Pair of Vintage Wooden Dumbbells

Who was H. Masterson Chester? I have no idea, but they really wanted people to know these were their wooden dumbbells. The name is stamped onto one side and the initials onto the other side of each dumbbell. And one of the E's is the wrong way around ;) You can actually use these weights - my grandfather did!. They are not marked; however, my kitchen scale (Not Legal For Trade!), weighed them between .92 and .998 pounds each so I assume they were originally sold as 1 lb weights. They make great decor in a man-cave, she-shed, exercise room, vintage display, or shabby chic vignette. While exact wood type is unknown, these were most commonly made of maple and the wood grain is consistent with that possibility. Age is also unknown, but this style of carved wooden dumbbells was common from the late 1800s to the 1930s. These deeply carved specimens clearly show their age with the dings and dents from being "pumped" by some long ago athlete, and they have the patina of timeworn wooden collectibles. There is a narrow crack on one of the ball ends, a hairline crack on the other ball end of the same dumbbell, and there are some small white dots and smudges (see photos).