I bought myself this Tilley Guardsman yesterday. It was in a pretty tatty state but I only paid very little for it so I knew what I was getting and I've been lusting after a speculum plated Guardsman since fettling one for a friend. I haven't fettled the frame yet, that's a job for another day, but when I cleaned and polished the fount I noticed a suspicious mark to the right of the 'Tilley England' stamp. I was pretty disheartened as it looked very much like a split in the brass... but having reassembled everything I pressurised the tank a few times to see if the mark changed or widened in any way and it didn't so I fitted a mantle, filled it up and fired her up. This is now one of my 'Bright Tilleys'! It lit first time, pressurised without any problems and has no leaks or seepages that I can detect so I have to assume the marks are a plating fault or maybe the fount has been stored next something sharp and this is simply a gouge mark. It's been running now for about an hour with no loss of pressure, still very bright indeed although it doesn't show up on the photographs. I also noticed a stamped patent number on the vaporiser. I'm probably just unobservant but I never noticed these on my other Tilleys! I'll have to go have a look now.
Looks good Colin - I have a similar one to that, though the plating on yours looks better. Is yours date stamped??
1958 as far as I can tell. I'd look now but it's still alight!!! 1958 is when I was born so this is my birthday Tilley!!!
I've now de-rusted the frame and painted it silver. I think it looks rather nice. ...it's also bloody bright!
I think you're right Pete. I had it running for a few hours last night with no problems at all so I'm assuming the mark is either a plating fault or a scratch. Either way but I snagged myself a nice shiny Guardsman for £12.99!
No, it's not a Tilley mantle.... they're too expensive to waste if you're uncertain whether or not the lamp will work. I use Butterfly mantles and carefully undo the sewn up end. It's a good trick and they work exceptionally well! You have to tie them on in a special way... the same as you tie on Peerless mantles. It seems wrong at first until you understand how and why it works!
Lovely example. I have two of these speculum plated Tilleys. One has the owl on it and the other one doesn't. I'm always looking for a lantern with my birth year but 1943 is just too damn hard to find and they're usually made of a lot of steel parts (wartime) and not very attractive.
