Legacy light thread

bykfixer

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This thread is to discuss flashlights that not only changed the game but was in production for several years or even decades.

I'll begin with the Rayovac Sportsman. What was seen as a camper or hunter flashlight due to being made of more durable components than ordinary lights, the Sportsman was a popular light for law enforcement, search and resue folks, boaters, home owners, mechanics etc.

The Sportsman was introduced in (edit) 1953 (end edit) and was built until the 1970's in a variety of sizes and platforms. As much as 6 D cells, a variety of C cell sizes, even a 1x AA. And there was a lantern version as well. One was so big it came with a shoulder strap. (Edit) In 1963 Eveready introduced the Captain as a competitor. (End edit)

The lenseless baby Sportsman was by far the brightest 1x AA light of the time. And that was before krypton, xenon or halogen.
(As a CPFr I appreciate the oversized barrel that allows the use of a 10440 and an overdriven #224 to put out around 50!! lumens.)

If you watch movies or crime shows during those decades (like Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movies, MASH, and others) you'll note that most of the lights they used were a Sportsman of one variety or another. Either that or another legacy, the Eveready Captain.

In 2014 Rayovac re-introduced a 3xAAA LED version. It can be found in some box stores like Lowes for around $10 US.

A quick search on the big auction site reveals there are lots still available. Early versions used all metal bulb fasteners, metal reflector and a glass lens. So they can be hotwired within reason, yet a 2C can easily be made to put out 150 lumens.

A couple of 1960's Sportsman
IMG-20190315-164659.jpg

3D and 1AA

(Edit)
IMG-20190316-093435.jpg

The modern Sportsman can run off a LifePo4 18500.
There is now a modern Sportsman lineup of lights that include headlamps, modern lanterns and a 3c version of the alluminum one shown above. (End edit)
 
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xxo

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SuXmPWu.jpg


I'll nominate the Eveready 6V No. 108 lantern (also known as the All American and as the Dolphin Mark 1). Seems like just about everyone had one of these back in the 70's; they weren't bad as far as plastic 6V lanterns go, more reliable than typical 2D lights of the day (which usually needed to be shaken and slapped around a bit to get them to light up) with longer throw and longer run time on the big 6V battery.


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?445967-Eveready-Dolphin-Mark-1
 

bykfixer

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Ozy, I had a tough decision where to post this thread because of greats like the ARC and Fenix E01 that were never incan based. I did one in the LED section called "blast from the past" with a similar intention.

I was awakened at 2am this morning by the notion of starting a Legacy thread about the Eveready Captain because it kept showing up in episodes of the Rockford Files I've been binge-ing on lately.

But I started out with the Sportsman since Rayovac brought it back. I'll post pix later but right now I'm about 150 miles from my Sportsman lights. (And Captains for that matter.)

One that may become a legacy is setting next to me right now. The Maglite ML25 LED version that is lit by another legacy, the BiC lighter. lol
IMG-20190312-212934.jpg

Fed by eneloops.
A familiar sized light using the legacy minimag operating system.

Anybody who ever back yard camped as a lad probably used a plastic 6 volt lantern. And that Eveready shown is certainly a legacy. I'll do a bit of research on when those became popular. I know I had a few in the 70's and back then you could buy the light with a battery and spare bulb for like $3 where a replacement battery was like $4....so naturally we'd just toss the used one and use our little bubble gum money to buy another kit. I may have kept one along the way thinking I'd put another battery in it someday.

Yup, we called those fridge mount numbers "wack-a-palm" lights because if you gave it a proper wack it would get all bright for a minute or two.
 
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xxo

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Byk, I think the ML 25's are instant classics!


Another to add to the classic incans: the old military crookneck/angle head MX991 "moonbeam" which came out at the start of the Vietnam war era and was based on the TL122D from the end of WWII.
 

bykfixer

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Maglites and SureFires definitely deserve legacy status.


Well speaking of right angle lights...

IMG-20190315-164744.jpg

Legacys going back to WW2
R to L:
- Boy Scout light that mimics the TL122A and was carried by numerous scouts going back to the 1930's.
- MX991/U that was introduced late in the Korean conflict or early in the Vietnam conflict depending on what you read.
- TL122A was introduced in the late 1920's but was issued to troops in WW2.
- Later the 122B was introduced. It was much lighter due to being made of plastic. The polyester it was made from smelled awful so many were thrown in the trash after the war. Lots were made but they're pretty scarce anymore.
- TL122C was like a B without the stink. Funny thing is my C smells worse than the B. Sitting on a shelf all seems normal, but crack it open and awe man...even the dogs skoot.

These were made by ABC, Fulton, GT Price and others, but Eveready chose not to compete. Some were made but they were for consumers. Fulton still sells them today. Their website sells parts for these including gaskets, filters and a real nice LED upgrade module.

The TL-122D was the first to add a filter holder tailcap and later became the 991/U. The Fulton MX991 came with a '/U' or '\U'. Nobody including the folks at Fulton know why there was two different directions for the slash. The MX99, 991 was considered water proof thanks to rubber gaskets.

In the 70's some 2x AA were produced and were fairly bright due to the focus tip #224 bulb.
There was an MX99 made at first but the revision added guards along the switch to thwart soldiers accidently activating the light in heavy brush or jungle conditions.
Edit:
It should be noted that the TL122B was the first flashlight to be considered waterproof.
End edit.
 
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xxo

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Maglites and SureFires definitely deserve legacy status.


Well speaking of right angle lights...

IMG-20190315-164744.jpg

Legacys going back to WW2
R to L:
- Boy Scout light that mimics the TL122A and was carried by numerous scouts going back to the 1930's.
- MX991/U that was introduced late in the Korean conflict or early in the Vietnam conflict depending on what you read.
- TL122A was introduced in the late 1920's but was issued to troops in WW2.
- Later the 122B was introduced. It was much lighter due to being made of plastic. The polyester it was made from smelled awful so many were thrown in the trash after the war. Lots were made but they're pretty scarce anymore.
- TL122C was like a B without the stink. Funny thing is my C smells worse than the B. Sitting on a shelf all seems normal, but crack it open and awe man...even the dogs skoot.

These were made by ABC, Fulton, GT Price and others, but Eveready chose not to compete. Some were made but they were for consumers. Fulton still sells them today. Their website sells parts for these including gaskets, filters and a real nice LED upgrade module.

The TL-122D was the first to add a filter holder tailcap and later became the 991/U. The Fulton MX991 came with a '/U' or '\U'. Nobody including the folks at Fulton know why there was two different directions for the slash. The MX99, 991 was considered water proof thanks to rubber gaskets.

In the 70's some 2x AA were produced and were fairly bright due to the focus tip #224 bulb.
There was an MX99 made at first but the revision added guards along the switch to thwart soldiers accidently activating the light in heavy brush or jungle conditions.

Beautiful collection Bykfixer!

From bits an pieces of info I have found on the MX991:

- It was standardized in 1960, just in time for the Vietnam war. Apparently based in part on Patents by the Gits brothers, who were pioneers in the injection molding industry and came up with improvements for the TL122D which they manufactured during WWII.

- The switch guards were added post Vietnam. They were put in the specifications in late 1973, but apparently manufactures continued to make guard-less moonbeams until their molds needed replacing or perhaps until their current contracts were filled. GT Price added guards in the mid to late 70's followed by Fulton in 1984.


I am not sure if the "MX99" is really a thing, officially. I have seen one but it has late MX991 features including the switch guards, I could be wrong but I doubt it proceeded the 991. Could it be that someone screwed up when setting up the stamp leaving out the 1 the same way someone at sometime apparently got those slash marks turned around?

Unfortunately good accurate information on these lights is not easy to find.
 

novice

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- Boy Scout light that mimics the TL122A and was carried by numerous scouts going back to the 1930's...

I had one of these when I was a Boy Scout. My father, who was the co-owner of a store that sold trophies and billiards supplies, had my name engraved on the clip, using the engraving machine that they had for the trophies. Lost to the mists of time, sadly. Back then all of my BSA gear was bought at the J.C Penneys downtown.
 
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bykfixer

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I'll nominate the Eveready 6V No. 108 lantern (also known as the All American and as the Dolphin Mark 1). Seems like just about everyone had one of these back in the 70's; they weren't bad as far as plastic 6V lanterns go, more reliable than typical 2D lights of the day (which usually needed to be shaken and slapped around a bit to get them to light up) with longer throw and longer run time on the big 6V battery.


http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?445967-Eveready-Dolphin-Mark-1

There was a version of the All American in 1965
IMG-20190316-095422.jpg

This from the 1965 Eveready catalog.
Check out the 1965 price of $3.79. Pretty pricey at that time when a car could be had for about 2 grand.

There was a 108A that was deemed waterproof. It was updated in 1976 to the one we all recognize to this day.
 
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xxo

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There was a version of the All American in 1965
IMG-20190316-095422.jpg




This from the 1965 Eveready catalog.
Check out the 1965 price of $3.79. Pretty pricey at that time when a car could be had for about 2 grand.

There was a 108A that was deemed waterproof. It was updated in 1976 to the one we all recognize to this day.

Cool! I've never seen one like that with the screwed on head before, according to Eveready's Australian site the Dolphin Mark I came out in 1967

http://www.dolphintorches.com/home/heritage

and their pic shows it with the plastic clips, like mine that I posted above mine is NOT marked All American just Eveready and No 108:

ih0WTGd.jpg


Some (later?) have riveted on metal clips and are often marked as being "All American" sometimes with a white rubber switch cover like this:

qR66ySS.jpg



....the price had gone up some by then....$5.33!


EDIT found one of the one's like in the catalog on an image search:


gVkDN6E.jpg


WIhjwbE.jpg
 
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xxo

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I had one of these when I was a Boy Scout. My father, who was the co-owner of a store that sold trophies and billiards supplies, had my name engraved on the clip, using the engraving machine that they had for the trophies. Lost to the mists of time, sadly. Back then all of my BSA gear was bought at the J.C Penneys downtown.



I think JC Penney used to be the official supplier of BSA gear, when I was in the scouts I got a lot of my stuff from a church thrift store, but I don't remember anyone in my troop having an official boy scout light, though I do remember the official pocket knives and even axes.
 

bykfixer

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Cool pix xx. That $1.75 written on the box....nifty.

The 1965 all American photo came from the book by world class flashlight collector Bill Utely called Flashlights, which mentions a ton of history researched and compiled by Bill while chronicaling the history of Ever Ready.


National Supply Service contracted JC Penney to be the brick and mortar Scout products store for boys, girls, cub, brownies. That info was found while researching a 1970's Cub Scout 2C light without any manufacturer noted on it.

IMG-20190316-135832.jpg

The Cub Scout light

One could also purchase scouting products through some outdoors-ey magazines who's names escape me now.
 
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xxo

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Cool pix xx. That $1.75 written on the box....nifty.

The 1965 all American photo came from the book by world class flashlight collector Bill Utely called Flashlights, which mentions a ton of history researched and compiled by Bill while chronicaling the history of Ever Ready.


Cool, Thanks.


I wonder when Eveready stopped using the Union Carbide NY address and started using the St Louis address, that mine is stamped with?
 

aginthelaw

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I remember a few of my classmates worked at the plant in Piscataway nj. I'm going to dig out my old 9-volt to see what's stamped on it
 
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