The vintage California cop light company thread

[bykfixer]

Pm'd ya an email address where perhaps Fulton can answer your question about new reflectors.

I was hoping a Code 4 would work as we have the LA Screw salesmans info. It was too big though.

First info I can find for GT Price is brief mentions here and there on military sites going back to about 1943. I think I remember reading something somewhere about their origins but cannot remember where. They were an early California based flashlight maker though iirc. Long before Don and the rest did their thing.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Cool, thanks!! I'm honestly thinking these can't be too bad to either mirror polish and clear coat or to hit them with a chrome finish from my air brush. I want to mess around too because that's one of the hardest parts to find on these old lights are the reflectors. If I could find a way I'd be able to save quite a few more lights that I currently either don't buy or turn away when I get inquiries on them.

BTW I think I may have some very cool vintage Cop lights coming soon. I won't spoil the surprise!

 

[LiftdT4R]

Well I didn't have too much luck yet trying to restore this Kel-Lite reflector. I stripped off all of the old plating using Aircraft Stripper. I then tried polishing the bare metal as best I could and while I was able to get an ok shine it doesn't look anything like a stock one. Surprisingly it throws only slightly less light than stock but I just don't like the way it looks. I think I'm going to hit it with a primer and a coat of chrome with my airbrush. Does anyone have any good recommendations on chrome paint to use with an airbrush?

 

[bykfixer]

Old schoolers here used to swear by a really thin foil called 'silver leaf' from craft stores.
One post by Abtomat mentioned a Fulton reflector will fit.

Agreed

There is no "spray" on solution minus stuff from places like Eastwood for "chrom-ing" parts, but that is a tedious, multi application process that ends up looking shiney, but not reflective like nickel plating does. Cars use chromium for durability but stuff like that $2 corkscrew wine bottle opener is a really, really, really, really thin coat of nickel polished to a high gloss.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Thanks, I'll look into that silver leaf. I could probably replace the reflector but I do get some requests to restore lights that I turn down because they have a reflector that the finish has gone bad on and I can;t source a replacement so I'm kind of using this as an exercise in reflector restoration. I'd like to see how it comes out so I can either chase some rare lights that otherwise I might pass on or help someone out in a restoration.

This airbrush paint seems to have great success when done over a glass black: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015H4G2U/?tag=cpf0b6-20

When I get some time away from work I think I'm going to fir up the old airbrush and give her a shot.

BTW, we were paving at night the other night and I was thinking about what light Mr. Fixer would carry? Lol, I wound up with a Malkoff MD2 with an M61W and a high low ring. We have such a mess! The road we're working on must have been overlaid 3 times over a concrete base. All the valve boxes and manholes have 3 extensions one on top of the other.

 

[bykfixer]

I would likely be using an LED based lighting tool due to all kinds of artificial lighting causing all kinds of weird shadows. As an inspector I carry a clipboard, temperature gun, tape measure and celphone so hands and pockets are spoken for. If my role is walking all night a 2cell light is ok. But if the role also involves laptop (and sitting) work I opt for smaller.

Now I have a hard hat dedicated to night work, so it has a headlamp by Streamlight I like. The double clutch has a high/low interface with a lens option that provides a spot or a honeycomb for pure flood, which is great for lighting up the laptop keyboard.
For urban settings with things like manholes, valve boxes or overhead trees I have an assortment of pencil beam lights that get picked based on the tint of artificial lighting. Example would be the blue-ish tint of a Coast HP7 zoomed to spot provides an easy to see beam for identifying overhead items so operators and drivers can get a fix on their location. If I'm peering into a manhole one with a wrist lanyard gets picked. No "droppsees" there.
For highway use a throwey light is picked. When working on high speed roadways distant likighting is often needed. I started using an ML50 last summer and found it works great while easily fitting in my back pocket. I don't do holsters.

Nearly everywhere I go a PK PR-1 is in my pocket. So tiny, yet so grippy and bright. Great lighting tool in a general sense, but if I need to see down into a valve box a pencil beam like a Mag XL50 is better for that. My truck is usually no more than 50-100 yards away, so if the light(s) I have on my person don't do the trick there are others more suited not very far away. The workers often ask "just how many flashlights do you have?" lol. I respond "why do you have so many wrenches in your tool box?"

I found Malkoff lights are more slippery than I prefer. Especially with gloves on in cool/cold weather. Same with many of my lighting tools. So at those times either large girth Maglites or PK's max grippy numbers get picked. The FL2 is about the size of a 6P yet when runtime is the issue its low setting gets it done. Last summer I carried a 6 volt modified Kel-Lite 2C a few times for nostaglia purposes.

It looks like this year I'll be the ersosion control inspector on a big @$$ bridge project so sunscreen will probably be used more than flashlights. But at some point I'll check inside a pipe for build up or something so perhaps a pencil beam will be handy at times.

In the meantime....

State of the California Cop Light collection lately.

 

[bykfixer]

Lift'd, you commented once on the interest in the history of GT Price. I've looked around and so far not much to add. But according to lights submitted to the flashlight museum they have been around at least since 1945 and specialized in plastic lights.

I found an interesting Bell Systems 2D light at eBay from the 1950's.

They called it a "pyramid switch" light

First GT Price I've seen with the city and state listed.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Very nice! I'd love to know more about them but collectors seem few and far between. Phew! Another California light. I found an interesting graphic recently that maybe explains part of the story about why so many lights come from California, namely Los Angeles County.

Each of the states in blue have a smaller population than Los Angeles County.

I have some recently acquired California Cop lights that I've never seen before and I'm hoping to getting around to posting them soon but we've been swamped at work. I'm sure you guys are the same. More and more road work coming in every day. Seems like they're working on almost every road here in NJ. Been getting plenty o use out of my lights though. Went through 6 D batteries in my 3D Mag already this year.

 

[bykfixer]

California was once a destination to behold when folks back east set out to see the mighty pacific ocean. Until the railroad was built and folks could celebrate Christmas in New York, the New Years in San Fransico.... the folks who actually made it to the pacific ocean had long since forgotten the conventional wisdoms of things back east.

It was a clean slate for new ideas. The mindset was anything but conventional for many. By the end of the 2nd world war that style still prevailed, yet California was becoming a destination point for people all over the planet looking for a chance to live the American dream. Tony Maglica was reportedly one of those people. He crafted things for the military machine in the Cold War era.

I found a post by George T Price III was making MX991 flashlights for the military in 1963. It seems the company made 1D "beacon" lights as early as 1945 for the military. Back then 'bakelite' plastic was used for many flashlight models by a few companies like Bright Star, Price, Fulton etc.

The bakelite body and plastic lenses were reportedly introduced by Stewart R Brown of New York as early as the late 1920's. They made flashlights for volatile places like coal mines with a ground wire strapped across the bulb. Later bakelite and other intrinsically safe ideas were incorporated by numerous companies including GT Price who had contracts with large companies like Bell and various railroad companies.

Now who was George T Price III? I'm still striking out in that regard.

 

[snakebite]

i just picked up a streamlight 5c.
missing the button cover and has wear/dings but overall ok.
however i am finding nothing on its bulb.
its a nova 5.
looks like a halogen.
any replacement button covers to be had?
btw now i see where the oracle a friend has got its dna.
it looks like a copy of this light.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Do ya have a pic? Is it a PR base bulb or is the whole reflector assembly attached to a small bulb?

It's likely a PR based bulb 3rd Gen Kel-Lite/Excaliber because that's the only 5C Streamlight I've ever seen. If that's the case you have a few options for a new bulb. PR-12s are very cheap but not very bright. KPR-112 is a Krypton fill and a little brighter but a little bit more expensive. If it's a PR base bulb there is a Halogen version made but it's very rare and doesn't put out much more light than a Krypton. The Xenon fill PR base bulbs are the nicest but they are tough to find because Maglite was the main supplier and stopped making them in favor of a bi-pin setup. The Xenon bi pin Mag 5 cell setups will work and put out a brighter, whiter light than a PR or KPR.

I did a whole big write up on PR base bulbs if you're interested at: http://maglitehistory.blogspot.com/2017/05/pr-flange-base-bulb-specs.html

I also have a write up on 3rd Gen Kel-Lite Streamlights: http://otherflashlights.blogspot.com/2017/06/3rd-generation-kel-lites-and.html

If that's what you have.

The switch covers for those lights aren't produced anymore so if you'r ein need of one you'll have to pick up a whole one on e-bay and take it apart. I've tried to restore a couple of these and most of the parts are pressed in so they don't easily come out. If you're in need of parts beyond the switch cover I would shelve the light and pickup something new.

 

[bykfixer]

The switch cover is a toughy. The original one that looks like a target are long gone.

None of my parts sources have anything for those 3rd gen Kel-Lite Streamlights.
Have you tried a Maglite cover Lift'd?

I found some PR based Xenon Mag bulbs at eBay, but they run about $6 apiece. Top bulb lists HPR40 (6 volt halogen 4.5w) for about $4 apiece. They also list HPR 36 (5.5v halogen, 1amp) for the same.

KPR112 is a good bulb too, like Lift'd stated. Halogens run hot, yet in the case of a flashlight not much brighter.

I use the PR based Mag xenons.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Unfortunately a Mag cover won't work. The Streamlight is a larger hole and different design.

I like the Xenon bi-pin bulbs the best. I think they give a very nice beam and tint. However, I picked up a ton of KPR bulbs in all different voltages for next to nothing on flea bay so I've been using those in all my Incans lately.

 

[SG688]

Don't know how long the reactivation will last, but until then, previously posted pictures of my old Kel-Lite D Ring end cap

 

[SG688]

And again, don't know how long these will be good, but for now ... pages from the 1979 Safariland catalog showing the Kel-Lite flashlight line.

 

[SG688]

Circa 1989 Sure-Fire 6P with early 60 lumen 6LF module predating the P60, delivered in a Sure-Fire 6 plastic box.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Wow!! Thank you so much for posting this info! I've never seen the Kel-Lite or Surefire stuff before. What's really interesting and I did not know is that it appears Kel-Lite, under Norm Nelson, continues to produce the 1st Gen C Cell with the plastic switch as a less expensive alternative to the upgraded 2nd Gen with the metal switch. They advertise the 2nd Gen C Cell as a "Heavy Duty"

Forgive me because I'm pretty new here and don't know of you. Do you have a large collection? I would love to see more of it and know any back story if ya don't mind. I have a small Kel-Lite blog at: http://otherflashlights.blogspot.com/ and I'm always looking to add any info before it is lost to time.

I also have a really unique 2nd Gen Safariland branded Kel-Lite that I'm guessing was the result of the partnership in the ads above. I've heard that Kel-Lite was losing money by the late 70s under Norm Nelson and Safariland contributed a lot of capital to keep it running. They were eventually sold to Streamlight in 1983. Below is a pic of my Safariland Kel-Lite supposedly produced around 1981 or 1982.

 

[bykfixer]

Good stuff SG. Thanks for adding more filler to the blanks.



Photobucket has unlocked everybodys old pix. Who knows for how long though.( ie the abtomat thread works again)

Right now they are having a sale on subscription service. A buck 99 a month or $19.99/ year.

I sent 'em $20 just now to make sure if they re-lock those "free" accounts from 3rd party hosting I won't have to fix the links again.

 

[LiftdT4R]

Good stuff SG. Thanks for adding more filler to the blanks.



Photobucket has unlocked everybodys old pix. Who knows for how long though.( ie the abtomat thread works again)

Right now they are having a sale on subscription service. A buck 99 a month or $19.99/ year.

I sent 'em $20 just now to make sure if they re-lock those "free" accounts from 3rd party hosting I won't have to fix the links again.

Darn! I switched over all my links on CPF and another board to Imgur. Guess I saved all of $20 though...

 

[bykfixer]

Imgur gave me grief from the outset. I just did the '~original' fix and all but a few worked again.

I had fixed probably a thousand photos at various forums, but it's nice to know the ones I missed (or just hadn't fixed yet) show again.