It's here! 1940s (?) Slingerland Radio King pad

 Look what came to my house today!
Carefully wrapped, and beautiful to behold.

I had been waiting for this with baited breath ever since I bought it online from a vintage music dealer.

The pad measures just a tiny bit bigger than my two Ludwig pads, similarly designed but twenty to thirty years newer.

The rubber on this pad is in pretty good shape for its age. I have every reason to believe it's original; it's not glued down, but held in place by deep metal staples in the corners.

 This is a gorgeous pad. The headbadge, I've since learned, was specific to the practice pad and was not used on Slingerland drums from the era.

I'm not certain that the stand is original to the pad. The mounting holes are drilling off-center and use wing nuts to attach the pad to the stand.
It's highly possible that the pad and stand were purchased separately and then brought together later.

Below: A little video I made tonight, using smaller vintage sticks (1970 Regal 5B) and playing something more old-school in feel just because it felt right at the time.
 

This is now the oldest pad in my collection. But I am always on the lookout for older pads and documentation.





(One thing I've noticed is that the construction is a tiny bit loose in one corner, and if I play too loudly I can hear it.
I don't know if I will try to remedy this, or just let it be. I'm in no rush to decide.)