Can anyone tell me if there is a difference in a Newhouse 44 chain and a similar #4 chain other than where it connects. Thanks

The #44 Newhouse chain is the heavier #4 1/2 Wolf trap size chain. There are several different chain set ups for the #44, different swivels and some do not have a ring on the chain.

Thank you very much.

Is that a number 4 or a 44 on the second picture? I've seen numerous 4s like that but never a 44 marked one with kenwood swivel.

Mike, It is marked 44, the original 4 is light. It also had a figure 8, Kenwood cold shut on the ring but was removed by the previous owner, I will be replacing it.
Here is a page from the 1914 "The Newhouse Trapper's Guide" showing the cold shut on the ring. I believe it was to add chain for a drag or you could drive a stake through it.

That’s it the heavy one. Some one took the chain off the base plate and attached to the spring. It looks pretty dump being attached at a 90% angle. I am not going to put it back. Leary of trying that. Thanks for the info.

I don't get around all that much i guess. I've never seen that swivel and only
seen one cold shut. Very nice!

How did that type of cold shut function....not familar with that design?

This style swivel and cold shut first came on the early Kenwood #4 1/2 Wolf traps. The swivel is all made from sheet metal. The cast figure 8 cold shut works like a regular cold shut but it has two tabs in the middle that forms a divider when closed .

Thank you...interesting concept. Man Mr. Newhouse and his staff were some thinkers and metal fabricators!

I have some ??s I have a #4 wth kenwood swivel and base link I also have a couple of #44s with the kenwood setup and I also have a #44 pat date with a kenwood base link and barrel swivel so how would this work out like the #4s were the first model then the 44s with the kenwood setup the second model and so on..

I'm hoping snakecollector will chime in on your questions.
I would sure appreciate if you could post some pics of those chain setups.....

I'll post some pics in a couple days when my wife gets home iam not that skilled lol

The first #44 type traps were #4 small pans with the Kenwood style sheet metal swivel and heavy Wolf trap chain. Then the same trap but with a 4 stamped in to make it say #44. Then they changed to the cast swivel and about the same time the 1911 patent date. Oneida Community did not advertise in their catalog a #44 until 1920, that does not mean they were not marking them because the #44 marked traps are older than that. Here is a page from one of Oneida Community's 1913 catalogs, it shows the #4 pan with a patent date and the heavy chain off the base with a cast swivel.


There is a lot of variation in the #44 type chain set up, I don't think you can say what order they came except that the Kenwood style swivel is older than the cast swivel. And, the small pan is older than the large pan and #4 marked pans were before the #44 marked pans. I hope that helps, Dean

I get a good chuckle out of that part. GREAT answer!