From the Begali web site, "This key was created in commemoration of Gugliemo Marconi’s 125th birthday in 1999. It is the faithful replica of a Swiss postal key that can be seen gracing Albert Einstein’s work desk at the Patent Office in Zurich in this old photograph of 1901. "
- Begali Postal Key http://www.i2rtf.com/html/postal_key.html
The Begali "Spark" Straight Key is a real joy to operate. It just sits there and looks good. If you listen close, you can hear it asking to be used.
REFERENCES:
Titanic Morse Straight Key
Purchased May 2016
Begali Postal Key
Purchased April 2016
This key was created in commemoration of Gugliemo Marconi’s 125th birthday in 1999. It is the faithful replica of a Swiss postal key that can be seen gracing Albert Einstein’s work desk at the Patent Office in Zurich in this old photograph of 1901. The original design dates back to 1861 - but our recreation uses contemporary techniques that make this antique probably more enjoyable to use than the original ever was.
Begali Spark Key
The Spark is a compact straight key with a heavy cast iron base. The base has a charcoal black phosphatized finish (as shown in this photo), and all other components are gold plated. The Navy-style knob rides low above the table, letting your arm rest comfortably even at high speeds. If you are heading for straight key night you owe it to yourself to get one of these!
The base of this key is made by melting and casting phosphatized iron. As a result, no two bases will be identical, even though the overall shape and dimensions are ensured by the mold. A rough uneven surface with individual patterns is characteristic for this process.
Begali HST Sideswiper Cootie Key
Purchased April 2016
The HST Single Lever key was inspired by a design that several of the top competitors at the High Speed Telegraphy Competition in Pordenone (HST 2008) were using. Their keys were home made from simple materials, but they were capable of very high speeds in the right hands. So, we couldn’t resist trying to take that basic design and improve on it - and the result was the original HST key. Meanwhile it has further evolved into the HST Mark II that you see here. It uses a heavy cast iron base which makes sure that it will not move. The single lever is made from aluminum alloy and held by two precision racing bearings at the back. The finger piece is perforated to prevent your fingers from slipping. The contact spacing and the tension can be adjusted using gold plated screws with a fine pitch. The return force is created by magnets and an ingenious cam mechanism, which ensures consistency over a wide range of forces and a clearly defined center position.
http://www.i2rtf.com/html/hst.html
K-4 (DJG-4) Chinese Military Heavy Duty Telegraph Key
The K-4 Telegraph Keys were made from different manufactures and may have various model names. This one has the label mark “DJG-4â€. It has very good handle and produces a very nice euphonic sound when tapped.
The keys have adjustable machined needle bearings, hard silver contacts, a felt pad on the base, and weigh about 2 lb each. The base dimensions are 4-3/4†x 2-1/2â€, High 2-1/4â€. The knob of handle is forward of the base about 1-1/2â€. These heavy duty straight keys were designed in early 50s then in mass production until late 90s, used with many different Chinese military radios in Army, Air Force ground crew and Navy. They were also seen widely used in Civilian service like remote postal service, exploration, weather service, etc. It was the primary standard issue morse key for the Chinese military. These keys were made in at least four or five factories when in the morse communication golden era. The key is virtually in factory new condition, NOS. It is a good collector's item. The keys have chrome plating, machined needle bearings for the trunion, hard silver contacts, and a felt pad on the base. They weigh about 2 1/2 pounds each! Approximate base dimensions are 2-3/4 x 4-3/4 inches. They're 2-1/2 inches high and the center of the knob is forward of the base about an inch.
