rory the brains...
Heathway's with Dick Klein as president and a Sam Le Cocq (both Crooks) at his side copied the Hope Page non return valve, made a few changes and produced it as a Healthways product--And said to Charlie and Rory..Sue us!
One visit to Rory's Home he offered me all his patents and his tooling setting on a shelf in his garage. What would I EVER need those things? So I graciously turned him down..
About 20 years ago I wrote an article for the HDS journal about the Hope-Page and Rory titled "Hope Springs eternity." I recall that as the title..

Hopefully this will give you a certain amount of insight on Rory and his Mouth piece

SDM

[Popeye]

Back in the day,the Navy divers I worked with either loved or hated the Hope Page mouthpiece.
My metal mouthpiece was damaged (where the rubber mouthpiece attached) and I throw it out, thinking back I could have repaired it.
My old chief liked the plastic healthways version, so every time I overhauled his regulator I had to try to get parts for it. As USD improved there own mouth pieces with one way valves
I updated all the USD regulators.

[sitkadiver]

Thank you for the background information gentlemen. I am again appalled by the dishonor present among thieves. I hadn't realized the Healthways version of the Hope Page was a rip off. Now I'm a little less anxious to collect them.

This does beg the question of litigation though. Healthways called the mouthpiece and improved Hope Page design, left Hope Page on the mouth piece and advertised it for $7.95. They claim the price reduction was due to HW's superior manufacturing process. That was in 1956 according to what I can find. I would assume that Mr. Page and Mr. Hope did try to place a lean on the products sales since it disappears from catalogs by 1961.

[21]

According to Rory he and Charlie made their investment back and then some. Healthways made well over 10% design change in size, shape, color, material only the function was the same, so it would have cost Rory and Charlie considerable money to contest the fragrant patent violation.

Healthways DID NOT have a good reputation in SoCal, most of their products were targeted and sold to small shops outside of LA basin and elsewhere in the US.
Healthways was the progenitor of three other companies; Sportsways, SCUBA pro and SCUBA Master.

Sportsways had presentable modern products but horrible dealer and customer serice and was acquired after about a year by a automotive hub cap manufacture

SCUBA Pro, lasted one year & one catalog 1962 prior to going bankrupt and the name being acquired by Gus DeLa Valle and Dick Bonin who rapidly distanced themselves from Healthways

SCUBA Master was established and the name SCUBA was acquired by Dick's nephew in the early 1970s. The damage was done and the company lasted about 18 months in the market place

SDM