In researching the Dienes that I just bought (above), it would seem that that model was made in the 40's and 50's, so I was really curious to know what the price tag would have been on one at the store. I'm guessing that in today's dollars the quality of materials and the hand-craftsmanship would put the price tag somewhere between $100-$200 if they were still being made in Germany and not outsourced to Asia. Does anyone know what these vintage hand mills sold for when they were new?

There are old catalogues that pop up on ebay sometimes. They might have prices.

The hausgrind is a wooden mill currently made in Scotland and costs some 150 pounds. The Dienes mills were mass produced so I guess they would have cost less in relative terms.

The most well-known Dienes collector is in France:

http://www.dienes.fr/index_uk.php

PC

Nonprophet wrote:I'm guessing that in today's dollars the quality of materials and the hand-craftsmanship would put the price tag somewhere between $100-$200 if they were still being made in Germany and not outsourced to Asia.

Correct. People are spending over $100 for new Zassenhaus mills that are built to inferior product standards using inferior materials as compared to these vintage mills.

Nonprophet wrote:In researching the Dienes that I just bought (above), it would seem that that model was made in the 40's and 50's,

This is one of the best sites I've found for info on Dienes mills:

http://www.dienes.fr/catalogue.php

I'd guess that your mill dates to the mid-50's. That guess is based on the "Made in Western Germany" stamp, the use of Phillips vs. slotted screws, the shape of the handle knob, the shape of the cap nut on the burr axel, and, most importantly, the lettering on the badge. (See badges in the catalogue link above.)

The challenge with dating mill by a model number is that some models that were introduced in the 20s or 30s, for example, were built into the 40s and 50s. So you have to rely on context clues to hone in on the most likely period of construction. You can't rely on shape or model number alone.

Eastsideloco wrote:This is one of the best sites I've found for info on Dienes mills:

http://www.dienes.fr/catalogue.php

I'd guess that your mill dates to the mid-50's. That guess is based on the "Made in Western Germany" stamp, the use of Phillips vs. slotted screws, the shape of the handle knob, the shape of the cap nut on the burr axel, and, most importantly, the lettering on the badge. (See badges in the catalogue link above.)

The challenge with dating mill by a model number is that some models that were introduced in the 20s or 30s, for example, were built into the 40s and 50s. So you have to rely on context clues to hone in on the most likely period of construction. You can't rely on shape or model number alone.

Thanks, I appreciate the info!

Well, the mill arrived today and I am absolutely delighted with it! The burrs are so sharp and the whole inside is so clean that I really have to wonder if this mill was ever used much at all. I followed Doug's advice and tightened the burrs down as far as I dared and then ground some beans. The grind was so fine that it choked my machine until I moved the adjustment lever a full 240 degree turn looser. I just pulled some fantastic shots, and I'm so excited!! It looks to me likes there's plenty of room for adjustment with this mill and that it will make an excellent espresso grinder.

Using 16.5 grams of coffee it took me 102 handle turns (about 1 minute) to fully grind, compared to the 600 handle turns with the Hario Mini Slim mill that I've been using!

Sounds great. I never had one that took more than 75 turns - I would not be surprised if it gets faster when broken in. Judging by the ones I have that are over 60 years old, that one will be an heirloom.

BTW, the fact that is has the four wood screws in the first place makes it older than the last series' of Deines box mills. These had the top wooden plate glued on, with no screws. They also had handles with an offset angle.

On the other hand, the blue PeDe I have is older than yours, with flathead screws. Probably 40s if not earlier. One of the first PeDes I got, about $10 at the time. It still makes excellent espresso, and I use it every day.

Found this in a vintage store... Loved the look, grinds a pretty nice french press.

Nice looking grinder! I like the copper. Does it grind well?

Well, I took apart the Dienes, cleaned it well, lubricated the lower bearing mount, and put it all back together. I'm grinding 16g of dark roast for espresso in about 90 turns, and 16g of medium roast for espresso in about 60 turns. HUGE improvement over my Hario Slim Mill. More importantly, the grind is very fine and consistent and the flavor of my shots is noticeably improved. I'm delighted with this grinder!

So delighted, that I picked up another one a nice KYM Mokka:


Looks to me like it's cherry wood, and there's some really nice figuring in the grain. It's hard to tell from the pics what exactly is going on with the metal--if it's just really dirty, corroded, or maybe it got painted at one point? I won't really know until I get it in my hot little hands....It's in Germany right now, so I expect it to be a few weeks before it arrives.

Yes, it is cherry wood.

The cap nut on the burr axle is missing. And it looks like someone has subjected the top-both the inside and the outside of the hopper-to a misguided paint job. There appears to be paint on the burrs, and the inside of the hopper should be white, not silver. If you take the mill apart and soak the spray painted parts in boiling soapy water for a while, the paint should lift right off. Then you can clean and restore the metal properly, and repaint the inside of the hopper.

I came across this hand grinder and I was hoping to get a little help on the make and model, etc. The seller claims it is from W. Germany. Any help is greatly appreciated!