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Thread: Does Durst-Pro-USA Still Exist?

  1. #1
    Craig T
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Australia
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    347

    Does Durst-Pro-USA Still Exist?

    I've sent a couple of emails with no reply. I also contacted a friend who has one of the testimonials on their website and no-one is answering the calls he's made nor his emails.

    Does anyone know if the company still exists?

    I'd love to get one of their light sources or a few parts for my Durst 184...
    _______________________________________

    http://www.craigtuffin.com

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  2. #2

    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Posts
    558

    Re: Does Durst USA Still Exist?

    Can't answer your question but did see this on Photrio:
    https://www.photrio.com/forum/thread...ro-usa.156924/

  3. #3
    Craig T
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    Jul 2008
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    Australia
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    Re: Does Durst USA Still Exist?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Pere View Post
    Can't answer your question but did see this on Photrio:
    https://www.photrio.com/forum/thread...ro-usa.156924/
    Thanks Chuck...that's very sad news...
    _______________________________________

    http://www.craigtuffin.com

    _______________________________________

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Nashville
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    610

    Re: Does Durst USA Still Exist?


  5. #5
    Craig T
    Join Date
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    Australia
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    Re: Does Durst USA Still Exist?

    Quote Originally Posted by faberryman View Post
    Thanks but that's the website that I sent the emails to. Have a read of the link Chuck posted above.
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  6. #6

    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    New York City & Pontremoli, Italy
    Posts
    882

    Re: Does Durst USA Still Exist?

    I'm hoping that one of his workers will take over after the estate is settled but that probably a long shot.

  7. #7

  8. #8
    Moderator
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Posts
    8,634

    Re: Does Durst-Pro-USA Still Exist?

    I've retitled the thread with the actual name of Mr Jensen's firm to avoid confusion with Durst itself, which continues to exist with a US branch but which completely withdrew from the darkroom market years ago and no longer provides parts, service or support.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Mountain View, CA
    Posts
    26

    Re: Does Durst-Pro-USA Still Exist?

    I just stumbled across this thread while doing enlarger research and finding out similar things on my own. It does make me wonder, however... Is it actually possible to buy a Durst enlarger kit new-in-box anymore, possibly from somewhere else?

    Or does one just have to attempt to find someone selling used equipment that matches what they're looking for?

  10. #10
    Drew Wiley
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
    Posts
    18,318

    Re: Does Durst-Pro-USA Still Exist?

    There are allegedly a few new L138 chassis still in crates in Italy; but can you afford 20K apiece for something like that individually shipped? I see you're in Mountain View. Too bad, because I know a big lab that hauled a whole pile of Dursts to the dump two years ago. I only had room for one more 8x10 unit, so rounded up a crew of friends and flatbed truck and installed it here for free. There is a horizontal autofocus unit left, but he wants 75K for that. Jens at DurstPro was an excellent machinist and knew his product well, but was NOT a dependable businessman. How he made money was with very expensive service contracts to big labs and government agencies. If you were an ordinary person just wanting to purchase something, you might never get it, whether you paid for it or not. He was playing a shell game with parts, and promising things he couldn't deliver. But he did move something like 27 commercial Durst units worldwide in just a couple of years, whether new or beautifully refinished by him. So the international market for them is still alive. I believe he took on a partner, but that fell through due to his own slippery business practices. I have no idea what happened to all the leftovers. He bought out the rights to Condit registration equipment and made the same items even better; but if you ordered a punch, the matching carrier would never arrive, or visa versa. Remember, Durst stop making commercial enlargers and their accessories a long time ago. Their present 4x5 enlarger is a nice machine, but certainly not in the same league as the old 138's, and is made by a completely different division, the amateur one.

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