Superlative, Complete Telescope by J P Cutts - made between 1836 and 1839
This 180 year old telescope was made by J.P. Cutts and is in very good condition. It is complete and appears to be composed of original parts down to the screws which are set in their original holes. According to a lengthy description about the Cutts clan on microscopist.net (also made microscopes), the London location was short lived and started around 1836 and ended by 1939, so the date of manufacture of this telescope is known with some precision. The Cutts were among the elite makers and later telescopes bear the honor "Opticians to her Majesty".
As noted, the telescope is compete and includes both its objective cap and its sliding eye lens cover. Mechanically and optically the telescope works very well despite minor issues. The minor dings in the eye tube have almost no impact on movement. There is little that can be done about the chips in the main tube paint that would not sacrifice the original condition. The cleaned draws open appropriately: however, the end of the largest draw appears to contact wood perhaps a half inch from fully closed (see last two pics). Early in my ownership, it would not move past this point and telescope was left partially open. The wood main tube is presumably some kind of fruit wood, which has a tendency to shrink and it seems likely such shrinkage is responsible. While the telescope is very solid and can currently be closed, the lifetime will be extended if one holds onto brass (not the wood) and moves each draw tube as this becomes possible. This is good practice for any antique telescope.
Optically the telescope is superlative and produces a clear bright image with the a good field of view when focused by moving the smallest tube to the appropriate position. The objective lens is held by brass bent (or spun) over the back of the flint lens. It is very hard to remove such lenses for cleaning; however, this has been done relatively recently as shown by the minimal residue between the crown and flint lenses. Lens removal requires bending the brass away from the lens and almost always results in some damage to the bent brass. Unfortunately, this process or the pressure points created by damaged brass have produced a series of small chips around the back edge of the flint lens. Fortunately, these are small enough that there is no impact of the usable portion of the lens or the image. The internal eye tube lenses are in excellent condition.
This is an exceptional telescope that focuses easily and is a joy to use.
The telescope is about 10 inches long when folded, almost 29 inches long when fully extended and has an objective lens with a diameter of almost 1 7/8 inches. It can be dissembled for cleaning if that should become necessary.
Be sure to examine the images as they form an important part of the description. Although shipping is listed as economy, items will generally be shipped priority if costs are comparable. I will consider sending the telescope to restricted countries if a buyer seems responsible and assumes shipping risks.