Bryan wrote:In HDS, Volume 13, Issue 1......Number 42, Winter 2005 Phil Nuytten outlines serial numbers and dates for the early two stage though the 58 DA but I don't see any reference to other models.
BTW, in my opinion, this is one of the REQUIRED READING issues for anyone interested in the history of SCUBA and especially double hose diving.
Is there any way (other than going through the back order process) that we can get a copy of this article in the VDH bullpen. This volume and reference seems to always pop up, but when I go to HDS, they are ALWAYS out of them. Just asking.
Also, here is the link to Hose color types that Bryan gets really tired of re-posting.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kp91liivcyejt ... d.jpg?dl=0
NOW LET'S GO OFF INTO THE WEEDS OF TIME AND SPACE!
I will disagree with Ovalis, in that I believe your reg. was made in late 1961 to early 62. The 1963 catalog clearly shows that in that model year the Mistral had a "new type' Kleer-EZ mouthpiece and all black configuration. When in doubt look at the catalogs
but beware. The picture in the 1962 USD catalog is of an older "up-graded" DW "Stream Air" with a Mistral sticker on it. This was probably a stock photo and USD was notoriously cheap when upgrading their catalogs. Also, by 1962, USD had replaced the so-called "improved" hose clamps (beginning in "possibly" very late 59 and running till 1961) with the new nut and bolt configuration that VDH produces to this day. They also (and I quote the 1962 and 1963 catalog in the photos below) came with a KLEER-EZ mouthpiece (read further on for clarification) in 1962 though the picture, of course, shows the older reg pic. the same reg. incidentally, that appears in the 1958-62 catalogs.
Technically, the 1962 Mistral should look identical (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE YELLOW HOSE COLOR) to the 1963 Mistral
according to the product description, as the so-called "scientifically designed" mouthpiece (Curved mouthpiece) had just come out in 1962; see below
Mistral 62.jpg remember this is a Stream Air photo!
1963 Mistral.jpg
But according to Ovanessian's research, the1962 had a straight mouthpiece, which leads to this question; "What is meant by a KLEER-EZ (Clear Easy) mouthpiece?" In fact, all mouthpieces (with the exception of the metal ones such as in the Overpressure regulator) that had one-way check valves were called Kleer-EZ mouthpieces by the US Divers Company, whether straight or curved. Though many of us (myself included for a while) thought that only the curved mouthpiece from 1963 was called the Kleer-EZ. Case in point see the picture of the straight mouthpiece from the 1957 US Divers catalog below:
1957 Kleer-EZ mouthpiece (Straight Mouthpiece).jpg
Regarding your regulator, it still has the "improved" clamps from the late 59 (possibly) to 61 production era. Granted USD didn't throw anything away, but in the purer sense, I would go with late 1961/early 62 as the time zone for your reg, as USD had left W. PICO/DELI after 1961.
There are no W. Deli Mistrals as Bryan had pointed out to me once, in that W. Pico and W. Deli were essentially the same location, but Los Angeles had renamed the street to W. Deli and USD didn't feel the need to change the Mistral's data plate. They did change the address on DAAM at this time, however, and you will find Mistrals with the W. Warner change on the data plate of 1963 Mistrals with all black hose configurations. This concludes my dithering using references available here on VDH and my own collection of now a ghastly 50+ regs.
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