Old Weber Kettle? Help Identify


 
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Mauricio Valdez

TVWBB Member
Hi Everyone,

I have a very old kettle but I am not sure if it is a Weber or not. I think it is a 22" or a 22.5" as my newer 22" grates don"t fit perfectly snug. I picked this up from CL and and I am planning to restore it but not if it's not a Weber! It has wooden handles as you can see but it has no reference to Weber anywhere. It has an L on the vent. As you can see on the pictures it resembles a Weber 22" kettle. Any ideas? All of your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Mauricio

Here are some pictures:

oldweber1.JPG


oldweber2.JPG


oldweber3.JPG
 
Kenmore brand, made by Weber for Sears.

PS Dude, your whole hog on the WSM rocked for a first smoke. Just sayin'. Rocked.
 
I found one of these for $5 on the CL for Grand Rapids, MI. My lake neighbor picked it up for me and I cleaned it up and cooked on it while we were at the lake over the 4th. I cooked on it side by side with my OTS and the performance was identical.

Maybe sold by Sears, but definitely a Weber - same metal thickness, same finish, everything.

Good deal - restore away!

Pat
 
Looks like there is a ring or mold bend in the middle of the bowl. Sure is close to the kettle though, wonder if there was any legal action taken back in the day. Seems theyd still be making them and selling them cheaper than the kettle if they could.
 
There was a time when Sears would only sell Sears brand products. So many manufacturers would re-label their products for sale at Sears. So if it was a sears it would be exactly the same except for the labeling.

Bill
 
I pretty sure one of these appeared before, and collective knowledge decided it was a Kenmore, made by Weber for Sears.

Due to the single screw/rivet holding the lid handle, it would appear to be early 80s. I had a 70s kettle (vent said Weber, Arlington Heights IL), which had two rivets holding the handle.

The extra ring in the bowl is the grate support, because the normal grate support straps are not present.

I imagine the "Sears" or "Kenmore" label would have been embossed on the wood handle, just like the Weber logo was on the wood handles. Inexpensive small change for production, to distinguish it. The logo has probably rubbed/worn off, leaving no identifying marks.

Vents are not stamped with Weber logos/info, but may have a date code.

There would have been no legal action, except to arrange/review the contract agreed to by both Sears and Weber.

Back in the late 70s/early 80s, Sears sold many products both as name brand, and as their own private label. I was a kid, and remember the Coleco Head To Head Football electronic game, while Sears sold the Team Play version. Their store displays featured both games. Exactly the same game, exactly the same looking, same buttons, same screen, same play, the only difference was the plastic color and the logos on it. Oh, and the price was probably a 1/3 less (just guessing-it has been a long time). I still have the game.

Nowadays, they can get super cheap ones made overseas, so no more need to get subcontracted ones from Weber.

Finally, the color really is gray, not faded black. My 85 is gray - if it were faded, the black would still be present on the bottom, where the sun don't shine. It is gray everywhere, the same shade.
 
if i understand it weber had that circle crease at one time. looks like a weber to me especially with the "L" on the damper. sears or not thats a great kettle.
 
Hello Everyone,

Thank you for all of the information. it looks like it's worth restoring. I'll post pics once it's ready! Thanks for the comments on the first smoke (pig)! It was a true experience. Especially on my first run on the new WSM 22.5".

Mauricio
 
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