I have a 1945 Vapalux and a 1954 Bialaddin and I noticed the screws which hold on the handle are just a wee bit smaller on the newer model. And that got me to thinking. How much better built are the older Vapalux (and lamp) models? I remember reading somewhere on this forum that the older ones are better built. Have lamp quality changes been negligible over time or is there a noticeable date that quality just depreciates? I don't mind always investing in the older lamps if they are consistently a better quality product. They are simple enough to repair (and fun).
You may be getting confused there with Tilley whose quality declined from the mid-'50s onwards. I can't say I've ever noticed any such decline in Bialaddin/Vapalux products which were consistently used by the military and NATO over the years. Having said that, lately there have been reports of stress-cracking in the tanks and I've one such example here - actually Imber Research, which is to all intents and purposes, Bialaddin...
