My grandfather recently gave me a vintage Gott thermos when we
visited him for his 71st birthday. It was one of those stainless steel
vacuum thermoses that still look shiny and new in spite of its supposed
age (I don't know the exact age of the aforementioned Gott thermos, but I
was told that my grandfather used to take it on fishing trips a few
decades ago). Apparently, the bullet-like thermos is virtually
non-existent today, as production has already stopped, making it rare
and special outside of sentimental purposes. A simple Google search
later confirmed its rarity, as hits for the pharase "Gott thermos" have
very few hits pertaining to actual Gottbrand thermoses being sold, with
majority of the results relating more to spare parts being sold, and
random forum threads about old Gott thermoses, some specifically stating
that the brand itself is very rare these days.
My
grandfather told me that the thermos works really well, and stated that
every GOTT thermos is expected to keep beverages hot or cold for as
long as 48 hours. It was a little hard to believe considering that most
modern thermos products can only keep temperature consistent in 4 hours
at the most, with succeeding hours resulting in a steady drop or
increase in overall temperature. I thought if Gott's thermoses were
really this good, how come they're not very popular today, and why have
they faded into obscurity?
The thermos looks very much like a
bullet, with its rounded lock down lid, its uniform stainless steel
look, the lack of handle and its somewhat thin and tall disposition (it
still fits inside my briefcase, though). The Gott logo is etched in the
upper part of the body, a few millimeters below the lid. The body has a
few dents and scratches on the underside, probably a result of being put
down on rough surface areas or due to being dropped. With its age, I'm
not surprised and would have expected more damage.
My initial
reaction after finding out about the Gott thermos' rarity, and the fact
that it still works, was to sell it on ebay. I was expecting to at least
get a couple of hundred bucks when a collector or just someone who
really likes Gott products picks it up. I figured with the amount I was
bound to make, I could buy ten newer thermoses and still have enough
left over for coffee.
I changed my mind while I was in the process
of taking pictures for the online auction. I don't want to get sappy or
morbid or both at the same time, but seventy one years is really old
for a person these days, and I have a feeling that visit with my
grandfather will be rare as Gott thermoses as the years go by, and as
melodramatic as it may seem, there will come a time when there will be
no one left to visit. When that time comes I don't want a part of my
grandfathers legacy to be lost to some random collector on the internet.
I guess the reason why my grandfather chose to buy a Gott thermos was
due to its long lifespan, knowing that he can leave something to us that
will last as long as the memories that he will leave behind.
Article Gott Thermos [http://www.skyfireproducts.com/servlet/the-Camping-fdsh-Hiking/Categories] is written by
Cassaundra Flores, owner of
skyfireproducts.com