See the two holes spaced vertically? I'm sure I'm missing something there

No, based on having been shown Ajax documents in the past. :)

The oval badge was used from the 40's to the late 50's. I think there is some info. somewhere on this forum( 3 years ago or so) about the stamped serial #'s. Based on that I figured my oval badged W.M.P. Pipper snare was 1958.

As far as the wood goes, Eddie Ryan would know best because he built them but apparently the Edgware shell was a little different than the Ajax shell. Bear in mind too, that the same drums were also badged Stratford and Besson for a while. Since B&H maintained strict adherence to even their budget drums having the same full complement of lugs and the same cast hoops that their pro stuff had, it's hard to tell whether those two brands were Ajax or Edgware or even something different.

I have two kits. Both are W.M.P., with the exception of one snare being a 14x6 C.O.B. There are several different shell formulations, with Birch being the predominant wood in them but there is also some European Beech too. Maple , definitely was not used although there may have been some Ash.

The latest shell I have which probably dates from '66 or later, has completely different re-rings. Very thick with thick plies and completely different than an earlier similar 12" tom. It appears to have plies of beech.

What I don't know , is whether they bought pre-fab plywood or built the plies themselves. Both styles are used in shell making. I suspect that B&H bought plywood, which would have made them vulnerable to the supplier. They wouldn't have been a massive customer, so shell formulations might have changed a little over the years or abruptly, depending on the supply.

B&H also had something going with Trixon. Based on catalogue pictures from the two companies both those companies sold identical vibraphones under their respective brands and at least one snare stand( the pro one). Also curiously, other Ajax snare stands bear more resemblance to Trixon than their English brethren, with the folding spring loaded legs and other similar design features.

I happen to own some of those myself (a 4" Ajax and two 5" Edgwares), I think in both cases the re-rings are beech, though slightly different in shape. Grunta, the buttend is not from a Piper (Pipers had the parallel mechanism), but it is used on other Ajax, Edgware and B&H snares generally - and it's been placed upside-down on your drum (or the rims have). Those holes show that it's a Piper without the original strainer.

There's some more info here:

http://ukdrums.weebly.com/index.html

Alex

Thanks Alex [Attachment: 78625]

Birch has a sapwood (light colored and soft) and a Heartwood, dark and the living part of a tree.

It could be any combo Birch in the plies.

Just something to think about too.

My guess without seeing it, .....Beechwood.