Are Older Fulton Flashlights Stronger/Better Made Than Current Models...?

You can go to garage sales and buy a used Fulton "angle head" light or a straight body light,
or,
you can buy from a few online dealers and get them brand now.

I am open to both possibilities.

As long as the guts are clean and without corrosion, I have no problem using a piece of American history.

My key question is founded on the assumption that unlike technology itself which seems to progress ever forward,
the build quality of almost any consumer good I can conjure up has gone down over time.

So:

Are the older Fulton "angle head" lights and straight body lights stronger, thicker, more durable than the current
production models?

If so, I'll get an old one.

If not, if the build quality is the same, than I'll get a new one.

I began this thread in "General" because these days Fultons are available with an LED and incandescent,
making this a general question about the build quality, threads, durability, etc. of the light housing itself.


EDIT: I emailed Fulton directly. I am expecting the standard company line:

"Our products have been and continue to be constructed to the highest possible standards...blah, blah, blah..."

But maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised...

The switch didn't really have anything to stop dirt, sand, etc from gradually working it's way in. Older ones that have seen hard use are more likely to have slide switches that are worse for wear. Can't say I have seen any difference between old ones and newer ones at the PX in build quality. Th

Thank you very much for the reply.

I did receive a ping back from Fulton today, and it was much longer and more detailed than anticipated. I asked permission to reproduce verbatim. I am hoping they say yes, as the format the answers were given in was really nice.

If I don't hear back from them in a week, I'll paraphrase and post here.

subsribed to wait for that answer. I once saw an interesting history of the evolution of the current iteration of the light going back to WWII. IIRC the last "major" change was post or during Vietnam. I suppose that means there could be old versions that are different out there. Those would be cool to get hands on.

I found an old WW2 era angle head light to gift to my father-in-law. Put in a pair of D cells and there was light. The newer Fultons are slightly larger, but better made than the vintage models. In the hands of the average flash-a-holic they hold up well.

As an aside, when I ordered some lights direct from Fulton the nice customer service lady sent me an email that they had discontinued the style with a magnet I remembered from my childhood. She sent me her personal "desk" light. A sleeper light they sell is a plastic body (yellow body, blue head) three D cell model with a reflector that has many small flat spots. It throws a really nice beam.

Paladin

Thermostat is set for 71 degrees F but it is currently 80 degrees (26.6 degrees C) in here. Woke up, so in the heat, I figured I'd pop on by with this:

Link

If yer interested in some new ones on the cheap OP, let me know. I picked up a handful/armful of the when they were closing the BX in Iraq. I have them in OD and Black.

angelofwar, could you please email me at the address in my sig?

I am constantly juggling Private Messages and it would really help.

Let me know off the forum what you have and how much you would like, and whether you are open to trades.

Absolutely fascinating information here; this thread is only two pages long and a definite read!

Link




Product Literature