Thread Number: 6714
Shetland Lewyt - A Forgotten Brand? |
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Post# 74258 , Reply# 1   7/3/2009 at 07:35 (5,404 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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It was weird seeing the three letters "SCM" in front of the Lewyt name on these vacs. SCM stood for "Smith Corona Marchand" and was the same company that made Smith Corona typewriters. It would be interesting to find out the corporate history of post "Big Wheel" Lewyt - how did it get engaged to Smith Corona? And why the name "Shetland" for it's vac line? Was it related to the word "horsepower" which was in vogue in vac marketing in those days? They did indeed remind me of Eureka canisters in those days. The tools were stored on little knobs on top of the unit, and there was even a dial to control suction, similar to the early Eureka Vibra-Beat canned ham machines. I loved the colour of the tools, and I think they even offered a dusting brush with white bristles which to this day I think is a brilliant idea for an attachment that is meant to clean delicate furnishings. Someone recently posted an SCM Lewyt canister like you described - it had groovy 60's love-child flowers on it! |
Post# 74265 , Reply# 2   7/3/2009 at 09:40 (5,404 days old) by buffalo-joe ()   |   | |
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I'm not a big poster here anymore, but read daily. Here is a link to a post I made on my Shetland 2 years ago. Joe CLICK HERE TO GO TO buffalo-joe's LINK |
Post# 74267 , Reply# 3   7/3/2009 at 10:11 (5,404 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)   |   | |
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Hi Erick: I've only come across one Shetland Lewyt with that style of motor in it so I dont think they used it for very long. The body style you describe was the lower line at the time (see picture) with the delux ones being made with the step on switch and handle in front. To my knowledge when Lewyt went bankrupt the rights to the name and the moulds for the attachments and a few other things were bought up by the Shetland Manufacturing Co. which was a subsidiary of SCM. Doug |
Post# 74268 , Reply# 4   7/3/2009 at 10:15 (5,404 days old) by vinvac (Dubuque IA)   |   | |
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One of the vacuums I grew up with. When my mother thought her Kirby 508 had died, she purchased a Shetland with her Raleigh Cigarette coupons, of course forgetting she had the life time rebuild on the Kirby ($11.75 plus shipping). She hated the vacuum from day one and finally went back to using the Kirby. I thought it is was a great machine, we did not have the bare floor tool, I think had mom had that she would have liked the cleaner better. She did not like using the paper bags, she would try to reuse them over and over again, thinking it was to expensive to purchase bags. Brings back memories Morgan |
Post# 74277 , Reply# 5   7/3/2009 at 11:29 (5,404 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)   |   | |
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Your comment about Raligh cigerettes made me remember that I started out on those in 1967, switched to Benson & Hedges 100s menthol a few years later and smoked up to three packs a day. I quit cold turkey in October of 75. In fact I was living in Dubuque at he time. Somewhere on Central ave is an apt with two cartons of cigerettes in the far corner of the living room ceiling. In order to force myself to quit I removed the ceiling tile, shoved the cigerettes as far back as possible and replaced the tile. I had cravings for two weeks but never lit up again! Alex Taber |
Post# 74278 , Reply# 6   7/3/2009 at 11:33 (5,404 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)   |   | |
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Post# 74281 , Reply# 7   7/3/2009 at 12:39 (5,404 days old) by joe22 ()   |   | |
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they were also sold rebadged at montgomery wards as their "low end" canisters. same for the stick vac. |
Post# 74284 , Reply# 8   7/3/2009 at 13:01 (5,404 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)   |   | |
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Post# 74287 , Reply# 9   7/3/2009 at 13:14 (5,404 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Here's a 1969 description of the SCM company from another website (www.winkworth.us...): The SCM Corporation today consists of the consolidation of the SCM Corporation and the Glidden Company, which merger occurred in July of this Year. In the Fortune magazine 500 biggest companies, SCM ranked 311th in 1966. The Glidden Company ranked 226th. The combined company SCM, Glidden and Allied when merged, with combined sales of over $700 million per year, should rank with the largest 100 companies in the United States. The firm's present name, SCM Corporation, was adopted in 1963 and comes from three of its original component firms, Smith-Corona Inc., and Marchant Calculators Inc., both well known producers of typewriters and other business machines. T h e SCM executive offices are at 410 Park Ave., New York. (SCM was incorporated in New York in 1924 as successor to a company formed in 1903. Since 1956 the company, then Smith-Corona Inc., has substantially diversified its activities. In 1956 it acquired Kleinschmidt Laboratories Inc., a manufacturer of telecommunications equipment and in 1958, Marchant Calculators Inc., a manufacturer of rotary calculators, and British Typewriters, a manufacturer of typewriters in England. In 1960 it entered the office copy field. In 1966 it acquired the Proctor-Silex Corporation, a manufacturer of portable electric appliances and other housewares and industrial drying equipment, and, in 1967, L&W Machine Works, Inc, a manufacturer of textile finishing equipment, and The Shetland Co., Inc, a manufacturer of electric housewares and floor care equipment. Also in 1967, the Glidden-Durkee Division was added by merger, Glidden is engaged in the manufacture and sale of a diversified group of products including food products, paints and chemicals. The SCM Corporation, as currently constituted, has 30 percent of its sales in office equipment, 31 per cent in coatings, resins and chemicals, 26 percent in foods, 7 percent in household appliances and housewares and 6 per cent in other categories. In the Office equipment field, SCM manufactures a broad line of electric and manual portable and office typewriters sold under the Smith-Corona name as well as manufacturing under a private label. The SCM electrostatic office copying machine enjoys the second largest distribution in the United States and requires very large quantities of specially coated papers. SCM is one of the largest manufacturers of coatings and resins in the United States and is well known for its complete line of paints, enamels, lacquers, varnishes and other products. They are traded principally under the brand names Glidden and Spread-Satin. The chemicals operation of Glidden-Durkee includes manufacture of pigments, colors, metal powders and organic chemicals. It is one of five major producers of titanium dioxide used in paper as well as in paints. Glidden-Durkee's organic chemicals are manufactured from the basic raw materials sulphate, turpentine and crude tail oil, by-products of the kraft paper industry, of which Allied is a part. Glidden-Durkee's Durkee Foods operations produce industrial food products, specially prepared or packaged food products for the food service industry and a well known line of consumer food items. Fourteen plants in the United States and one in Belgium are used in these operations. Proctor-Silex Incorporated, a subsidiary of SCM, manufacturers, at four plants in the United States and one plant in Canada, irons and ironing tables, pads and covers, toasters, coffee makers, ice cream freezers, juicers, drink mixers and other household appliances. Shetland Incorporated, another subsidiary, produces, at one plant in the United States and one in Canada, electric floor polishers, rug shampooers and related floor care products, vacuum cleaners and electric blenders, knives and can openers. The principal trademarks are "Shetland" and "Lewyt". The research, engineering and product development efforts of SCM are directed primarily toward improvement of existing products lines and development of new products in related fields Approximately 1,000 employees are engaged in these efforts. Research and development expenditures during the fiscal years ended June 30, 1965, 1966 and 1967 amounted to approximately $9,909,000, $11,013,000 and $13,465,000, respectively. Fascinating stuff......would be interesting to find out what vacs were made by Shetland before it was acquired by SCM..... |
Post# 74290 , Reply# 10   7/3/2009 at 13:45 (5,404 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)   |   | |
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Hey Brian: Thanks - that fills in another bit. Going by that write up it means that the Machines that just have Shetland - Lewyt on them were made between 1962 when they took over the Lewyt name and 1967 when they became a subsidiary of SCM. The ones from 1967 on have the SCM Shetland - Lewyt name. Helps to date them a bit easier anyway. Doug |
Post# 74300 , Reply# 11   7/3/2009 at 16:23 (5,404 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 74337 , Reply# 13   7/3/2009 at 22:43 (5,403 days old) by ridgidvac ()   |   | |
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What yr was the beige Lewyt tools made? I had a crevice tool & a dust brush (but hated the bristles since they're too stiff) |
Post# 74341 , Reply# 14   7/3/2009 at 23:36 (5,403 days old) by collector2 (Moose Jaw, Sk)   |   | |
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Post# 74473 , Reply# 15   7/5/2009 at 22:38 (5,401 days old) by normvac (COLUMBUS, OHIO)   |   | |
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Joe, good to hear from you. Miss talking with you and seeing you on occassion. Norm |
Post# 74506 , Reply# 17   7/6/2009 at 13:19 (5,401 days old) by vinvac (Dubuque IA)   |   | |
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Post# 292376 , Reply# 18   8/8/2014 at 04:25 (3,542 days old) by Brad845 (Harlan, Kentucky)   |   | |
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So I was going to purchase a Shetland ..
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Post# 292414 , Reply# 19   8/8/2014 at 12:16 (3,542 days old) by DesertTortoise ()   |   | |
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Vinvac, what is the exact URL for this All Bags site? I have tried "all bags.com","allbags.com" and "all bags vacuum bags" with no success. Do you have a link? |
Post# 292474 , Reply# 21   8/8/2014 at 21:42 (3,542 days old) by smow69 (Muskogee Oklahoma)   |   | |
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here is the motor it is $35.00 plus $9.99 shipping.on ebay |