Western Electric 354 - Black

Northern Electric Model 352 Wall Phone, Black, 1940s, works on modern lines.

History

The Model 352 is the wall phone version of the famed Model 302 desk phone. When it was introduced in 1946 it was the first "modern" wall phone made by Western/Northern Electric and it replaced many of the old wood phones that were still common at the time. The 354 has a thermoplastic case and was available in only two colours - black and ivory. It continued in production until the mid 50s when it was replaced by Model 554. This phone has been polished and refurbished to original specifications. Due to the soft plastic used on this phone, there may be some wear to the finish, which is indicative to this model. It is ready to connect to your phone line.

The Restoration Process

Dial – The dial has been fully disassembled, cleaned, lubed and timed to ensure years of trouble free service. The outer edge of the dial has been stripped and repainted with a gloss black enamel. Unless the dial is removed, this is something you will rarely ever even see, but this is how it would have come from the factory. The number plate has been cleaned and a perfectly matching overlay has been applied. The finger wheel has been sandblasted and powder coated with a semi-gloss black finish. A brand new die cut dial card and acetate cover have been added as well

Cords – The phone has been outfitted with brand new cloth covered cords that are made in house on the same type of equipment originally used by the phone companies. They look amazing. You can choose from either black or brown cloth cords. The line cord has a modular connection to facilitate a modern connection to your wall jack.

Shell – The shell has been painstakingly put through a multi-step restoration process which includes sanding with 400, 800, 1000, 2000 grit. This ensures that there are no scratches, dents or dings. The shell is them carefully buffed on our two step buffing wheels. This takes out the fine abrasions left by sanding and leaves the plastic with a smooth factory fresh finish. Finally we apply a three step plastic restoration compound. This leaves the plastic with a beautiful high gloss finish.

Handset – Handset has been ultrasonically cleaned to get all embedded debris. It is then sanded with the same process as the shell and buffed back to its beautiful original shine.

Base – The base is completely stripped of all its components and painted with a high gloss black. The components are then cleaned, tested and reinstalled.

The phone goes through extensive testing before to ensure it is in perfect working condition prior to shipping.

Dial Options

Number 6 - default - The last technology jump for 3 inch dials. A smooth return and light weight for dialing highlight this choice. It is sturdily built and very reliable.

Number 5 - The predominant dial of the 40's and 50's was replaced by the number 6 for a more universal fit. The number 5 dial features a "whirr" sound upon its return and a good weight for dialing.

Number 4 - This is the first 5 contact, 3 inch dial. The real joy of the dial lies in the highly sought after "clickity-clack" sound that was eliminated with the introduction of the number 5. What was eliminated from customer complaints, is now one of the features that collectors look for most in hunting out the vintage phones.