Circle T Kellners?

[badhex]

Hi all

So I know a little bit about 0.965" EP designs, more specifically that a fair few of them were rubbish due to being supplied with cheap scopes. I am also under the impression that broadly speaking Kellners were the better of the bunch, this fact making me happy that the two EPs I got with my inherited scope were Swift Kellners and although tight on eye relief and FOV they aren't too shabby in my 6“ reflector. Pics below - note that they are a darker grey/brown than they look due to the flash.

What I hadn't noticed until today was that there's a small Circle T stamped/engraved on the barrel just after where it says Japan.

I've heard Circle V thrown around, but not Circle T. I've also heard that swift may have become Takahashi (maybe this is the eponymous T?) but I don't know if this means good or bad or what.

An eyepiece buffs out there able to shed some light?

TIA

[John]

Circle-T = a Japanese maker called Tani-San I believe who retired in 2012. He also was the last maker in Japan of the renowned "volcano top" orthoscopics.

Circle-V is Vixen.

[badhex]

Hmm, thanks John, good knowledge there.

The Circle V I had worked out as there's a fair bit of chat and material to peruse on the tinterwebs, but I'm still very puzzled about these Kellners. A bit more digging has turned up a few posts on this very forum such as the ones below but mostly regarding 1.25" EPs. I guess these are just an earlier 0.965 style of the same thing...

John, I thought 'volcano' top' referred more to the shape of the EP than the specific design and there are numerous references I have found to volcano top Kellners, so still quite confused about that! Is it generally agreed that people talking about volcano tops will be referring to Orthos (as these are the more sought after design)? 

At least one reference in another forum suggested that Circle T Kellners were made in the same factory or by the same people/person (Tani-San?) as the Orthos, which would obviously explain the design. Perhaps that is the case here, and they are just branded as Swift for import to the American Swift Instruments? 

I've found this 1961 flyer for Swift Instruments which lists a 20mm and 12mm as TA-3 and TA-4 respectively, which I believe are the ones I have, if this old ebay listing http://tinyurl.com/oby93k6 is to be believed (looks right). I wonder whether the TA in the model number is relevant, TA for TAni? perhaps. 

http://geogdata.csun.edu/~voltaire/classics/swift/swift61.pdf

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/178622-circle-t-kellners/

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/201482-kellners-an-underrated-eyepiece-design/ 

[philj]

Circle T eyepieces have been branded by many suppliers/makers, I have owned several swift circle t eyepieces, tasco badged them and Ithinkour very own Fullerscopes did the same at one time, although their badges were stick on labels.

I still have a couple of 1.25 volcano circke t kellners and they are ok but not as good as the orthos

[nightfisher]

I did a post about having a good few eyepieces, and i missed of the 2 swift eyepieces