For sale is an original 1920s HEALTH-O-METER SCALE made by the Continental Scale Company, Chicago, Illinois. This restored antique rotary dial scale looks great from every angle. It is rust free inside and out. The scale face has a 1917 and 1921 patent dates. The metal base of the scale is solid cast iron which makes the scale deceptively heavy. The scale works as intended and is reasonably accurate for a spring scale. The scale stands 8 inches tall and 13 inches deep. The scale face is 8 1/4 inches diameter. A great antique that was one America’s first widely used home scales.
In 1914, the Chicago Scale Company hired Mr. Mathias Weber, who they considered “the best scale man in the country.” Mr. Weber developed a new bathroom scale that he called the “Health-O-Meter” which he patented in 1917. In 1919, Weber with two investors formed the Continental Scale Works to begin manufacturing Weber’s design. That same year they began building and selling the Health-O-Meter Model No. 100 bath scale. The scale had a cast iron frame and incorporated an accurate rack and pinion system with hardened bearings. Selling for $16, the scale weighed 20 pounds, and stood eight inches tall. Its accuracy was guaranteed to within one pound. Continental’s sales surged partly due to a dieting fad that began in the US following World War I. Prior to World War I most people measured their weight on coin op novelty machines that cost a penny. After the war, a slim figure was considered fashionable for women and the concept of an at home scale was appealing. The Continental Scale Works eventually became known as as the inventor of the “doctor’s” beam scale.
