ron_brock Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 (edited) Well, while everyone was in line at Best Buy on Black Friday waiting to buy the newest electronics from China, my father and I were setting up at the Michigan Antique Arms show. Now don't start rushing to the show as this is not a typical find. Usually it's just an old box of 45acp or a five cell Thompson pouch, but occasionally there are some goodies. Sitting on a table a few rows down from me was this rare gem and I thought others would enjoy seeing it. Condition is amazing apart from a few rubbed edges where the steel plates have rubbed and some slight tearing on the left shoulder. I am thinking of ways to display it as I do not feel hanging on a mannequin is the best and I put it on just for the photos. Currently I have it flat on a table in my man cave. I need to come up with a good way to frame it, but also hold the weight of the steel plates so the wool does no endure any additional stress. Does anyone else have some old armored vests to share? - Ron Edited January 12, 2014 by ron_brock 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 Ron, Great find! I like the adornment on the buckle. The only other vest of this era that I've looked at up close was the one owned by Berrien County that we used in the NRA Goddard display in Louisville in 2008, and again at OGCA in 2011. http://www.sturmgewehr.com/dalbert/SVDM/GoddardDisplay-1.JPG David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aut-ord-co Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 Ron, Currently, I have three vests: one Dunrite and two Elliott Wisbrods. The Dunrite and one Wisbrod were displayed at the SAR East TCA presentation of “The Tommy Gun at the Movies” back in 2009 at York, PA.The Dunrite vest is laying down, on the right, in front of the Dillinger movie card and the Wisbrod covers the shirt & tie. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/019.jpg The Dunrite vest is similar to the “Killer” Burke vest displayed with the SVDM guns. The Detective Publishing Co., run by Al Dunlap in Chicago, distributed these vests, as well as, Thompsons and other police equipment. The sewn-in label is shown below. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/DunriteVestLabel.jpg The older of the two Wisbrod vests has a cool, pasted-in label below and this vest is in the age and style of the Dunrite vest. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/WisbrodClean.jpg The other Wisbrod vest comes with a carrying case and is probably from the forties and its label's text doesn't mention the Thompson specifically.. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/Wis2b.jpg http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/Wis2a.jpg http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/Wis2c.jpg And finally, an ad for a Wisbrod vest. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/e059a731-669e-49a3-9abd-8b0869f8b815.png 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron_brock Posted January 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Thanks for sharing the pics from your collection Bill. Very cool to see and the ad was great to see the original price listed. Hopefully we can get a few more vests added to this thread over time. Nothing like the selling power for the advertisements for these vest, I would just hate to be the new guy in the company that had to don the vest and be shot at! Talk about a bad day at the office. Thanks!- Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aut-ord-co Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Funny thing is that the owner of the business, Elliott Wisbrod, is the one who donned the vests over the years and “took the flak” so to speak. Was there insurance in those days? The caption that goes with the picture is quite incredible. 6000 bullets!! http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/wisb1.jpghttp://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/scan0008.jpg The assistant probably had no trouble with getting timely pay raises to insure accuracy. The business card is pretty cool also with the picture on the back. A few smiles are detected as Wisbrod, with a target on his midsection, gets blasted yet again. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/scan0009.jpg Louis Wisbrod may have been another family member. http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q125/rw50/Vests/scan0010.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timkel Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Very interesting. Thanks for all the information. I really like the suit vest model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jensenelet Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 i too have an orignal wisbrod and she also has a vest phot to follow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jensenelet Posted August 24, 2014 Report Share Posted August 24, 2014 This Wisbrod vest is mounted on a hanger, in a boxed frame (2 1/2" thick) with plexi glass front.Louis and Elliott are the same person. I'm married to his daughter. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted August 25, 2014 Report Share Posted August 25, 2014 Pretty cool! Can you post a photo of the caption at the bottom of the framed vest? David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lester Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 I'm Elliott Wisbrod's son. I found one of his vests in a gun store in Culver City, CA about 25 years ago. I was told it came from the estate of the Chief of Police of Oceanside, CA. In 2012 I donated it to the "Mob Museum" in Las Vegas, NV. His grandson is pictured in front of the display case. My apologies in advance if I have unwittingly double posted some of this material as I'm not real familiar with this forums mechanics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jensenelet Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 The note attached to the vest says:Equal protectionIn 1926 Elliott Wisbrod invented the Wisbrod bullet proof vest and received several patents for the armor which was smartly tailored to fit the wearer and be indistinguishable from an ordenery vest, while protecting against all gun fire. It was a favorite of those G-men and criminals.Wisbrod was so confident in his product that he had his wife, assistants and police fire directly at him. He boasted that he had beed shot at more than any other man in the world.This email is being sent by his daughter Diane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted September 1, 2014 Report Share Posted September 1, 2014 Thanks for posting the photos. Seeing as though we have 3 members of the Wisbrod family contributing to this thread, do any of you have any recollections of Louis Wisbrod speaking about his invention, and being shot at so many times? It seems to me he would have received some bullet splatter wounds, or worse, during all the demonstration activity. Thanks! David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aut-ord-co Posted September 9, 2014 Report Share Posted September 9, 2014 Diane & Lester Thanks for posting the photographs and information about your father on the board. He was a pioneer in the field of ballistic protection and undoubtedly saved many lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted September 2, 2015 Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 Dunrite vest from the Dillinger gang, probably Dillinger's personal one as it came from his apartment in Chicago. More then likely worn in the Greencastle, Inidana bank robbery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StooperZero Posted September 2, 2015 Report Share Posted September 2, 2015 Im betting a hit from a 38 Super or '07 or Model 8 made for a bad day. $50 price tag, that would have been steep . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caponeophile Posted November 14, 2015 Report Share Posted November 14, 2015 (edited) Here are my two Wisbrod vests from my collection. One circa 1930's and the other when He was based in California which dates 1940. The Chicago 1930 one came with a case, square sample of vest shot at showing the stopping power and a signed photo by Elliott Wisbrod to the purchaser. I have a webpage dedicated to Elliott at www.myalcaponemuseum.com. Still in progress. He was quite a character! Worked once for Chicago Publishing company who made the Dunrite vest. Was partners with Peter Von Frantzius who sold the massacre guns. Wisbrod modelled his vest in Frantzius' gun catalog. Started a club called Alimony club for men who were milked by gold digging wives. Died in 1965. Edited November 14, 2015 by Caponeophile 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron_brock Posted November 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2015 Thanks for sharing Caponeophile. Wisbrod was certainly an interesting fellow. Quite a marketer considering the demonstrations and shipping a tested section of vest as well. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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