New to me Bianchi 2D

bykfixer

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In the spirit of sgt253 threads (and the subliminal messages they planted saying "you need a Kel-Lite, you need an Excalibre" lol) I thought it fun to follow his lead with another great old gem.

A pretty clean 2D Bianchi popped up on the big auction site at a price I had to double check to ensure my stigmatism wasn't mis-reading the decimal place.
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Also a nice box of bulbs showed up.

Note the clear reflector.
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The chrome had all flaked off.
Was it that way new?

Tailcap holds a spare bulb. This one had a working Holland made Norelco PR2 in it. It was replaced with a Tung Sol and the original is now in the tail cap. There is a foam sleeve to hold the spare. Said foam was very brittle and stunk to high heaven. So I placed the bulb in the foam and a small amout of bubble wrap over it to hold the bulb and smother that awful odor.

Anyway it was a Don Keller project where he did some flashlights for Bianchi Leather Co in the mid 1970's.
It has a switch that allows signaling from off by pressing the button and a guard along the edges that prevent accidental turn on when holstered.
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I have a request at flashlight lens dot com for a glass lens. A Mag lens fits without the gasket around it.
Yet correcting the scratched lens, clear reflector and slight oxidation of parts inside the spotless body I think it can be brighter... instead of 20 or so candles out the front I think 40 is possible.
(Later Edit; a Mag White Star and an ultra-clear glass, clean conduits and new reflector... ew-la-la)

I left the "super star' decal on it thinking some little kid gave it to his policeman dad who put it on the light...
I really like the shape regarding easy to slip in a holster after use needs were done.
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This light had just enough dings to feel comfortable using it yet is still clean enough to brag about. This one will definitely be used often.

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After a wee bit of sprucing it up.
 
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KITROBASKIN

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Where I worked in the latter eighties, they provided a long D cell Maglite for foot patrol. Heavy beast and the switch cover was missing. I purchased a (3) C cell B-Lite and kept it diagonally in the small of my back under a belt, even riding a mountain bike to cover ground faster late at night. That large switch on the B-Lite was so much faster to acquire than the Maglites, it is not even funny. My flashlight has stories of nefarious encounters with humans (containing not-yet-fully-developed brains), as well as an inebriated hit-and-run driver, in addition to others of dubious wisdom or clarity. One time I took out a headlight purposely to 'tag' the car (license plate recorded) whose driver (a student at my place of employment) tried to intimidate me by slowly running me over in a tight parking area. Administration created a student member panel to decide the matter of guilt. (The subject had replaced the headlight shortly after, but it was clearly newer than the other). Kid denied it and walked away with censure. He came up after to make amends. I asked him why he lied. He said his father would have been very harsh.

Eventually the B-Lite switch got plum wore out.

Thanks for showing us that bit of history. Maybe you can update us on it. Never seen a reflector like that, and do not remember foul smelling foam. Used those infernal NiCd batteries where you wanted to fully drain them before charging and inevitably a security event would occur when the batteries were just about to drastically dim.

After taking the keys from the hit-and-run driver, he began running after me then took off walking into our open space; had to briefly flash him once in a while because the batteries were so depleted, keeping enough distance when he wheeled around after me one time. PD bagged him, I got subpoenaed twice. First court date, he was incarcerated in a neighboring state, second time it was 'continued' because the judge had a sick child! After that, they let me off when I begged the court to let me stay home.

Hopefully the 'fixer doesn't mind this bit of transgression.
 

bykfixer

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^^ This story makes me glad I posted the light. Seriously.
It's nice to have details from folks who found lights like these sturdy enough to consider them a potential life saver.

My thoughts are that the funky foam was some kind of bio-degradation of the foam itself... old TL-122C lights from WW2 had the same funky smell. It is rumored most of the C version are gone because soldiers simply threw them in the trash after the war due to the funky smell.

Do you recall the reflector being silver? My thought about using white is to clean up the beam like lights back in the 1920's.



Ok, back to topic: Yeah rechargeables used to be awful. But they were certainly better than nothing back then. I'm using Rayovac alkalines and (now) a Mag White Star. I did some de-oxidizing of exposed parts and now the bulb burns much whiter so that clear reflector seems to be holding back photons.
 
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bykfixer

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These old lights changed it all...

I suppose there was a time when one was happy to see those Eveready Captains being available,
But the Kel-Lite, Mag, B and those guys definitely changed the game.

I changed the bulb to a WhiteStar and cleaned up all metal parts to get as much bright as practical in stock flavor.
Eh, not much change was seen even though the bulb burns notably brighter so..
Ultra-clear lens from a Maglite (yup fit like a lens should minus rubber gasket around it) and throw was definitely improved. Ok so how about that reflector? Well I did a bykfixer mod by covering the reflector with some of my wifes shiney foil and suddenly what spot there was... well it was no more. The beam got worse.

Now I see what a Mag should look like in full flood mode without that huge dark center. This light is a room lighter, not a search light. It lights my 25' x 25' den up very well with a spot that easily ID's a perp at the other end of the place. Call it an indoor use type of burglar startler, but definitely not suited to see the cat up in a 100' tall tree in the urban setting.
(Best beam is without the shiney stuff on the reflector)
Perhaps the 3 cell was made for outdoor use?

Anyway it'll still be used regularly.
 

LiftdT4R

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Nice score! I don't have a Bianchi but I do plan to some day. I saw this one on everyone's favorite auction site but ya beat me to it!
 

bykfixer

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Unless a 2C pops up you guys won't get competition from me.
I'm just trying to acquire a couple of examples of stuff Don Keller designed.

I have a real nice PK collection going and now a DK one too.

There's a quiet member out there lurking too. But he's a good Joe and very selective about his collection.

I call him IG.
 
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LiftdT4R

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Yeah....ditto!!! :nana: It seems between us three, we seem to be gobbling up the black lights!!!

Lol, I'm glad I only have to compete with 2 others. Shhhhh, don't let our secret get out! A little collusion never hurt anyone.
 

bykfixer

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A bit of an update:

A freind of Don Kellers found out that B-Lites all had chrome reflectors. But good luck finding a new one... I think the remaining cache is in a closet in Atlantis....

But.... as luck would have it I acquired a Qualtech metal reflector for my LA Screw light. So I'm swapping batteries between the B-Lite and LA Screw to compare beams (because the 'fixer D cell hoarde was empty) and I noticed a striking similarity between the plastic LA Screw reflector and the B-Lite one. Could it be that simple? Could it be that both used the same reflector?

Life just don't work that.... wait a minute... it fits perfectly... and the bulb retainer threads onto it.... HOLY HEADRUSH BATMAN!!! IT WORKS.

Also acquired an nip switch assembly including the conductor strip and a new screw.

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Gotta say, this is one sweet old flashlight. Like KITRO said, the switch is super user friendly.

Removed broken photobucket links.
 
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