Tiercel 6,986 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Let it capture your imagination when it's driving sideways with cold rain day. Day after day. Thick clarty mud sticking everything up and numb fingers. and your only a couple of acres in. It doesn't matter what trap your putting in. There's no romance. There are good days though It's not the trapping, I have no real interest in that. It's the moles behaviour, that has fired my imagination. It's got me wondering all sorts of things. TC 1 Quote Link to post
Nicepix 5,650 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 It's a thing of great beauty Moxy It's only when you get your hands on it, and feel the quality that you realise what a disgrace all the modern copies are.... More than 45 years old and it would catch today if I was brave enough to risk soiling the little darling I've got one of those. Same vintage, clean with no mole in it. And a small Fenn mole trap. But I was under the impression that after JND sold the company the new owner still put 'Duffus' on the barrel? Perhaps Old Trap Collector could enlighten us? But, I have to say that if I had to choose between one of those old Duffus traps and the original Flatpack Ultimate Stainless trap I'd go for the Flatpack every time. I'd even put the latest Flatpack Stainless above the old Duffus. Quote Link to post
OldTrapCollector 376 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 I could be wrong but I think those found with J DUFFUS & SON stamped could be the later (but still very old) ones, and those with the additional PATENT stamp on them are the originals from the man himself. If anybody would like to own one of these relics, PM me and I will see if I can help ... Quote Link to post
Matt 160 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 I could be wrong but I think those found with J DUFFUS & SON stamped could be the later (but still very old) ones, and those with the additional PATENT stamp on them are the originals from the man himself. If anybody would like to own one of these relics, PM me and I will see if I can help ... That's what I thought OTC Am I right in thinking that as this trap is only stamped Duffus, it's one of the later 'Jolly' versions? It's a real shame the modern makers don't take a look and see where they've gone wrong. Quote Link to post
Matt 160 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Thinking about it, I think that trap does say 'Patent' on it somewhere. Mr Wasp can confirm as I suspect he's sleeping with the fecking thing.... Quote Link to post
Mr Wasp 187 Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 No Patent stamped on it Matt, just J Duffus & Son Dont matter if its early, or a later one to be honest, it is FAR SUPERIOR to the traps of today. End of story! 1 Quote Link to post
Tiercel 6,986 Posted February 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Just found this on youtube, very interesting. http://youtu.be/xPxjnkCvORs TC 6 Quote Link to post
mole trapper 1,646 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 As above I find myself following the mole threads. I have never trapped a mole in my life, to be honest never wanted to up until a week ago. I always thought that there must be more to it than placing a trap in a run, but that is as far as it got. Now, I see all different traps, not one of which is an ultimate fit for all trap, different types of runs main and feeding.It really has captured my imagination. I really doubt that I will buy some of traps just to try them, but boy I am really enjoying the threads. Please keep them coming, then I can keep dreaming I could do that. TC Let me tell you TC; I recently filed last year’s accounts and realised I’d earned at least 50% from moles – so, for good or ill, I am a molecatcher. I’ve spent the last three weeks doing nothing but moles, and I’ve spent a fair amount of that time in the gardens of million £ plus houses; usually while the owners are at work. So, while there in London working their bollocks off I’m wandering around the plush gardens they’re paying for, in the spring sunshine, occasionally catching the odd mole. You find it hard to name a better job than that Exactly! In a nut shell. 2 Quote Link to post
perthshire keeper 1,237 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 BAHHHH stop it at once! Quote Link to post
perthshire keeper 1,237 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 TC..in the intrest of science and my suspicion that your a traditional kind of countryman.. if you and would you be interested in trying to catch a mawdy..give me a shout and i would love to loan you one of my original bill troughton full barrel traps to use...and i can fully assure you if you can trap a mole with one of them you can trap with anything Quote Link to post
mole trapper 1,646 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 TC..in the intrest of science and my suspicion that your a traditional kind of countryman.. if you and would you be interested in trying to catch a mawdy..give me a shout and i would love to loan you one of my original bill troughton full barrel traps to use...and i can fully assure you if you can trap a mole with one of them you can trap with anything No no no, if you can catch one in those catch alive clear plastic square jobbies sold in large diy stores, Then, you can catch with anything. Quote Link to post
Nicepix 5,650 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 It's a thing of great beauty Moxy It's only when you get your hands on it, and feel the quality that you realise what a disgrace all the modern copies are.... More than 45 years old and it would catch today if I was brave enough to risk soiling the little darling Well, you have shamed me into fettling my old 'J Duffus & Son' trap ready for action. It has the Duffus name on one side, but not the patent on the other. The wires had corroded a bit and the triggers needed fettling but while working on it I got chance to notice some striking differences between the old girl and my shiny Flatpack Stainless traps. The Duffus is a lot narrower and has a steeper arch to the body. The original Flatpacks are narrower than the current version, but the Duffus is several mm narrower than the early S/S Flatpack and considerably narrower than the later Flatpacks. Also there is a notch cut into the slot that the trapping wires slide through. Once the trap is set, and it is far more fiddly to set than a modern trap due to the loops of the latching wires it seems to lock into place because of these notches. The trigger loops are too far back for my liking and my mate who gave me the trap hadn't altered them. Also the trigger latch travel is longer than on my modern traps, but about the same as some cheap eBay traps I bought years ago. I found the wire metal to be strong, much stronger than the cheap eBay traps and once the wires had been scrubbed with wire wool and a wire brush they ran smoothly through the notches. The other obvious difference is that the bottom of the Duffus is flat, not round or oval as in my Flatpacks. I don't like that feature. I reckon that now it has been fettled it will work OK and more importantly, be humane. It has gone in my emergency reserve box along with the eBay traps and Traplines to be used if I run out of my other traps. I still haven't got round to fettling the old Fenn mole trap though. I don't have any confidence in that at all. Quote Link to post
Matt 160 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Get some pics up Clive! One of the most striking differences is the size of the holes the trigger wires go through... less play means a more positive firing of the trap As you say, the barrel is narrower and more rounded; in fact, you could say it's more the shape and size of a mole run than the modern copies Quote Link to post
perthshire keeper 1,237 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Get some pics up Clive! One of the most striking differences is the size of the holes the trigger wires go through... less play means a more positive firing of the trap As you say, the barrel is narrower and more rounded; in fact, you could say it's more the shape and size of a mole run than the modern copies matt i realy must get that trap too you! but its currently sat in a run that has been polished like a clay pipe! any how that is my main gripe with all barrel traps, the size of them holes! we have talked about this before thou. also i have just started tightening up all my barrel traps...it struck me a few week ago when i pulled a set trap out their was a clear cleaving line round the dig out where the trap had dug in the sides..now their just and so wide enugh to let the kill loops thru Quote Link to post
earth-thrower 490 Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Get some pics up Clive! One of the most striking differences is the size of the holes the trigger wires go through... less play means a more positive firing of the trap As you say, the barrel is narrower and more rounded; in fact, you could say it's more the shape and size of a mole run than the modern copies Some excellent points,...(especially the first one) Quote Link to post
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