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​When Jack and Nathan Benenson first began making diecast toys in the late 1940's, they called their enterprise Pure Rubber Products and established it at 145 Gosport Road, Walthamstow, London E17. In an advertisement in 1949, 30 models 'attractively boxed' were promoted but little is known about many of these. Some, however, have survived and been attributed to Pure Rubber Products such as the Chinese Rickshaw and also the Roman Chariot which later became part of the Qualitoys range.

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Two models, a Crane and an Excavator, have strong links with Pure Rubber Products although they were manufactured by a toy firm called 'Chestnut Die-Casting Company', about whom otherwise little is known, and the models were painted by another firm called 'F&D Spraying Co.". The Benenson brothers are likely to have arranged sales and distribution of these models along with the Pure Rubber Products range.

 

Later, when the early versions of the Qualitoys Crane and Excavator models were devised, several componants from the Chestnut Die-Casting models were used and incorporated into the new range.

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The Pure Rubber Products Crane and Excavator models were designed using a shared body, roof and base with the only individual parts being the jibs, the hook and the Excavator bucket. The body was basically a rectangular box with a separate roof, open 'windows' at the front, and internal spindles with external handles for the lifting cords. There were two cords on both models, one for controling the jib and the other either for the hook on the Crane or for the bucket on the Excavator. 

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The body was centrally connected to the base so it could swing in a complete circle, but the base itself was a fairly basic hollow casting with imitation wheels. On both models, the individual jib castings were comparatively substantial as also was the bucket on the Excavator. 

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Using bright colours gave both models additional appeal and various combinations were used. The body could be red, blue or green, the roof red, orange, blue or green, and the base bright red, plum-red, orange or green. Even the jibs had at least three possible colours, green, red or yellow, and on the Excavator the bucket was either red or yellow. Only the handles and the undersides of the models were left unpainted.

 

Both the Crane and Excavator were originally individually sold by Chestnut Die-Casting in end-flap, white card boxes with a coloured illustration of the model printed on the face. They were also sold unboxed and supplied to toy shops in brown Trade Boxes and these contained six, or possibly eight models per box.

 

Both the Pure Rubber Products Crane and Excavator models are now very rare. Because they can be affected by metal fatigue, good examples can fetch a premium but because they carry no identification, their scarcity is sometimes not realized. The Chestnut Die-Casting boxes are especially rare.

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