I recently came across a wooden sand frame and was wondering if it was the version that was made by Tenyo. It certainly looks the the one pictured on the TenyoWorld site but there are no marking on it at all that show which company made it.
Did anyone else make a similar card frame?
Anyone know of any way to tell if this is the Tenyo version?

I thought the Tenyo version was framed in orange plastic?

The standard version is plastic. However at some point they also made a wood version.
I found some info about it at these places:
http://www.tenyoworld.co.uk/raretenyo.htm
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/te......nt-magic

I happened to come accross one that looks the same as these but I'd like to know if there is any way to tell for sure.

Xl18… I have an original Sand Frame and there are no identifying marks. The only distinguishing characteristics I can share is that the back of the frame (the piece held by the clips) looks like it has black sandpaper glued to it and that the glass is held in place with what looks like masking tape.

I hope this helps,
Bruce

Thank you very much for the description. The one I have also has the tape holding the glass in. Between that and the pictures I think I can be be reasonably sure that it is the same one.

I, too, have (and use) a wood Tenyo sand frame. I use it to produce a photograph as part of a close-up routine. Even though it was reportedly made in the '40s or '50s, it still works like a dream.

The window of the frame is a bit smaller than a U.S. playing card (poker and bridge). That could be another clue in determining whether or not your frame is a Tenyo frame.

One of the things I like about it is that it looks like a real photo frame and not a magic prop. Another thing I really like is that it has real glass, as opposed to clear plastic like in most of the cheaper plastic frames. I've used the cheaper frames, and the clear plastic eventually gets scratched and foggy as a result of the shifting sands, making the frame unusable.

I'm pretty sure the frame shown on the Worthpoint site (the second link in your 4/20 post) is the actual frame I bought on ebay. It came in the original box and with the original instructions (printed in Japanese).

I THINK the very early wooden (mahogany?) sand frame sold by Tenyo was made for them by Mikame. It looks a little rough on the back, but that's part of its charm.

Julie