Age of mold

[sealer]

When did Ideal molds switch over to the Lyman name ?
I just bought an old Ideal 356402 singe cavity without any vent lines in the blocks.
The price was right - $5.00
Thanks, Dennis

[Conditor22]

I have several molds without vent lines that work just fine.

Sorry, to answer your question:

LYMAN'S HISTORY
The proud tradition and history of Lyman Products began simply in the late 1800’s when William Lyman, an avid outdoorsman and inventor, created a product that resolved problems with gun sights of his day. The commonly used vernier sights were adequate for daytime shooting, but almost useless if lighting was not perfect. Lyman’s No. 1 Tang Sight featured a small disc and a large aperture, a combination that made the thin rim almost invisible and greatly improved the shooter’s vision. His patented design launched the Lyman Gun Sight Company, and today, the Lyman tang and receiver sights still utilize the same principles originated over 137 years ago to enhance both the sight picture and the speed of aiming.

Through the years, Lyman has continued to develop innovative products for shooters and reloaders, carrying on the legacy of William Lyman. In 1925, the Lyman family purchased Ideal reloading products, which included the well-known Ideal reloading handbooks. Since then, Lyman handbooks have become known as the “bible” of reloading, and are considered the most trusted source for data. Continuing that proud tradition, Lyman released its 50th Edition Reloading Handbook in 2016, containing new and modern reloading data to service current and future reloaders, and continuing to be the most respected and sought out source of expertise.

https://www.lymanproducts.com/our-history/

[bangerjim]

I have a block of Cheddar cheese in a sealed container in the back of the refrigerator that has 4+ year old mold on it! Scrape off the mold and it is excellent sharp cheese!


banger

[John Boy]

Your Mold is a old original Ideal one before Ideal was bought out by Lyman in 1977
Originally, the single cavity detachable mould block made by Lyman/Ideal were smooth and unvented. This practice was continued from their introduction up through the introduction of double cavity mould blocks in 1949. Vented mould blocks were introduced shortly thereafter.

[MT Chambers]

Ideal was bought out by Lyman way before 1977, for me the old Ideal and newer Lyman products are excellent tools that I work with daily, still using Ideal molds that are 100 years old.

[Bent Ramrod]

Lyman bought out the Ideal Co. in 1925, IIRC. By then Ideal had changed over to the detachable blocks and handles. But they kept the “IDEAL” name in the blocks until the mid-to-late 60s. After that, the “LYMAN” stamping was put in the blocks.

I don’t know whether this was because Lyman felt the time was finally ripe to drop the name and goodwill of the Ideal Company for a new, postwar generation of casters and reloaders , or because they had inherited a zillion mold blocks with “IDEAL” stamped on them to use up first.