Hi everyone, I've recently got fascinated with all kinds of stoves and lamps made of brass and powered with kerosine. I love the quality of items, how they look, and how were engineered. I've bought 2 Tilleys lamps x246, got them cleaned, and equipped them with new seals. Now when I get them fired, I wonder whether flame getting out of the burner is good quality, or there is some more cleaning work to do with the vaporizer? Could you please comment on the picture below? View attachment 104081
Hi Matti, yes, Optimus, Primus are on the wish list. I closely follow "tradea", but price + delivery abroad doesn't come cheap
Tony, John, thanks for your feedback. It's really 1st time I play with lanterns, so I was not sure. On youtube, you don't see exactly what comes out of the nozzle. Usually, you see only light from the mantle.
I live in the US where steel abounds in the production of lamps; I grew weary of them very quickly. There is no comparison to a well made brass lamp. Shipping charges are no fun but the good deal comes along occasionally.
I am sure most of us are in this predicament nowadays. But I agree, a nice wonderful find will come along if you are willing to look for it. Check german Ebay and classifieds too for the odd wartime Vapalux or overlooked Petromax. As for the flame, you found at least an excellent vapouriser, and nothing wrong with the fuel either. Brings me to ask how you ended up with Tilley lamps; surely not from Sweden? Welcome to this site, Canard. Regards, Mike
I reckon that flame looks perfect... once you get a mantle fitted it'll most likely give a good light!
I bought them on a local internet trading service (another flavour of ebay). They are hard to find in this part of Europe. I see one "new" lamp being offered per month. The good thing (for me) is that there is no big interest in such stuff either. I suspect that those Tilley lamps I bought, were brought to Poland in recent time, since there is quite a big Polish community in UK nowadays.
Looks like I'm the lucky guy who bought lamps with vaporizers in good shape. Although I need to add I have spent some time to get them clean. One of them was old enough that I could unscrew the brass mounting part at the bottom and clean the vaporizer inside (at least part of it). There was quite a big soot deposit.
I see, with todays western Europe effectively being an open market. Although Brexit makes for a less accessible part of it, at least financially. I guess it is a mixed blessing, with these 'ordinary' Tilleys not fetching high prices. Good and still cheap to buy - and I consider the 'Guardsman' variety a staple Tilley lamp in any collection. Your specimen is in a very fine shape, with still very decent Speculum plating which looks much better than mine. And, by the looks of it, in nice working condition, even if you had to borrow the alloy pump from the X246B. Complete and original too, with the correct black ventilator (with only a bottom 'lip'), valve knob and glass with correct logo. Does your lamp have any numbers stamped into the bottom? If there you can conclude when - or when about if no numbers - your Guardsman was made. You have an excellent classic lamp therefore, with the much more common X246B a good user I reckon: well done!
you good . I thought no one will notice. Yes, since I made the picture before the seals kit arrived, I had to borrow X246B pump that was still working. But since you mention parts that are taken from other models... I've got impression that the control cock from my X246B is actually coming from X246A. Am I right?
The Tilley X246B model could be standing for "the least expensive for Tilley to make lamp". To begin with a concentric round nut to connect tank and cage (a cost saving construction that Willis & Bates were to follow with their Bialaddin 320 model of 1965) with a new designed chromed cage, the plating of which easily lost - in good tradition if the Speculum comes to mind - and (soon?) equiped with a rather 'ersatz' alloy pump. There must be some experts here on this forum that have more specific knowledge, but I do know the model reached new depths later on with the introduction of an all aluminum control cock. I would not know if the predecessor X246A is supposed to have a brass item, but logic suggests old supplies were used on subsequent models, thus the initial batches of the X246B model might have been equiped with similar control cocks as on the A model. But all this is highlighting the effects of pruning production costs. In the end even todays Tilley X246B lamps (assembled in England with parts made in China) are decent lamps or could be made to function rather well, or so I have read. Me, I am quite content with my sole and scruffy Guardsman from around 1952 in dutch governmental guise. Like your Guardsman in a good old fashioned quality that is hard to beat.
