Item L33
This Item was Sold on 15 December
2014 for $90
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Jonas Romblad is well known for his composite MTAs. Many collectors are unaware that Jonas was also famous for making some of the most beautiful laminated art boomerangs ever made. Some of these boomerangs were featured in Many Happy Returns #55 (Summer 1995). The boomerang in the photo below is one of Jonas' first laminated boomerangs. It is long and light weight and there is a very large angle between the blades, However, it does work just fine even if the design defies all of the rules for acceptable blade angles on traditional shaped boomerangs. The lamination layers are Mahogany. On the upper surface, Jonas inlaid the Roman Numerals " XXIX " using Padauk veneer. I think that this is Jonas' code for his 29th boomerang? On the underside, the lift arm has a black and white ((ebony & maple?) strip several inches from the blade tip. I think that this was made using commercially available marquetry strips. On the underside of the dingle arm, there is a long repeating inlay pattern using a thin white veneer (poplar?). This boomerang is in mint condition. It is not signed or dated, but I personally acquired it from Jonas in 1988 and it was newly made at that time. Anyway, this is a rare and wonderful collectible.
Jonas Romblad made a major contribution to the sport of boomeranging in the 1990s when he developed the first composite MTA. These MTAs used a similar design to the Bailey Wind Sailor MTA. The major difference was that the Romblad MTAs were not made out of plywood. Instead, they were made out of numerous materials in a composite matrix. This new construction method kept the MTA in perfect tune, so that the thrower did not need to alter the tuning before throwing in competition. The Romblad MTAs became essential equipment for most serious competitors. Jonas originally sold them for $100 each and they were worth it. After a few years, Jonas became preoccupied with getting his Ph.D and then with his Engineering career. Ultimately, Jonas dropped out of the boomerang scene and other manufacturers started making replacement models. Not many of the Jonas MTA boomerangs have survived over the years. A few broke when they hit the ground on a bad throw, but the majority of them just floated away. In the late 1990s, I sold approximately a dozen of these in the boomerang auctions (#9, #11, #12). The prices realized were between $176 and $285. Today, there are more than a dozen manufacturers who make composite MTAs, but none of these have the reputation of the Romblad MTA. |
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