Does anyone have any idea what this is?

smartcooky

Penultimate Amazing
smartcooky
Joined
Oct 26, 2012
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Nelson, New Zealand
A customer brought this in today to see if I could tell him what it is. I'm stumped!

2014-10-22%2015.03.26-small.jpg


2014-10-22%2015.04.56-SMALL.jpg


2014-10-22%2015.03.51-SMALL.jpg


There are higher resolution images here if needed

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/98915197/ApolloHoax/2014-10-22 15.03.26.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/98915197/ApolloHoax/2014-10-22 15.04.56.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/98915197/ApolloHoax/2014-10-22 15.03.51.jpg

1. When you look through the eyepiece you see a red glow with a black reticle, which is graduated from 0 at the top to 50 at the bottom with unnumbered minor steps of 1, intermediate unnumbered steps of 5 and major numbered steps of 10. There are no other markings

2. The 45° cover is spring loaded and flips back. It has a smooth black disk on the inside.

3. You can see the red glow and reticle regardless of whether the cover is flipped back or not.

4. The instrument does not appear to be "part" of something. It comes in its own brown leather case.

5. The writing on the side says "C. P. Goetz Wien 10272"

I tried examining a piece of film negative close up because I thought it might be some kind of focus tester for film, but I could not see the negative surface at all.

Any clues?
 
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Looks like a refractory instrument for determining the properties of liquids. Place a drop of liquid on the glass, close the cover, and examine the sample through the lens. Used for salinity and such.
 
HighRiser said:
Looks like a refractory instrument for determining the properties of liquids. Place a drop of liquid on the glass, close the cover, and examine the sample through the lens. Used for salinity and such.
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
Are you sure it says "C.P. Goetz"? I ask because C.P. Goerz was a company that made binoculars, cameras, lenses, telescopic sights and the like from 1888 to 1972. It would not surprise me in the least if they also made refractometers.

Also, "wein" is german for "wine".
 
meg said:
Are you sure it says "C.P. Goetz"? I ask because C.P. Goerz was a company that made binoculars, cameras, lenses, telescopic sights and the like from 1888 to 1972. It would not surprise me in the least if they also made refractometers.

Also, "wein" is german for "wine".
Click to expand...
Yes, but it says "Wien", which is the capital of Austria.
 
meg said:
Are you sure it says "C.P. Goetz"? I ask because C.P. Goerz was a company that made binoculars, cameras, lenses, telescopic sights and the like from 1888 to 1972. It would not surprise me in the least if they also made refractometers.
Click to expand...

You're right,C.P Goerz

Also, "wein" is german for "wine".
Click to expand...
No, its WIEN not WEIN, which I think is the German name for "Vienna"

I think its where it was made, because I have also seen other instruments with "C.P. Goerz Berlin"
 
This is your father's lightsaber; it is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.
 
I'd agree with the refractometer idea. I used those while working in a soft drinks quality control lab, though they were much more compact.

Google images
 
Everyone else beat me to it. It's a hand-held refractometer. I had to use them to check the Brix when we did Bread & Butter slices. I could eat a jar of those by myself.
 
Robert Oz said:
This is your father's lightsaber; it is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.
Click to expand...

My first thought as well -- Actually I thought it might be one of the od flashbulb units that the lightsaber design was based on.
 
Robert Oz said:
This is your father's lightsaber; it is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.
Click to expand...

Not only that. It can also measure the index of refraction of a liquid!
 
I wonder what Smartcooky's measures? My sugar tool measures 0 at the bottom the 30 at the top, in "degrees Brix", or sugar %. And I suppose other additives besides sugar would refract in reverse in comparison? But I suppose a general purpose lab instrument would measure in degrees of refraction?
 
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