Unidentified Companies:

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F.B.S.:

The 'F.B.S.' mark (like many others) appears to have been used by some importer or distributor. Like other marks of the same genre, it is normally found on otherwise unmarked items - even though there are cases where one of the 'F.B.S.' marks can indeed be found together with a true manufacturer mark, e.g. the Czechoslovakian company 'Fischer & Mieg' from the former town of Pirkenhammer.

Ever since I encountered my first 'F.B.S.' mark in March 2005 and the follow-ups in 2006 and 2007, nothing really 'new' appeared until an obviously rare picture showing 'F.B.S. GERMANY' popped up in August 2009. Various people instantly claimed that the 'GERMANY' mark was used during the occupation of Czechoslovakia between 1939 and 1945 even if the item style was completely different. The often encountered 'Czechoslovakian manufacturer' theory can however be easily proved wrong by pointing at 'F.B.S.' marks clearly stating 'MADE IN FRANCE' (thanks to Charles Clark) or 'MADE IN ENGLAND' (thanks to Jutta Goodman). Thus my theory upon 'F.B.S.' merely being an until now unidentified distributor and/or retailer (probably located in the USA) still stands.

Marks

Image 1-01

Simple 'F.B.S.' mark with offset 'CZECHO-SLOVAKIA' addition.
(Picture by Ginni D. Snodgrass)

Image 1-02

Early three-segment 'F.B.S.' mark with 'CZECHOSLOVAKIA'

Image 1-03

Early three-segment 'F.B.S.' mark with 'MADE IN ENGLAND'.
(Picture by Jutta Goodman)

Image 1-04

Early three-segment 'F.B.S.' mark with 'MADE IN FRANCE'.
(Picture by Charles Clark)

Image 1-05

Bordered 'F.B.S.' mark over 'CZECHOSLOVAKIA', all in gold.

Image 1-06

Same as before but over an additional green 'CZECHOSLOVAKIA' marking.

Image 1-07

Bordered 'F.B.S.' mark over 'GERMANY', all in blue.
(Picture by grosswagon)

Image 1-08

'F.B.S.' mark with a filled rim over 'CZECHOSLOVAKIA'.
(Picture by Steve Cohen)

Image 1-09

'F.B.S.': Same as before but on a 'Fischer & Mieg' item (their mark used from 1918 to 1938).
(Picture by Steve Cohen)

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