Garrow Test Your Muscles identified

[chris1972]

Hi all,
I recently purchased a penny test your muscles machine and was wondering if anyone knows who its made by and roughly how old it is, I can't find any information on the internet about it, I'd like to restore in but have no idea what its original colours should be?
Thanks in advance for any help.

[badpenny]

Great Strewthness! If it was really held onto a wall by those two flimsy screw attachments I reckon even I could yank it off brickwork let alone the compressed egg boxes today's walls are made of.

I'm sure somebody will soon come along to tell you all about it ..... I can't.
However welcome to the premier slot site in The UK.

BP
ps Is it open? Can we see inside it? What coin does it take? What's your wife called?

[pennymachines]

Chris,
Although it looks quite plain, you have a very rare and early piece there. If you wade through this thread, you will find another example pictured (with link to patent), and mention of another, possibly painted red: Barrett Test Your Twist

Your twister was patented by James Garrow of Rutherglen, Scotland in 1890. Special claims:

...not only gives the strength of the person using it in lbs. on a suitable dial, but delivers a cigar, cigarette or other article at a given point, also exhibits one or more advertisements or pictures, as well as one or more good advices, or such like to the person using it...

Pat GB20660

[treefrog]

Looks lovely machine, nice and small. I als love the paint, colour and wear to it, if it were me I would keep as is and just clean and polish.

[daveslot]

i agree with TF, leave it as it is, the old paint has merit

[13rebel]

I vote to leave it too.

[pennymachines]

And when I mentioned there may be one in red paint, I wasn't suggesting you paint yours to match...

[chris1972]

Thanks for all the information and comments, obviously when I bought this penny machine I didn't know what I'd bought, how old it was or how rare it is, I'm not a collector and bought it because I liked the look of it. I get what your all saying about the paint but it does look better in the photos than in real life and in my opinion isn't original and is very poorly done having said that it will be left as is for now, I do prefer the way it looks in this photo.

Once again I'd like to thank you for all your comments.

[downunda]

Please post a pic of all sides and inside. Really interesting object that.

The patent looks like the coin was used to "engage" the twist mechanism. Trouble is, that could end up bending the coins, so would like to see how that worked.