I was able to acquire a pre-Fulton, patent pending 1aa Kwik-Lite recently. It arrived in working condition but could use some TLC.
Here it is vs a modern 1aaa light.
Here it is disassembled.
Plastics were one of the Usoma owned Kwik-Lite innovations in the early days like 1920's and one of the reasons born in 1939 Fulton bought them in the 1940's.
The copper bulb keeper used a plastic wrapping to stop conductivity inside nickel plated body and the lens is plastic too.
Hopefully these will shine like new soon.
And the current 1960's bulb has got to go!
I'll add more later, but this is another fine piece of flashlight history.
I did about an hour of rehab on this little jewel, first with Mothers mag wheel polish.
All oxydation on the nickel plating is gone
Tail cap has a mirror shine now
And the once dull mirror is shiney now
Then I tossed out that poj bulb and swapped in a Chicago Miniature
Stuey head beam but it's nice n straight now. At 2am the shape isn't so noticeable.
Then some cleaning of the spring and switch took place and no more flicker whatsoever exists now.
Burns nice n white.
Here it is vs a modern 1aaa light.
Here it is disassembled.
Plastics were one of the Usoma owned Kwik-Lite innovations in the early days like 1920's and one of the reasons born in 1939 Fulton bought them in the 1940's.
The copper bulb keeper used a plastic wrapping to stop conductivity inside nickel plated body and the lens is plastic too.
Hopefully these will shine like new soon.
And the current 1960's bulb has got to go!
I'll add more later, but this is another fine piece of flashlight history.
I did about an hour of rehab on this little jewel, first with Mothers mag wheel polish.
All oxydation on the nickel plating is gone
Tail cap has a mirror shine now
And the once dull mirror is shiney now
Then I tossed out that poj bulb and swapped in a Chicago Miniature
Stuey head beam but it's nice n straight now. At 2am the shape isn't so noticeable.
Then some cleaning of the spring and switch took place and no more flicker whatsoever exists now.
Burns nice n white.
Last edited: