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RELAY/RICOH GALLERY 6

Time for a few more fun things here. Let's see... where else did Relay sell rules other than Japan, the United States, Canada, and South America (Venezueala for sure) ?? How about China! Well, this pair of images is from an auction for a rule, the seller of which resided in China, and with the unusual markings we can assume they might have sold there, or at least elsewhere in Asia.
The top most image is the printing on the usual red/black paperboard box. Like the 1957 markings, except for the "High class" part. The view below shows a "T" series model number, which can be found in our 1957 model list, on the 1957 manual page. Sold in China? I don't know, kinda doubt it. But interesting nonetheless.

The image at left is kind of self explanatory. I'd bet most department stores sold slide rules of one kind or another. Here's proof that J.C. Penney did, and Relay was one type. I know Sears had a copyright to sell slide rules under their own name, they used the "TOWER" brand, as on their re-badged SMITH-CORONA typewriters, which by the way are my favorite brand, as well as my brother Will's favorite. ( See his typewriters page, linked from our original home page/ nav site.) I own a Tower portable, and a Tower slide rule, in case anyone doubts this!
I know I remember seeing slide rules in stores like Woolworth's and G. C. Murphy's, on peg-hook racks. Probably Sterlings. But wise shoppers who moved up to Penney's could have a nice Relay. This manual was with a 153. ( Wonder if any other big department stores sold em?)

Here's another rule from the collection of Mr. Steve Kay. This brand is sometimes, erroniously I think, lumped in with SIC rules. I'm not entirely sure they are related. Another thing is that most Engineer's rules I've seen have no data label on their back, as this one does not, a feature in common with many SIC rules of this style. Maybe they just fell off, many of mine are loose from age, or may not ever have been glued at all, just stuck in the slots at top and bottom. Maybe it's own brand, maybe related to another one, but whichever here one is!

Here's another auction picture, this time a rare 158 with a very uncommon box. Most of the time when we see this style of box, it is completely marked for another brand, like Lutz or Lafayette or Compass or whatever. Here's one for a rule which was to be sold as a "Relay". I have seen one or two others of these, one for a pocket rule. Ricoh boxes are much better known, and documented on this very site, and here's what came before those.

Another new branding found by our friend Steve! Shown at left with an otherwise similar SIC 1020 (R/R 102) is a new branding or R/R rules, SELSI. What this stands for I have no idea. Maybe an acronym? Dunno. But here it is!

The above rules are obviously Relay/Ricoh 5" pocket types, both 505's, noticable to the trained eye at a glance. The two different shades of cases aren't unseen either. Can you make out the brand name on either case? No? Read on...

The two rules from above are the top two rules in the scan at left, showing us a selection of 505 variants from Mr. Kay's collection. Now, to the same trained eye the brand of the top rule should jump out at you immediately, and should come as somewhat of a shock. FUJI!
Now, I had suspected some conections between these companies in the past. I have FUJI instructions which match RELAY instructions word for word, and use the same examples. Unlikely to be a coincidence. But now, we have proof of at least THIS connection. But why would FUJI, who made many kinds of very complex plastic rules, get Relay/Ricoh bamboo rules and re-brand them?

In short, I'm not sure. We know that there were indeed PLASTIC relay rules, they were listed in at least one catalog. We know that both Fuji and R/R heavily re-branded their rules for overseas sales. Some of the re-labelled brands of slide rules that used FUJI's: STAEDTLER-MARS, JAKAR, DIETZGEN, ROYAL, OLYMPIC, and others. NOT all those were Fuji's, some Staedtler-Mars rules are Nestlers, but you see the point. Very similar approach to R/R in terms of moving product. Is there a larger connection? I'm still looking into that, but thanks again to Mr. Kay for once again revealing another rule brand!