Anyone remember this penlight?

[ericjohn]

My maw maw carried this penlight in her purse for years...It was made of transcluscent plastic, and was colored red and clear. It took 2 AAA batteries, and had a twist head for switching it on and off. It also had a magnet on the tail end which could allow it to stick to and metal surface. I think it had Rayovac batteries in it. Also, it must have had at least some kind of Krypton bulb, because it was very bright. She used it usually to check our throats when we were sick as children and had it until it cracked and fell apart. Did Pelican ever make such a model. I know it wasn't Maglite, as it was plastic, probably Polyethylene. Could have been Craftsman or Rayovac, maybe?

I also remember her telling us that she was at Disney World in the Hall of Presidents. Another tourist had dropped a piece of a very expensive camera inside of that dark theater. They were lighting matches in hopes to find it, when my maw maw offered to let them use her light. They found the piece to the camera, and all was well. I think there is a secret desire for flashlights with my grandparents, even though they deny it. Because, my paw paw has gone through God knows how many flashlights over the course of his lifetime, (Bright Star, Rayovac Lanterns, Wal-Mart Lanterns, Radio Shack 5D, Garrity, you name it). He always buys the cheapest though. He doesn't care if they are foreign made either, which strikes me as odd since he is a WW2 vet. Most from that generation are very patriotic and usually want to buy American made when possible. I am the only one in my family that is obscessed about flashlights and will openly admit it.

Now my maw maw carries a cheap LED single AAA flashlight in her purse, I think it is either a Rayovac or a Dorcy.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

My dad had one that was blue and clear, looked almost exactly like this: http://www.dcis.ca/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=73&products_id=538
It came with a little rubber thign with a clear plastic pipe bending at a curved 90 degrees that could fit over the clear part, kinda like the thing in this picture: http://www.bikernet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LED-Pen-Light.jpg

 

[ericjohn]

My dad had one that was blue and clear, looked almost exactly like this: http://www.dcis.ca/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=73&products_id=538
It came with a little rubber thign with a clear plastic pipe bending at a curved 90 degrees that could fit over the clear part, kinda like the thing in this picture: http://www.bikernet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LED-Pen-Light.jpg

no this was NOT a recent model...It had to be made from the 1970s to about at least 1990. It did not have a shirt clip, and the whole body was transcluscent. It also had a magnet on the tail end. Thank you for taking the trouble to try and help me find it, though.

 

[labrat]

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/PE...ylite,black,43/4In,2aaa-PELICAN-_-productfeed

These came in various colors, had a magnet before this model but the magnet made the tail crack so it was removed.
The clip broke off easy.
This is today's model:

http://www.pelican.com/lights_detail.php?recordID=1900

The head is no longer made in one part of translucent plastic, no magnet.
Use same bulb.
Pelican made big promises! :

http://www.pelican.ca/support/guarantee.php

But the cost of shipping from Norway have made me throw away several of these as they disintegrated and the plastic just rotted!

Found another page with the old type in kit, look down the page:

http://www.seamar.com/pelican_flashlights.html

The plastic part for the front was for looking down barrels and small holes, worked nice!

 

[gtjonathan]

You are quite nostalgic.

 

[labrat]

Thank you!
I still remember things happened yesterday too!
But seriously, these lights were spent at work, I don't know how many disintegrated, but I found 2 of the old type kits in a drawer just now, one was never opened!
They offered nice illumination, small size, and the all plastic construction was not dangerous to use in small areas where they could touch wires or metal parts and make a short if dropped.
And the other options was Maglites, which was metal and not very much brighter!

 

[Enzo]

My dad had one that was blue and clear, looked almost exactly like this: http://www.dcis.ca/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=73&products_id=538
It came with a little rubber thign with a clear plastic pipe bending at a curved 90 degrees that could fit over the clear part, kinda like the thing in this picture: http://www.bikernet.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/LED-Pen-Light.jpg

Waterproof to 500 feet!!!

 

[ericjohn]

You are quite nostalgic.

everyone around me tells me that I have a sharp memory, like an elephant...maybe it's because i like to eat peanut products.

 

[ericjohn]

the whole body of the flashlight was transcluscent and it was clear and red...all of these pelican lights are not transcluscent on the main part of the light. picture a red energizer find me light, but the size of a pen or pocket flashlight. it also had a magnetic tail end. i am sorry if i am being a bother it's just i am dying to know what kind of light this was and see if i can find one online.

 

[krevo]

It was probably a specific brand of the common doctor's penlight. Was it like one of these?

 

[ericjohn]

It was probably a specific brand of the common doctor's penlight. Was it like one of these?

no it was red and clear...you could see through the red and clear. something similar to what craftsman screwdriver handles are made of.

 

[labrat]

Those old Pelicans did come in various colors, I even wrote that?
I have one of the old ones, without a magnet, that are almost see-through red-orange in color.
I did write that they did come with a magnet in the tail end too?
My first ones, from the the 80ties, did have a magnet in the tail, but those from the 90ties and later the magnet was missing, probably because the magnet made the thin plastic tail more prone to break.
I did add a small round magnet to mine though, and reinforced the tail with epoxy and shrink tube, to make them last.
But they usually never lasted more than 5-6 years before cracking!
They did do a very hard every-day service though, and was subjected to heat, oils, and a lot of physical abuse.

 

[ericjohn]

Those old Pelicans did come in various colors, I even wrote that?
I have one of the old ones, without a magnet, that are almost see-through red-orange in color.
I did write that they did come with a magnet in the tail end too?
My first ones, from the the 80ties, did have a magnet in the tail, but those from the 90ties and later the magnet was missing, probably because the magnet made the thin plastic tail more prone to break.
I did add a small round magnet to mine though, and reinforced the tail with epoxy and shrink tube, to make them last.
But they usually never lasted more than 5-6 years before cracking!
They did do a very hard every-day service though, and was subjected to heat, oils, and a lot of physical abuse.

yes you hit the description right on the money...my maw maw had one in her purse from positively the early 90's up until 2006.

do you have any pictures of yours?

 

[labrat]

Had to go down in the car and find the one always laying in there with some tools:

[/IMG]
This have been fixed; the tail end cracked!, a magnet have been installed:

[/IMG]
This one is almost see through, if the light goes straight from the other end.
It has been fixed, epoxied tail end, but no magnet have been installed yet:

[/IMG]
The black one is almost unused, no cracking yet:

[/IMG]
This kit was in my drawer, still unopened!
It has been there a few years:

[/IMG]
I know I have a kit with that plastic box too, but I think the black light came from that kit.
And I cannot find it for now.
It did contain some lubricant for the light and O-ring, a spare O-ring, the batteries and the light and light-tube.
Today, compared to my Surefires, it is not impressive!
But for the job it was always handy!
The bulbs are getting harder to find here in Norway, but I know I still have some spares!