My New Old Phone

The gfeller telecommunications TRUB solid rosewood telephone

A photo of my new desk phone - and pride and joy. Yes, it's made of solid wood, and yes it is a genuine phone from the seventies.

Recently I was helping my father-in-law install his new wireless router, I remarked that I needed a new phone for my desk. He said he had a pile of old phones on top of his cupboard and I was welcome to help myself if there was one I liked.

Couldn't beleive it when I saw this one - complete with original box and packaging, this little beauty came from the Swiss company GFeller and just sceams retro cool. It has a wonderful solid feel and a completely crackle-free line that beats any digital phone I have ever had. A quick google reveals it is from a long discontinued line and is in fact a highly sought-after collectors item.

Quote from retrothing.com:

"This is the Trub, a Swiss design classic from the 1970’s made entirely from Rosewood by Gfeller, the communicator of choice for tree huggers everywhere. From its perfectly balanced handset to the sturdy and functional base, Trub is a truly organic piece of technology. Its wooden construction breathes and changes according to the seasons, its distinctive grain becoming more tactile and prominent in damp weather.

Even after thirty years, with an occasional polish Trub looks as good as the day it was hewn from its parent tree trunk. Without a doubt, Trub is the King of telephones, but if you want one you’ll be in for a long and patient wait. Long discontinued, the Trub is highly sought after, its fate being sealed after celebrity enthusiasm in the UK saw the final few evaporate into eager collector’s hands."

The phone must be about as old as I am, but unlike me, is in perfect working order, and by the looks of it will probably remain so for many years to come!