How old is the oldest flashlight you own?

[tron3]

Some of the older flashaholics may have flashlights older than some of the members here.

How about a timeline of some of your significant flashlights?

I had one or two of those cheap plastic lights from my father until I got rid of them in favor of my own.

3 D-cell Streamlight. About 20 years ago in 1985 or '86.

2 D-cell Traffic Wand light - 1990 from Airforce basic training. I keep it for the memories.

1 AAA Maglight Solitaire about 1993. Carried for a while until it stopped working. Recently fixed it, but it just sits in a draw.

2005-2006 pretty much everything I have now. Any other light is too small or insignificant to really timeline.

 

[JonSidneyB]

1911 Mint condition nickle plated brass eveready. 0 scratches.

 

[dfred]

Mine is a Mag 3D I bought in 1988 at the suggestion of my trainer/mentor when I started driving taxicabs in college. (The whole training process was a strange, very Repo Man-like experience but that's another story.) The flashlight was specifically recommended by him as a self-defense item which could also be used to look for house numbers... It was my first "real" flashlight.

 

[JonSidneyB]

This place if full of really young people it seems.

 

[dfred]

This place if full of really young people it seems.

I rarely think of myself as "really young", but thanks...

How old were you when you bought that light in 1911?

 

[JonSidneyB]

LOL,

I didn't buy it in 1911,

I think I bought it in the 90s in unused condition.

 

[Christoph]

I have a few from when I was really young I'll have to dig them out and take some pics.

C

 

[BentHeadTX]

The oldest I own are a 5D Mag Cyan LuxV (2002) and a minimag from 2002 that started life with a bulb and is now fully pimped out with BB500 R2H Luxeon current regulated mod with glass lens, extended bezel to hold 20mm IMS reflector, kroll clickie and black red/blue lens guard.

The minimags/mags/Pelicans/Streamlights before it ended up in the trash when I broke them. Now that my flashlights cost a heck of a lot more than $25... I tend to take care of them a bit more...but then again, I beat them up even harder when it comes to LED lights.

 

[zespectre]

I'm not that old but I have lights that pre-date me by a considerable margin.

The oldest flashlight I own is a c1920 "police inspector" lantern.
It's very similar to this box lantern but it's metal, painted black, has brass trim and the words "Police Inspector" and "<first letters unreadable>an and Sons."

It's in pretty rough shape and nonfunctional and sits in a trunk at my parents house.

The oldest FUNCTIONAL light I have is a very neat penlight that belonged to my grandfather. It's c1930 with a brass body clad in mother of pearl and looks like a thick, elegant, fountain pen until you look at the end closely and realize it's a light. That one also stays in the trunk in NY so I don't get tempted to mess with it <grin>.

The rest of my lights seem centered around 1994 (when I became a cop) and 2005 (when I discovered this place).

 

[ABTOMAT]

I had some flashlights going back to the '30s, but I either sold or traded them because it's just not my thing. The oldest light in my current actual collection was probably made about 1968-70. The oldest light I currently own outside of the collection may be from the late '40s but I'm not sure.

 

[boostmiser]

I've got an SL-20 from the 70's. I played flashlight tag with it as a child and had it refurbished about 10 years ago to sit under my bed just in case.

 

[tron3]

1911 Mint condition nickle plated brass eveready. 0 scratches.

I suppose it uses D cells or something and still works? What are the specs?

Ever consider doing a simple bulb upgrade to see how it runs? I bet some progold will spiff up the contacts too.
We'd love to see before and after beam shots.

 

[cratz2]

I had a few lights from way back in the day, but the oldest one I still own is a black Mag 2D that I got in, I think 1994.

 

[parnass]

I still have the Eveready 2D chrome flashlight I used in the 1960s when working as a movie theater usher. The bezel and slide switch are red plastic, but the rest of the light is metal and it sill works fine.

 

[revv11]

Around 1960 I received a matched pair of Rayovac "Sportsman" flashlights for Christmas. One was a 2D which I dropped one day and broke the glass lens. It's long gone. The other is a 2C which I beleive is still on the original lamp. The lights were made of aluminum with spirals on the grip. Works pretty well if you like flickering.

 

[paulr]

I have a Minimag that I bought in the 80's. I wasn't an active flashaholic then, though I'd always certainly been a budding one. I remember flashlights that I'd had before that, but don't know what became of them. My earliest one was an Ash-Flash rechargeable from when I was little. I saw one just like it on ebay a year or so ago and didn't buy it. I had the impression they were plentiful. But I haven't seen any of that model since then.

 

[tommymeboy]

I recently found my old Ray-O-Vac Penlite (which is from the 60s) in a desk drawer- it's 2-AA, and still works w/ original bulb. It's such a dim little thing, but nice and chrome-ey. My mini-Mag is from the 80s.

 

[Flash_Gordon]

It's this guy:

[/IMG]​

Early seventies purchase. Model dates earlier (Eveready #315). With original box.

This was in my flight bag when I learned to fly. Not high tech, but there when needed.

Even more interesting: I also still have its pair of the very original P.J. Mallory Duracells and they're still GOOD!

Mark

 

[zespectre]

Flash, that's a nice little light! Take some good pictures of those Duracells too.

 

[Lee1959]

I put down 10 - 15 years, but I could be wrong it could be much longer, I honestly do not know. It is a minimag I have used for hunting for many many years. I do know my sister and brother in law have been divorced for almost 15 years and I lost and found it one time while out hunting with him while they were still married. It is still in my hunting duffle on my belt in an Uncle Mikes belt sheath since I used it last in December.

I had a couple of those chrome penlights, I might even still ahve one hanging around and that would be from the 70s also so it would be oldest.

Actually now that I am talking it out in my head I probably have half a dozen maglights that are upwards of 20 years old now. A couple 5 C Cell versions a 3 D cell and 3 or 4 minimags.