Nice hammer handle...

 The hammer head is a Plumb, but the interest here is the angular octagonal handle.

Comic strip, The Good old Days

Uh oh... social troubles...

Good Old Days was a comic strip by Erwin L Hess, who published it from 1946 till 1981. He had been an artist for the comic books published by Dell Publications from 1939 throughout the 1940s. He did artwork on titles and features like 'Ben Hur', 'Black Knight', 'Gang Busters', 'Mr. Distric Attorney' and 'Roy Rogers'.  Link.
 

More Rocket III

After BSA introduced the Rocket 3 with its marketing promise of big speed, they followed it up with an extensive racing program. The team sent seven bikes to Daytona in 1970 and Gene Romero was clocked at 165.44 mph through the speed traps though Dick Mann won the race on a CB750. For 1971, Dick Mann won again, this time on a BSA Rocket 3. At Ontario in the fall John Cooper won the race and then almost lost the bike on a claiming rule. Probably the most successful BSA racing program ever. 

In the picture above, Paul Smart sits on the racer built for  the 1971 Daytona 1971. He is surrounded by (left to right) by chief mechanic Les Williams, designer Doug Hele, executive Mike Nedham and fitters Jack Shemans, Bill Fannon, and Fred Swift. Below Ontario winner John Cooper on the left stays close to the bike as the claiming rule business is sorted out. 
 

Classic Bike Autumn 1978

BSA for 132mph

 Put your hand on the throttle. Go. That's it. Or so they say.

Then as now...Performance sells.

Slide-in truck campers, 1964

 As applied to the full dress Harley crowd. I don't get it. 

Fortunately it was a trend that didn't last...

Keen Kutter hatchet

  Some time in the 1870s, when E C Simmons made what he considered to be the perfect softwood axe, he called it "Keen Kutter"- or so the story goes... 

  The name was extended to all the company products in 1880 and axes, hatchets, pocket knives and all sports of edge tools carried the company till Shapleigh Hardware acquired the company in 1940. The logo on the head is quite prominent and Simmons axes are apparently getting to be quite collectable. 

  The company is still around today under new owners... Website and more history here.

Bikes in the 'hood

Yes, mopeds count. 

Many years ago, the neighbour kid used one as a dirtbike, frequently two-up. I bet it's still running somewhere.

 

Seen better days...

 

Auburn, 1932

 

Avions Voisin hood ornament

Mascot from a 1928 Avion Voisin automobile. This must be the most striking hood ornament I've ever seen. There are reproductions being made. And look at the perfect logo.

Gabriel Voison was an early aircraft pioneer, he built the first European-made airplane to complete a manned 1 km diameter test flight. During WW1 he became a producer of aircraft, a pilot flying in one of his Voison III. After the war he started building luxury automobiles, using light alloys and unique details. Knight sleeve valve engines were used.

The company struggled during the depression and closed in 1939.