We have recently taken possession of a WW2 Japanese Relic and there is conflict as to what it is. Some say Theodolite and others say Range Finder. Who is right or are we all wrong? I can email photo's if you contact on charica1@bigpond.net.au Thank you.

If it looks like this it is a theodolite.

I have sent an email, if it is different, please attach a photo and I should be able to tell you what it is if it is a piece of standard issue equipment.

pardon my ignorance, but what is the object in the picture (what is it's purpose?)

Originally Posted by AB_Shorts_Momma

pardon my ignorance, but what is the object in the picture (what is it's purpose?)

Tho object is a precision optical instrument used for laying out permanent Gun sites, airfields and buildings etc. Basically it is used by a surveyor to measure precise horizontal and vertical angles for the triangulation (location) of defined sites.

Those small white pegs you see hammered into the ground when a road is being realigned, are placed with one of these, also the boundaries of any land that you may own would have been laid out and precisely located with just such an instrument.

Today much more modern laser instruments are used, but they only do much the same job though a lot more accurately.

It's a tool used in land surveying. It is very accurate.

This is what Mervyn has.



It is a Dumpy Level used for getting things level (as you might expect) I am very suspicious about it being a WWII Japanese military relic for a number of reasons.

It's the wrong colour to be a piece of Military kit. Yes,.. I know that the Japs probably borrowed civvy materiel too, but I doubt that they would not have given it the obligatory coat of military paint.
It looks too modern to be from that era, but looks more like similar levels from the 1950s and 60s.

Has anyone any experience here?

Thank you for the information so far.

Mervyn

Originally Posted by senojekips

This is what Mervyn has.



It is a Dumpy Level used for getting things level (as you might expect) I am very suspicious about it being a WWII Japanese military relic for a number of reasons.

It's the wrong colour to be a piece of Military kit. Yes,.. I know that the Japs probably borrowed civvy materiel too, but I doubt that they would not have given it the obligatory coat of military paint.
It looks too modern to be from that era, but looks more like similar levels from the 1950s and 60s.

Has anyone any experience here?

It looks like it could have been made in the USSR, due to its rugged look and simple looking design

Originally Posted by Balkan-MiG

It looks like it could have been made in the USSR, due to its rugged look and simple looking design

You are possibly correct that it looks that way, but in fact it is made by Tamaya Optical in Tokyo. Narrowing it down more than that would need to be done by the company as they are not all that common outside of Asia from this era. Most western countries were stuck on European instruments at about the time this was made.
Zeiss, Keuffler, Kern, Watts and Evershed and Vignoles,... every major Europeam country had their favourites.

It was not really until the mid 1970s when the Japanese Pentax and later Sokkisha instruments started to make inroads into the low price, third and second order instrument market. They in turn are now having to compete against the Chinese and have moved somewhat upmarket, though not really shaking up the big boys at the top.