Joe, These are two very nice traps. They are both early #4 Newhouse Deer traps later to become the #14. In the first edition "Trappers Guide", 1865, it says that offset jaws with teeth, made for catching Deer can be ordered to install in your trap or ordered installed in a trap. So, at that time, Oneida Community was making these jaws as an accessory rather that a new model of trap. Your first trap, having forged springs and a stamped pan would have been made in the late 1860s. The second trap, having machine springs and the early cast figure 8 chain would have been made in the early 1870s. The jaws on both of these traps look to be correct, having jaw posts with rounded tops. The best way to determine if these jaws are correct for the trap is the location of casting marks. On these first model #4 Deer traps the casting marks should be on top of the jaws. These marks are not always visible, but you can see them on the second trap. On slightly later jaws it moves to the under side of the jaws between the teeth, and then later it moves to the outside of the jaw legs. The chain on the first trap is just missing the ring, the long link chain in most cases should have 11 links, the first and every other link forged and the links in between are cast.
Last edited by snakecollector; 02/22/23 03:56 AM.
