I have a set of 30 by 3 1/2 Fisk Windsors that say "Made in America". I doubt they are pre 1940 as they will still bend and flex OK> They WON"T stretch to mount though. Were these ever reproduced and when? Any info will help Thanks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisk_Tire_Company

...."from the 1910s-30s"
...." in receivership from 1931 to 1933"
....."acquired by United States Rubber (later Uniroyal) in 1940"
....."Fisk brand was revived by Discount Tire in 1996"

Rich

I knew of Fisk tires as a boy. The logo was a little boy in a nightgown with a candle in his left hand and a tire over his right shoulder. The slogan was "Time to Retire".

A tire store on the northwest corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway had a big statue of the Fisk boy.

OK But did anyone ever reproduce them. I can't believe that the tire I have are 80 years old.

Thanks

Fisk brand tires were made in the 50's as I best remember. Tires made prior to WW2 were natural rubber and would be as hard as a rock almost. I have one of these Fisk tires. Most tires made after the war and prior to the advent of radials were made of synthetic rubber which has much better weather resistance. I have a Firestone 21 inch tire I bought used in 1960. It is still pliable and uncracked. My best guess is your tires were made after the war.

I don't know how late Fisk continued making clincher tires, but I have a "Hood Arrow" tire that is nice and pliable. As near as I have been able to find out, they were last made in the early '30s.
I have a few other really old tires that are as pliable as a piece of chalk.

Tom, presumably your Fisk tyres have shrunk over the years. Without wire in the beads like ordinary tyres, this can happen. There is a way to stretch them. I had to do this with some older Olympic brand tyres which were made in Australia.

I used an almost bald 185 x 75 x 14" on a modern rim and deflated it. Then I levered the 30 x 3.5 onto the centre of the deflated tyre and re-inflated it. This will stretch the BE tyre gently. I left it in place for a week or so, in the sun, before removing it for fitting. Once I had to repeat the process on another slightly larger tyre to get more stretch. You may have to use a different rim and tyre combination for the stretch, but the process will work, and you eliminate the risk of damaging the bead when levering on a stubborn tyre.

It is worthwhile persevering with the old tyres, as they are usually of much better quality than those available nowdays

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

Thanks All

A old timer restorers trick would is to boil them ,they will get soft and pliable .