TSVVS Universal finder?

Engraving on the finder I meant

Yuri,
The finder does click as it locks into the three positions.
I also think that you are right about "fakes", we all seem a little paranoid about anything that it out of the ordinary and jump to the conclusion that it was meant to decieve.
Because of the circumstances in which I found this finder and the price that I paid for it there is little doubt in my mind that it was never meant to decieve anybody.
During the eight years that I have owned it I have often thought why it should exist.
BTW the photo's actually make it look far worse than it is because they are so large they exagerate every tiny blemish.
My best guess is that it may be an initial internal factory prototype. The next stage after the idea. Perhaps just to show to a boss, or discuss in a meeting and that the markings are simply to denote factory ownership or to deter workers from taking it home. Of course as I said earlier this is just one theory of many and I may well be wrong.
Regardless of why it was made I think the motive was probably innocent, otherwise the logo would have been made to look much more like the finished product.
From my point of view, reading the responses and related issues on the forum especially Vlad's little story about the Agat 18 has been worth far more than the five dollars that I paid for the finder, so in the end it turned out to be a real bargain!!!
Regards, Jim

Hi Jim,
Yes, it could be a factory prototype, but in my experience then it would not have the traces of the old "N" (part of the original serial number) under the paint or gray surface. Prototypes are carefully made in most if not all factories. Many of the factories did have "incentive" contests where workers were encouraged to make things and show them at the factory ... so the factory engineers and bosses could have these ideas to use if they wanted them. Maybe it can be that, but then why No. 15? I think Yuri's ideas may be the most accurate in that they have been made by someone skilled, from used parts (thus the serial number) for friends or for sale as an informal "cottage industry", for some extra income. Or, something special for the Army Air Force Topographical Services, made in small quantities.

In any case, it is a beautiful thing for the collection and very unique. Maybe someday we will find more clues. Thanks for sharing it with us!

Regards, Bill

No offense meant Jim with that Agat story, this is definitely a collector's piece I wouldn't give this one to my toddler to play with

bill,
i asked to M.Mladek about kiev "TSVVS" past year...no doubt for him ; his opinion was this camera is a false one ....
and for fun , i send for friends here some falses finders :

Really great collection!!!
In such great shape they probably more valuable then a real ones!!!
Gongrads!!!

Hi Alain,
Nice collection of universal viewfinder forgeries! I would think that at least the TSVVS finder in your collection was made by the same engravers hand that made the TSVVS Kiev III,
because you can see how "closed" the opening of the "C"s are! On the real TSVVS camera the openings of the "C"s are more open. I have only a very little doubt that the Kiev III is a fake,
and only because of the small detail of a microscopic old scratch. I also talked with M.Mladek about it and gathered his expert opinion, which is rarely wrong as he has long experience,
as do you. So, I consider it a fake too, although not 100% sure ... just 95% sure ;-). But I like it , just te way I like your finders too! thanks for showing them.

Regards, Bill

Bill and others
J-11 shown with the red star.
Abramov places one in his site as one of the available versions. He says nothing about fakes.
Regards
LP
Allain
Great collection of fakes!

Thanks for that Abramov reference Luiz! I will look at it because the one small idea that I have that the Kiev TSVVS may not be fake is that it came from the seller who also had this Jupiter-11
and another with a different number but Kiev mount and he never had more than the ones I bought (as we know, once a fake sells, there are usually more made). So maybe the TSVVS has some
small chance to be a Kiev III that an officer of the Topographic Service had engraved (but still I think it is probably fake).

Regards, Bill