Quote:
Originally Posted by IanNVJ35
If you go back to that shop... Maybe make an offer?
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Well, I have been back, and it seems to have followed me home this time! It's slightly different to the Ever ready ones I've seen so far, the switch is the other way round for a start, and the back slides off downwards. There isn't any makers name on it at all, the price tag said 'Niagara searchlight' (they take the tags off in the shop..), I have found nothing on it online, although there was a company called Niagara that made torches. All the Ever ready ones I've seen are in plain polished wood, not covered in this green leather type stuff.
It's in nice used condition, the bullseye lens is scratched quite badly, but the case is good. Someone has done some odd re-arrangement of the battery terminals in the past, I couldn't make any sense of them, so I moved them to the same positions as in IanNVJ35's photo's. One bit of brass is missing, so I'll make a new bit up. Getting to the bulb holder was fun! I thought that the lens would unscrew from the front, and leave the reflector and bulb holder exposed; oh no it doesn't! You have to remove the 5 screws around the bezel, and the whole thing comes off. The reflector has some dimples in it, and unfortunately some corrosion too, I might try polishing it a bit, but I don't want to damage it further. There is a odd threaded piece that screws on round the lens, not sure what it's for? Maybe it was a coloured filter at some point, and the glass has dropped out or gotten broken.
I've fitted a 3.5V bulb, and a 4.5V battery, there was enough room for my croc clip leads! The lamp works nicely, with a bit of flicker from dodgy switch contacts, and it casts a lovely big circle of light with funky patterns round the edge, presumably from the dimples in the reflector. There is a date on the switch of 1914, it may have been made after that date, but it holds the record of the oldest torch in the house!
All in all a nice little torch, even if it was a bit expensive...
Regards,
Lloyd.