Your Antique Flashlights in Review

[socom1970]

Nice thread!:thumbsup: I hope others post their neat old flashlights as well.

I have a cool old 5D cell light that my dad gave me a few years ago.

I have no idea who makes it and it has no manufacturer name on it. It just says "Pat. applied for" on one side of the switch and "Made in U.S.A." on the other side.

It takes a threaded base bulb. It is very hard to find 5 cell threaded base bulbs, but I put in a easier-to-find 4 cell threaded bulb in it with excellent results.

It is impressively bright and throws very far.

No idea what it is made of, but it looks like copper to me. The bezel head turns to focus or de-focus the beam.

 

[M@elstrom]

I have a cool old 5D cell light that my dad gave me a few years ago.

I have no idea who makes it and it has no manufacturer name on it. It just says "Pat. applied for" on one side of the switch and "Made in U.S.A." on the other side.

Whilst I could be wrong... it has features that remind me of the Ray-O-Vac styled lights from that period, to confirm any suspicions you could always punch that patent code into google and see what appears :thumbsup:

Here's one of my pieces a Ray-O-Vac 2C "Baby" Bullet circa 1930 featuring...

• Glass lens
• Silver plated reflector (what's left of it)
• Cardboard insulation pieces
• Powered by 2 x C cells
• Brass internal components
• On/off/Momentary switch
• Switch mounted via 4 rivets
• Rayovac cloud logo featured on tail
• Plated brass body/bezel
• PR flange bulb

 

[M@elstrom]

I love seeing all these vintage lights. I've read that the LED flashlight was invented in 1960 and a different source said 1993. If it takes 20 years to make an antique, then is a light with led an antique?

Sorry but I believe it takes 100+ years to qualify as Antique, however whilst Vintage generally applies to products made during the 1930's era "Classic" would fit the bill for a 20 year old flashlight YMMV


Next I present my Kwik-lite made by Fulton Industries in 1952

 

[sgt253]

My first real vintage light a 1925 Everready 2660 arrived today. Really dig the history of old lights. Look forward to more additions to the collection. Pics shortly.


Some pics:

 

[magellan]

Cool thread. Glad you resurrected it.

 

[bykfixer]

Sorry but I believe it takes 100+ years to qualify as Antique, however whilst Vintage generally applies to products made during the 1930's era "Classic" would fit the bill for a 20 year old flashlight YMMV


Next I present my Kwik-lite made by Fulton Industries in 1952

When I was a little kid it was 100 years to be considered antique.
Then if memory serves a bunch of so-called antique dealers broke the unwritten rule in the 1980's and since then 25 years is now the so-called point things become antiques....

Don't know that to be fact, but do remember my mom collected antique glass and remember hearing her and my pop having a discussion about when the word antique went from 100 years old to 25....

I still believe it should be 100, but to be honest, did not hesitate to put antique plates on a 91 car when it turned 25...no taxes, no inspection etc...

Cool thread. Glad you resurrected it.

^^ agreed.
Has mini-moog written all over it.

 

[LeanBurn]

Cool thread. Glad you resurrected it.

Indeed. I love old stuff like radios and flashlights etc..mostly equipment that has a usable great grandson equivalent today.

I noticed that many of these lights used C and D cells. Does anyone know when did AA make their way on to the scene?

 

[bykfixer]

A couple of classics recently acquired:


Cub Scout lights.
Left is unlabled so I'm searching for it's origins and age. Right one is a BMG.

And a classic with a vintage right angle pair:


Left is the Fulton 991/U. Right is a BMG Boy Scout light.

 

[magellan]

Very cool! I remember well having a Fulton years ago.

 

[lightlover]

A couple of classics recently acquired: ...

byk,

where d'you find all these vintage models? It must take a lot of searchin'?

You really are the "Prince" of NOS.

 

[bykfixer]

Magellan, that Fulton was seemingly hardly used. I have a request in with Fulton Industries for the spare lens kit and their aa/led upgrade kit.

I've spent numerous hours researching why, and when the slash between 991 and the U went from "/" to "" or vice versa.

I'm also researching the cub scout lights. But getting conflicting information.

The boy scout TL122A type seemed to be a circa 1945. It was bulbless and came with a non stock bulb holder.
It was seemingly very gently used and is in surprisingly good condition.
That one took about an hour to decide on vs some older brass ones. I finally tossed a coin. Glad "tails" won. I really like the tape with the kids name being intact. Maybe fate will allow me to learn more about that ones history.

byk,

where d'you find all these vintage models? It must take a lot of searchin'?

You really are the "Prince" of NOS.

I think Google, Discover and Ebay have teamed up to ensure the bykfixer money keeps rolling in. lol.

Now this...

Was a lucky find, err uh rescue really.

When my pop passed a few years ago the family gathered up stuff and began a process of good vs junk. Junk was in a 'to go' bin and good went home with them.
I inherited his house and contents but gave my siblings 18 months to take anything they wanted. I called dibs on a few things, but only a few. They took valuables based on $ and left me the stuff with stories to tell. Me thinx I got the better end of the stick.

The penlight was in a bag of 'junk' I had put in my shed for digging through later. Yesterday was that later.

It still has a Holland made Norelco 222 in it. The globe is darkened, but the filament still lights.

Were I not the king of clutter that thing would be in a landfill somewhere. Along with my pops dog tags, his Navy footlocker locks, and a bunch of other cool stuff.

I do not know that it was "the" light my mom used to check for concussions, light for splinter removal and such. But I do know it was the one my pop used in the 90's for inspecting gun barrels for condition.

This one and a few plastics of my younger days mean a great deal more to me than all my Streamlights, Mags, PK's, SureFires and others combined.
(I did a disposable light thread in the budget section showing some of those)

Here's a few details about the lights mentioned in this thread.

The Eveready penlight, Fulton and Boy Scout light have a thread at the incan section with the details of those.

Was going to do a versus thread about the Cub Scout lights but after I find definitive answers.
Here's a few pix I may use.


Left is the unlabled one. Right is the BMG.


Left is the BMG switch. Right is the unbranded one.


Left is the BMG.


Note the peeling reflector of the unbranded one.



Head assembly of the unbranded one.



Head assembly of the BMG.
Lens pops out via 3 tiny holes on the rear of the molded plastic head.


Body of the unbranded one.
Magnet sticks well.


Body of the BMG

Both arrived with GE bulbs. The BMG a PR 6 and the unbranded a PR 4. Both got 2 cell Mag White kryptons along with the Fulton and the Boy Scout light.

 

[magellan]

Thanks for all the great info and photos and best of luck with your research.

 

[bykfixer]

Thanks for all the great info and photos and best of luck with your research.

Thanks.
Struck gold today when I searched "cub scout flashlight manufacturers". The unlabled one was suddenly shown in a bunch of sites.

Seems it's a 1970 unit made by National Supply Service. More research regarding that company will take place.




A flashlight museum entry.
Best I can tell is National Supply Service seems to be the depot for all things Scouting. But who actually built it for NSS? Hopefully that info can be had someday.

A few sites show the one with the red bezel as made between 1960 and 65.

 

[bykfixer]

2 more arrived today. Vintage by yesteryear standards 1943 and 57, antique by modern standards.

A US Navy issued map reader and a Fulton "kwik-lite".





The Navy light was kinda pricey ($55) and not quite as nice as the seller eluded to. But not bad. And non lantern Delta lights aren't easy to come by.
The Fulton was cheap ($9) and is nicer than appeared in the seller pics but is certainly not mint, yet it's not bad either.

After walking beside an asphalt paver all week, today I put on my accountant propeller hat for a different project that is being audited this coming week.
Both lights were scheduled to arrive Monday. So it was a nice distraction when Mr. Postman dropped them off.

I took a 20 minute break to snap some photos of both after finding out they both work.
Navy light 1st:
Was looking for a Fulton map reader but found this rare gem.
The light was made by Delta Electric around the first half of the 1940's. It's a plastic body 2D with a plastic magnifier molded with the bezel and the slider also signals at 50% towards on with a defined stopping point. It has a round globe screw in generic 2.5 volt in it now.


Plastic inside was clean as a whistle.


Pretty basic setup with this one.


Don't know if this was a Delta or US Navy idea to have portions of the reflector dull. But the dull is applied to the thin metal, chromed lens.


Nail hook at the rear.
There is a rubber gasket at the tailcap and an opaque ring of something flexible (brittle now though) between the reflector and lens.
(Edit: the flexible ring is around the kwik lite lens but not the Navy one. There is a gasket between the body and the bezel)

Now the Kwik-Lite:
As today we have a "Band-Aid" monicker, a Kool-Aid, or that sort of thing, according to flashlight museum "kwik-lite" was a monicker too. The "kwik-lite" was made by a number of companies including Fulton who began their version in the 1930's iirc.
Anyway this is a chrome'd tin 3D with a momentary switch until turned on. I read it's a dimmer but haven't figured out how that works if it is. It has a coke bottle thick glass lens and uses PR bulbs. The reflector is some sort of lightweight metal with a nice shine applied.


Check how thick the lens is.
PR bulb is held in via a threaded keeper.
The tailcap seems to have a configuration of flexible plates I'll try to figure out at some point. Could that be how it dims? (Edit, not a dimmer)


Again, an opaque flexible ring around the lens.


Houston, looks like we had a leaker


A bit of surface rust on the tailcap.

I'll edit this with more info and some updated photos after applying some TLC to both, but for now it's back to the propeller hat for a couple more hours.

Old flashlights are COOL!

 

[lightlover]

......... ring of something flexible (brittle now though)
.....................
.....................
Old flashlights are COOL!

Mr bykfixer, is there anything that could "recondition" that?

(I mean, as opposed to replacing it?)

(And congrats on ANOTHER set of Amazing Purchases!)

 

[bykfixer]

Mr bykfixer, is there anything that could "recondition" that?

(I mean, as opposed to replacing it?)

(And congrats on ANOTHER set of Amazing Purchases!)

I'm pretty sure there's no way to recondition it. It's all crackled like an ancient rubber band.

I incorrectly stated one was on the navy light. A flexible ring is only on the Fulton.

Later I carefully cleaned up the Navy light and boy did it turn out sweet.
As crazy as it sounds headlight restoration products do wonders for plastic lenses. I started out with the 800 grit pad from a Turtle Wax kit and wet sand it. Then 1000, then a 3000 grit from a 3M kit, then rubbing compound and finally wheel polish.


Before


During


After.

Wheel polish to the switch housing.


Before


After

This is the type of light my pop used in Korea while in the Navy. He was the guy in the rear of the plane who spotted targets from overhead. He didn't speak of his Navy days but I suppose if he saw this light he'd either say "get that pos away from me" or "good score". I hope it would be the latter.

The kwik-lite is next.

How 'bout some map reader beam shots?


Not your conventional wall shot there






At 6" from the wall it looks like most do at 10'.

Oh, and here is a post reflector restore beam shot.

Clean, clean, clean.



Here is the innerds to the tailcap


"This side up", but which direction is "up"?

 

[ven]

This side up I would guess will be so you can read it, so it's the right way.

Just about to go sleep and clock some mr fixer posts......sleep has to wait! As always an excellent read full of info , great pics too. Can't beat a bed time fixer post

 

[bykfixer]

^^ Wow. Glad you like. Don't stay up too late. Good point about "if you can read this it's correct tip".

Ok, did some rehab of the Fulton Kwik-Lite. Chrome wheel polish to the body. This time a toothbrush was used in nooks n crannys as well as a rust removal procedure.

All that went well. But like the guy in Vegas who began with $100 and is now up to $500k... wisdom says quit while you're up, right.
Well, whatever kind of coating is over the reflector to make it shiney doesn't play nice with Mothers alluminum wheel polish. Uh oh!.


Before


After. Doh!!!

A good thing was that it cleaned up artifacts like a heavy orange peel without affecting throw. Murdered the spill though.


The tailcap came out beautiful.


Around the switch, light rust is gone too.


The body shines like a diamond now.

Now a few pix of the beam. Think Mag focused to spot.. .permanently.


Speaking of: A 2D next to the Kwik-Lite


10' wall shot shows pencil spot.


The 125' who's behind the garage pic shows the supplied generic PR3 is kinda dull.

Sooooo, how about a 2 cell White Star?


Better


Much better.

Even has a football field toss now.

Dimly lit garage is about 300' away.

 

[bykfixer]

Following the Navy light theme:
The metal Fulton map reader.
Don't know much about the time frame for these except they were apparently WW II era that were issued along with Eveready, BMG and some other brands.



It's basically a thin wall tin body very similar to TL-122 lights with a very similar lens configuration to the Delta one shown above down to the bulb.

The plastic tail cap on the ones I received are frozen onto the metal body. It has the same metal nail hook as the Delta as well. I did not try the kung fu grip or Chuck Norris method to free it for fear of breaking something.

Beam is same as well.

The switch is off/50% for signal/100% for on. No button like the TL-122 lights. The bulb is a thread type. I could not make out 100% of the letters and numbers due to some corosion and because my eyes don't see 'tiny' stuff like they used to. (Where-the-hell is my magnifyer?!?)


No darkened areas like the Delta.
Note this one does have the flexible band around the reflector. It feels like a felt material or a fiberous paper product.


Exagerated looking bulb when looking through the magnifier lens.


This is a typical box they'd be issued in.


Score of the week. Maybe the month. Heck, maybe the year but it's only May.


A wall shot from 10'.
Not a thrower by any means.
I had to slide the batteries in the lens end.

I did a thread about reproduction TL-122's in the budget section recently. See 'reproduction TL-122 A vs B'...

 

[bykfixer]

Ok, great! From left to right in first picture:

Ray-O-Vac Sportsman 7D: ~1970's, convertible to 3,4,6, or 7D
Dog Supply House 7D: ~1950's-1960's, convertible 6 or 7D, rheostat switch
Dog Supply House 6D: ~1950's-1960's
Dog Supply House 6D: ~1950's-1960's, convertible 3D/6D, spare bulb in tail

All shown here with frosted MagnumStar 5 or 6 cell lamps-nice, smooth beam. These all function perfectly. Thanks for looking. If any of you have additional info on these please do share.

Found a couple Dog Supply House lights accidently.
One is in great shape.


Complete with 7th cell extension

The other...


Well so far it doesn't light.
It's the bottom one. It arrived with a 3 cell extension stamped "HI-BRED ROYAL" which made me wonder if that part was made by Royal.



Changing gears:
Once upon a time oil lamp wick advance screw, and high end fire place mantel maker Hipwell made some flashlights. They were called HIPCO and according to pix at flashlight museum made 2 cell and 1aa Tom Thumb monickered flashlights (along with Fulton). Hipwell is apparently still going in Pittsburg and is a company known for happy employees. It is written that there are multi generational employees there. Even grandpa still does. Apparently the Hipwell family still owns the place that began in the late 1800's.
They bought out BMG flashlights at one point.
I'll read up at 'got a light' .com for more info.

Featured here is a Tom Thumb.
It was made in the 1950's and was available in chrome or 'deco'd' chrome.





The pictured BIC lighter is about as bright as the supplied E10 base #112 bulb.


It's an end user servicable light all the way down to the simple slider of a switch.

Note the two little ears that fasten the outer portion of the switch to the copper slider that when forward makes contact with the lamp assembly.


The business end shows the elegent simplicity involved.


Disassembled


The reflector isn't very shiney.




The beam is entertaining
I call it "accordian" beam'd bulb.


Here it is at 3' vs a 2 lumen Mag Solitaire bulb.


I'm awaiting new bulbs to see if it's just this one or typical of that sized bulb vs the reflector system.

Don't know what this little dude was purposed for. Yet they were made from 1950 to at least 57 (via entries at FLM)
I find it is great for night adapted 2am vision for nature calls, BIC lighter brightness without the heat and for inspecting small sized holes like gun barrels or inside a camera lens, wrist watch, etc.