This maker or retailer was active in New York City during the last 20 years of the 19th Century. Â As the business grew it became Strebe Brothers.
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The two originally gut strung examples below show there origins or influences to be from main US wholesale manufacturer of the late 19th C, JH Buckbee , also NY based. Â
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Strebe could well have been maker who fitted their preferred inlays, skins, tail pieces and strings to standard Buckbee parts and then branded them as their own.
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The later "palm tree" courtesy of the Estate of Richard Evans.
Images of the earlier converted fretless courtesy of Jerry Mc Hugh
The gallery picture of the back of the dowel stick shows the use of roman numerals rather than number stamps, to match the pot and neck suggesting earlier business practises and/or lower production levels.
However what is interesting is the 3rd Strebe mark! on the back dowel stick which suggest that Strebe at least assembled the banjos as there is no reason for another maker to stamp the mark 3 times on the dowel stick. It also looks like it was stamped hot after the finish was put on.
HF Strebe & Strebe Bros.
