AJ Morse & Son

02/21/2025

Last week we received a request for information on an old A J Morse & Son Three Light Commercial Helmet. Often times with the records being so incomplete we can be of little assistance. This time was markedly different.

Meet helmet 3376. The record book is fairly bursting with information on this helmet.

On 3/1/32 the helmet was sold to Mr. J W Clemente of Memphis Tennessee.

The helmet had found its way back home and on 2/1/33 Morse sold it to Mr. Charlese Garifales of 36 Brown Street Fairhaven Massachusetts in a cash sale. The helmet was again returned to Morse by Mr. Garifales and was resold on 6/7/34 to The International Grenfell Association. It turns out the father of the current owner was a physician for the IGA working in their hospital in St Anthony in the 1950s. His father was gifted the helmet. The owner told me that it was used for dock and harbor maintenance in St Anthony. I told the owner I thought the brown staining on the helmet was likely from crude or bunker oil. he said that would have fit in with working in St Anthony harbor. The IGA still exists today. They began as a group bringing medical and spiritual services to commercial fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador. The medical part was turned over to the Canadian government but they continue social and community outreach. The owner is donating the helmet to the IGA museum in St Anthony NF.

It is rare to get any backstory on old helmets. This one really delivered.

12/16/2024

Time for an update on 4LC 1769. The bonnet is completely rebuilt. It just needs to be cleaned up. The breastplate has been buffed and the tag needs to go back on. It happens we are building a new 4LC #6933 right next to 1769. Their birthdays are only 114 years apart.
6933 is being made for stock so it is going to need a home. 1769 will be a primary dive helmet when LMCDO gets back into diving events. Who will volunteer to dive a century old rebuilt diving helmet? DESCO would prefer not to take helmets from inventory for rallies. If we can build a collection of diveable helmets dedicated to event diving that is preferable. We may need to find a cheap beat up Mark V to overhaul for a rally helmet. That would give LMCDO an opportunity to hold more shop classes.

I included a couple of photos of the bonnet as it was in case there are newcomers to this story.

11/27/2024

These guys wanted us to wish everyone a very Happy Easter. They really don't do Thanksgiving unless they have to. However the DESCO team does hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and loved ones.

11/20/2024

Earlier this week Lee got bummed out as we sold his helmet. AJMS 3LC 6902 (neck feed) and he had been together a long time. They were on display in a couple of places, most notably the Reiman Aquarium at Discovery World for over a year. He now is happier as he got AJMS 3LC 6904 as a replacement.

We took the opportunity to fix the cuff ring clamps from his dress. The threaded lugs had been stripped out and quick & dirty repairs were made. Divers are basically wet farmers and would fix anything with whatever is handy. We soldered on Brass nuts to replace the bad threads and there were some Morse clamp bolts in a box so we used the proper parts to replace the funky ones.

The three finger mitts are also in need of repair. We often get the question of what glue to use on the dresses. We have heard of a few different choices ranging from contact cement to tire patching adhesive. The mitt repair offers us the chance to experiment. We are going to try 3M 1300 Neoprene adhesive on one glove and Dap Contact Cement on the other. This is a display repair and these mitts won't be going into the water so we can't attest to the suitability for actual diving use.

11/14/2024

We just had a message supposedly from Meta saying our page was going to be deleted for copyright infringement. I responded:

"Facebook is welcome to telephone our company with the information they have on file. Phishing scammers can rot in HELL Thank you your attention."

Send a message to learn more

11/14/2024

Our nemesis in India is at it again (or yet). Found today on Ebay we bring you a replica AJ Morse & Son four light commercial helmet. The strange thing about this helmet is he put so much effort into making it he could have built a working helmet. Not something I would ever suggest since his character is subject in my opinion and trust is important when making equipment peoples lives depend on. Obviously he does not shy away from making the extra steps to pass off these replicas. The helmet even has snapped off turn k***s on the faceplate, faking damage from use. It has the applied patina to suggest it is an old helmet.

In a bold step he has copied Nations Attic's helmet stand design. Many people have recognized Don Creekmore's stands in the replica helmet posts using purloined photos of real helmets.

You can buy this helmet at the unbelievable price of $6,623.99, shipping included from Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India. Don't say we didn't warn ya.

11/11/2024

To all veterans, past, present. and future we are deeply grateful for the service you have rendered keeping America safe and contributing to a better world.

11/01/2024

The fall 2024 LMCDO workshop is one week away. In order to assure we have enough of everything we need I would like to get a headcount of possible attendees. We have heard that there may be people coming that learned about the workshop down at Vortex Spring last week. If you are planning on coming, or are thinking about coming drop us an RSVP email to [email protected] or [email protected]. We do not need a hard count but having some idea of how many to plan for will be a help. At the spring workshop we had 12 attendees. There were a half dozen more who wanted to come but had other things to do. I went out and bought 16 new pairs of safety glasses hoping that is enough with the 14 pairs we already had. We bought more gloves and particle masks and set up a station to dole them out. We have ear plugs but if you can't wear them we have a coupe of ear m**f hearing protectors. If you have your own and want to bring them that is fine. Shooters usually have them and those will likely be more comfortable for you. Hearing protection will be required where noise levels pose a risk.
On our side we will have a all hands on deck crew. Christian, Lily, Jared, Jim, and myself all plan on being here. We will do our best to provide a fun and educational experience. Commercial helmets 1021 & 1769 are ready to receive some TLC.
Also we have to know how much coffee to make and donuts to buy for before the workshop begins. Afterwards there will be the standard cheese & crackers, baby carrots, celery, etc. to munch on in the bull session.

10/07/2024

On Saturday Christian and Lily exhibited at the Lost Arts Program held by the Grohmann Museum. The Grohmann Museum is part of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The exhibit was outside on the rooftop garden. The museum has a collection if industrial and labor related artwork and sculpture. Our area is a blue collar working community. MSOE is a highly regarded engineering school.
We have had previous experience with the museum when we participated in their Magnificent Machines of Milwaukee exhibit a couple of years ago. Christian said he and Lily had a very good time and talked with many people. Our thanks to MSOE and the Grohmann Museum for inviting us. Christian has already committed to attending next year. Thing is DESCO really isn't a lost art. We just get misplaced once in awhile.

10/07/2024

Over the weekend we added a new jake to the museum.
https://www.lowes.com/.../Tekky-75-2-in.../5014918319
These are exclusive to Lowes. I had to drive 70 miles to Rockford IL to get this one since none of the Lowes in SE Wisconsin had any. I don't think Rocky and Ace are impressed with their new room mate. I know for sure Ash the shop dog doesn't like him.

09/30/2024

09/25/2024

There is a grant available for women in commercial diver training from Women Divers Hall of Fame. if you are interested in applying contact The Women Divers Hall of Fame.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WOMEN DIVERS HALL OF FAME™ 2025 SCHOLARSHIPS AND TRAINING GRANTS

Applications open September 1, 2024.
The deadline for receipt of applications is October 31, 2024, at 5:00 pm New York time.

Applicants will be notified by February 1, 2025, and awards will be made in March 2025.

SCHOLARSHIPS
Seven categories of scholarships are offered this year in marine conservation (basic or applied research), marine biology, underwater archaeology, sea turtle conservation, extreme environment physiology, and journalism/graphic arts/photography/videography. They are intended to support independent research, field work, and conservation/restoration activities, as specified in the descriptions found in the press release and on the website.

TRAINING GRANTS
Ten categories of training grants are offered this year. Training grants provide funding for diving and diving-related underwater training. WDHOF and our sponsors offer several dive training grants for both beginners to learn to dive and for certified divers to advance their skills.

In addition to all of the sponsored training grants listed on the website, in celebration of the Women Divers Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary, an additional 25 basic and/or advanced dive training grants will be awarded. Note that there is NOT a separate application for these grants. Recipients will be selected from the pool of applications already submitted for the 2025 sponsored scholarships and training grants.
Application instructions and more detailed information on how to apply can be found on the WDHOF website (www.wdhof.org).

The Women Divers Hall of Fame ™ (WDHOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring and raising awareness of the contributions of outstanding women divers. WDHOF provides educational, mentorship, financial, and career opportunities to the diving community throughout the world. Each year, WDHOF awards scholarships and training grants that provide financial and educational support to individuals of all ages.

This is the commercial diver grant:

Amelia Behrens-Furniss Memorial Hardhat Dive Training Grant - $1000
This advanced dive training grant is available to certified women divers of any age and background who wish to further their training in hardhat diving. Applicants should be enrolled in or attending a commercial dive school. The grant is valued at $1000: $500 for dive training (however, the applicant may request the entire award amount--$1000--for training); $500 for dive gear (or the balance remaining after at least $500 has been used for dive training). Dive training must culminate in a certification from an internationally recognized diver-training program.
Sponsored by:
Noel Furniss in memory of his grandmother, WDHOF Member Amelia Behrens-Furniss (women only)

08/20/2024

Work on AJMS 1769 will continue.

Hello All,
LMCDO Workshop at
DESCO Corporation 2450 s Commerce Drive New Berlin WI.
Saturday November 9th
8am to 12 Noon
Last February we held a workshop at DESCO where attendees worked on dismantling an old A J Morse & Son commercial helmet. They also had the opportunity to learn how to form a breastplate. The experience was enjoyed by everyone.
We have set a date for the next workshop which will be held on Saturday November 9th. This day will focus on reassembling the Morse helmet and the processes and techniques of getting a helmet ready to dive or display.
The people who attended the last workshop know what to expect. This is a hands on experience. A safety meeting will be held at the start of the workshop. Nobody will be expected to attempt any activity they may be uncomfortable trying. All activities offered will be ones a novice can perform under supervision. In truth we were surprised how everyone at the last workshop jumped at trying every process offered. That included using the torches to unsolder the commercial helmet and anneal the Copper sheet to form a breastplate.
Safety Glasses and work gloves will be provided. Please wear appropriate clothing in regard to safety. Loose clothing can be a hazard in a work environment. Full shoes or boots are the better choice. Jewelry like rings, bracelets, and long necklaces can also be a hazard so consider limiting those. Our first priority is to offer a safe and fun experience. At the last workshop everyone went home with the same number of fingers and toes as they came with. Let’s do that again.
We would like to get a rough headcount of people wanting to attend so we can buy more safety glasses if need be. Just send us an e-mail.
If you have questions you can e-mail us directly at [email protected] or [email protected].

07/19/2024

If you have been waiting for the summer edition of the LMCDO newsletter we are delaying it until we can announce when the Recreational Standard Dress Diving Class will be held. Once a date is set we will get it included in the newsletter.

Unfortunately the search for a site for a dive event has not been successful. Our criteria is pretty specific in order to offer a safe and enjoyable experience. Every one we have checked out has excelled in one regard and really really sucked in another. The search continues.

06/18/2024

DESCO just completed a new Mk V. it is not the usual Mk V helmet. This is a bubble shell Mk V. More info available on the DESCO FB page.

04/08/2024

Last call for the Morse Mark XII assets. We are cleaning up our warehouse and need the Mk 1 parts and Mk XII patterns, tooling, miscellaneous parts, and documents gone. 80% of what we got in the Morse asset purchase was MK XII and Mk 1. This stuff is taking up too much space so it will either be sold or scrapped. We do not know if everything to make a Mk XII or Mk 1 is there since no inventory was supplied to us. Probably the most valuable items are the helmet base ring pattern and the fiberglass shell molds.
We will not part out. The whole lot goes for $25,000.00 FOB New Berlin WI. Contact Christian at 414-272-2371 ext. 9 M-F 6am to 2:30pm or [email protected]
We have a scrap pickup scheduled for this week. If the lot isn't sold by the next pickup the whole thing will be scrapped. That is about six to eight weeks.

01/23/2024

We want to introduce you to DESCO's new shop dog, Ash. She is a almost 2 year old Silver Lab. Ash has two speeds, All Stop and Emergency Flank. You can guess which speed she is currently at. You will also note she is real good at giving the evil stink eye when her nap is interrupted.

01/09/2024

Parts added to the catalog.
M1185 Air Pump Handle Assembly $574.00
M1186 Lower Handle Shaft. $220.00
M1188 Upper Handle Shaft $280.00
M1190 Square Nut $0.50 each
M1191 Square Head Bolt $5.50 each

They are on the ecommerce website. Go to the Pumps & Pump Parts page. Note: Only the 14 1/2" Long Upper Handle Shaft is available. We do not have the pattern for the 18 1/2" Upper Handle Shaft. This handle assembly will fit late #4, #15, #16, and #17 Morse Air Pumps.