Help Identifying and value?

[azscott]

I have an 80” Sensenich Propeller with the marking DES 34 and a serial number of 26454. HP is 85 and RPM is 2125. It’s in great condition.

[Dbahnson]

That's not a "typical" Sensenich design number, so it may be an early prop, a factory overhauled prop, or a Sensenich manufactured version of another drawing number from a different manufacturer. I must say, "DES 34" is an unusual drawing number in and of itself.

What style of decals are on it? Can you post some photos?

[azscott]

Photos

Here are some photos

[Dbahnson]

Some things don't quite look normal to me:
1. The paint on the tips is not a color I've seen on a Sensenich prop.
2. The decals are the newer Lancaster design rather than the earlier "Lititz" style. I'm not sure when they started using the newer logo, but the serial number would mean it was manufactured prior to 1942 if made by Sensenich, and I think at that time they were still using the Lititz style then.
3. Something just doesn't look right about the stampings, particularly the "Sensenich" part, which looks to me more like it was carved rather than stamped, and the same can be said for some of the other letters in the other cluster. They just don't have the "crispness" I'd expect from a stamping tool, although it's possible an attempt was made to "re-cut" them to make them clearer.
4. As I mentioned, that design number particularly doesn't fit with the Lancaster style logo.

(Look at all of the areas with small red arrows on this magnification to see what I mean about "crispness". Some lines don't appear precise or straight, and some seem to leave the normal contour of the character The manufacturer's stamps would not have those kinds of changes.)



My "hunch" is that this propeller has had an attempt at "restoration" to make it look original, which it clearly isn't.

[azscott]

Appreciate the look over! Good to know. Thanks!

[Dbahnson]

Just to add a bit. Here's a decal from a 1932 to 1942 Sensenich prop with the old style Lititz decals. Notice the crispness of the stampings, and also note that its serial number is much higher than the prop under discussion, yet it still has the older style decals.



So I think your prop is probably from the 1940s or so, but has had a fairly crude attempt at restoration, I don't think that it was ever a Sensenich prop and the decals were added much later than the manufacture date.