It's sad but one of the defining moments of my life was the first time I lit a Tilley table lamp in a darkened room and then placed the shade over it. I have the words to describe it but it's better if you experience it yourself. In essence, it's the difference between a plain and pearl incandescent light bulb so your very own 'light-bulb' moment! I'm firmly of the opinion that NO Tilley table lamp was EVER intended to be run without a shade (not globe!) of some sort. John Moncrieffs, just up / down the road from you, sell reproduction Tilley shades (or used to) for a reasonable price IIRC:- John Moncrieff Ltd Edit - could be a bum steer. I've looked at their website and I can't find any mention of supplying lamp shades. Probably still worth a phone call to find out though...
This link shows my Tilley vase lamp fitted with a shade and in two of the images it's lit. 1930's, Tilley blue VL1.
I will probably get one, for under fifty quid including shipping, it's worth it. Then it's there if I want to use it. As the old saying goes, 'it's better to have it and not need/want it, then to not have it and want/need it.
When I use a shade, I always fit it before I pre heat the lamp, that way the shade warms up too, putting a cold glass shade onto a hot lamp is not a good idea in my opinion. Sammi Jane
I can just imagine.! Not that it would be cold, as it will be at ambient room temperature, but still better to be safe than sorry.
The shade has now arrived, and it's a good job that we were in, as I hadn't been given any updates on the tracking.!
