Reader Chris gets major snaps for finding this vintage toilet seat designed just for men. Note, that while I find this beyond-fascinating — and it would likely make my top-10 wild and wacky retro items ever, if I bothered to rank — I do not approve at all. Why?
Because it is very bad feng shui to leave your toilet seat open. Very very bad. Wealth-energy — that is: money — flows right down that open drain.
For example, everyone over on the Forum knows: No photos of open toilets allowed. Deleted — without notice. Close your toilet seats, people!
Anyway back to this amazing toilet seat. Chris writes:
I thought I’d share a great find I made today. It’s a toilet seat designed for MEN! It holds in the “UP” position unless you fold it down (springs back up when you get up too). Original packaging. Made from something called OLSONITE. It’s a heavy plastic. The chrome hinge is spectacular. Bret at Old Portland Hardware and Architectural had it. I was either going to try it out or sell it. When it fit b\ y 1940 period Wellworth toilet it was a keeper. Standard seats did not fit it so the last one had to have the top removed. Much improved however you do have to realize that it is spring loaded and will hit the porcelain lid if you don’t get up slowly! 🙂 Feel free to share on your site. I’ll get you the photos of the countertop display soon. -chris
Countertop display? For this seat? Yes! Send pics!!! Thank you, Chris. This really is cool — American ingenuity at its finest. Something *new* for men to play with, when they are in the bathroom.
Melanie says
Who would think a toilet seat would generate so much discussion. 🙂
I remember a grade school I went to having seats like this in the bathroom— the girls’ bathroom! I would assume they were in the boys’ too but who knows.
Tikimama says
Olivia, thank you! Finally someone brought up the main reason to CLOSE THE LID! When I read an article about a guy whose job was as some sort of scientist for a bathroom company, he went on about how flushing the toilet sprays microscopic particles about 3 feet in every direction, and that is why you close the lid before flushing. Also why you don’t want your toothbrush out in the open anywhere near your toilet. If double-checking for a clean bowl is necessary, I wait for a bit, then lift the lid with my shoe.
I am currently in a battle with my BF as to why seats and lids should be put down every time. His excuse is “it’s gross to touch the seat”! WHAT??!! That’s why you wash your hands!
Gavin Hastings says
I am walking dangerously close to “Access Denied” but in order to bring harmony between the sexes:
When a man stands before a toilet the first and last 3 seconds are “fly by night”.
Case closed…but not necessarily the lid!
Urbanitra says
HAHAHAHAHA. My son is 7. You mean to tell me he will never improve on his aimimg abilities?!
Dave Peterson says
I wish, for my wife’s sake, that these were in all public toilets shared by men and women. There are a lot of dispicible men who don’t lift the lid. Well, you can imagine the rest. It reminds me of a sign I saw in a tavern restroom. “We aim to please. You aim too, please.”
Gavin Hastings says
Since were talkin’ toilets here..
Ladies, when you put a fluffy 2″ pile cover on the tank and another on the lid, you are just asking for trouble….
Tut says
Women don’t realize that some of those things are so thick that it’s impossible for the lid and seat to stay up when in use by men.
Gavin Hastings says
That what I’m sayin”………It’s like playing “Twister” with a toilet.
CJ Green says
When I stay a my GF’s place, one of the first things I do is remove that fuzzy toilet seat cover. Otherwise it’s like going up against a plastic guillotine. (But I do try and remember to slip it back on before I leave on Monday.)
As this comment thread shows, my GF isn’t the only woman with serious bathroom issues. (After a year of being together she recently gave me the “Why an open toilet seat is disgusting” lecture.) I just don’t get why an open lid is so evil. As long as the bowl is empty what’s the big deal? Some serious Freudian analysis needed for the distaff half.
Olivia says
I hope you at least put the lid down before flushing otherwise particles from the um…contents can spray up to 20 ft.
Patty says
I am so glad a friend of mine finally changed out her towels and toilet seat cover cause it was always a challenge to sit down before the lid flipped up. I wonder how she didn’t know that and if her daughter didn’t complain to her.
I think toilet seat carpets are stupid, anyway. We know there’s a toilet under there.
BungalowBILL says
Oh I don’t like those. It’s like being in the French Revolution at the guillotine.
Gavin Hastings says
You can imagine what happed to the “Smile-y Santa Face” at a Christmas Party I went to a few years ago…..
pam kueber says
You are lucky I am all about toilet humor. Completely immature in that respect. Mel & I discovered early on that we had this stunningly in common.
Gavin Hastings says
Write about “finding peace” a few days ago and you can hear the crickets.
Toss up a picture of a toilet and the men come running!!!
pam kueber says
Yes, validation of the blog’s nicely balanced demographic. Dare I pun about “finding peace” vs. “finding piiisssss”?
Gavin Hastings says
Okay…I’ll admt it:
Most of the time I’m a “wall-leaning-hands-free-driver”….but a very accurate one!
I will say that most men like the seat open because of anticipated trips to the toilet at 3am. One less reason to actually open your eyes. That’s not a problem here.
Were my toilets in a cubby or behind the door, I would have no trouble with it up or down, but mine are placed “center stage” and view-able from 20ft.
Too bad the springs on this seat don’t work in reverse!
pam kueber says
ack! Overshare!
Gavin Hastings says
yeah…I know. But YouTube has regulations!
Natalie @ Chadwell Chronicles says
If you are closing your eyes when you pee, you might as well just sit down.
Gavin Hastings says
I always like a challenge.
dale says
Pretty sure this is intended for an institutional situation – not the home. And it probably made the cleaning staff much happier as men are just slobs.
Jason says
This is way too funny! So it’s an auto up seat shaped like a horseshoe so that in case it’s not up you don’t drip on the seat? In which case what is going on the spring has failed or you are holding it down with your foot or something?
Also – does it spank you as you stand up for lack of a better word lol? Or is there a delay in it’s action?
I think these horseshoe seats with no actual lid are weird anyway and I’ve never seen one in a house – looks like public type stuff. But, since it’s retro…I’ll let is go go…
How have I not been reading this site before yesterday?
pam kueber says
Welcome to our wild, wacky, and resourceful retro-wonderland, Jason. We do have some fun here.
STL Mom says
Jason, what exactly were you googling that got you to RetroRenovation on toilet seat day anyway?!
TappanTrailerTami says
And let me count the ways……..while this is a great bachelor toilet seat due to it’s seat up feature (love that chrome hinge!)……I have personally stopped countless men at public gas station restrooms, small restaurants (the unisex ones, I just hate those!), and public sani-cans to go back in and put the lid down if I see the lid up as soon as I open the door to go in and they just exited. Boy, have I gotten a lot of raised eyebrows!
With that said, I think I am running at about at about a 60% success rate, which I think is pretty good for a stranger-to-stranger request. I won’t even go into how many that there is no evidence of the faucet being turned on to wash before they exit (sani-cans excepted). Just EWWW!!!
My other peeve (inherited from my mother): architects/house designers who do not pay attention to placement of the loo in the room in relationship to the door, ie, toilets directly across from the door…..also the bathroom itself being located anywhere near or off the living/dining area.
Anyway, that is still a very cool find, and I’m very happy for Chris that it fit his toilet! Looks great!
pam kueber says
TTT, In my two long narrow bathrooms, including one that backs up to another, there is just no other place to put the toilet than straight across from the door. I hear you, but in these smallish houses, sometimes you gotta doo what you gotta doo.
Gavin Hastings says
So what’s going on here???
I have been told by many women at work to keep the seat up….because the women do not actually sit down. Fine by me….
kate mckinnon says
Gross. That means that they are simply too horrified by the condition of the bathroom to risk sitting down. Like in a bar bathroom. Believe me, they would prefer to sit in a clean bathroom than to crouch in one shared with men.
Gavin Hastings says
I just do what they tell me to do and don’t ask questions….
pam kueber says
You are wise.
TappanTrailerTami says
Oh Gavin, you must work with a bunch of official “hoverers”. I’m only a hoverer if there is A) no seat protectors, or at least TP to make my own, or B) in an outhouse sani-can regardless of seat protectors!
I guess you need to continue to make the hover girls at work happy!
TappanTrailerTami says
True Pam – small houses make do with what works best…..I’m really talking more about the newer bigger houses, especially custom built where there could have been other layout options.
I’d much more easily forgive any house pre1980 for less than ideal layout, than one post 1980 🙂
Trouble says
When my bath is done in a month or so, I’m going to send you before and after pics….I think I’ll leave the seat up and put a king-size Baby Ruth in the toilet! LOL
I hate to say this – but my money goes down the drain anyway. It has nothing to do with Chinese dudes!
I’d prefer a lid too. Just yesterday, Mr. Shui almost made me drop my shampoo in the terlet b/c the lid was up!
pam kueber says
Now that’s the spirit!
Gavin Hastings says
….Shane!
Touble aka Shane says
Man this was a good post! We needed a good “flushing” of all the peace stuff. Let’s everybody have fun! LOL