Dating A Vintage Eveready Model 2251?

shadeone · Feb 11, 2021

I've recently decided I want a good example of the vintage 1940s / 1950s Eveready 2251 flashlight. However, I found that there are a couple different rear stamps on them. Just wondering if anyone knows when the change was made and what the dates are on them?

Flashlight Museum lists one example with a 1939 date, but no back pic shown:
http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/Eve...oat-Switch-and-Vertical-Lines-End-Cap-2D-1939
and then lists an almost identical model as 1952, again with no back pic:
http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/Eve...lack-Art-Deco-with-Narrow-Boat-Switch-2D-1952

The rear cap variations I am referencing are these:

Note that it might help date them based on switch design as well as these two appear to be a little different.

If anyone knows the rough timelines of the stamps or the 2251 model in general, I would love to know more!

Thanks in advance!

bykfixer · Feb 11, 2021

You have what was referred to as an "automatic" and "black beauty".

The 2251 was introduced in 1939. It came with a Mazda 1404 bulb and was Eveready's newest model in 1939. It was the first light with the boat shaped switch called……the boat switch. The bulb housing was all metal.

There were two versions of the 2251. Pre WW2 and Post WW2. Production resumed in 1945 just in time for Christmas. That one remained similar to the Pre-WW2 until 1950 when the plain tail cap was used. About that time they started using chrome plated steel instead of chrome plated brass.

By 1969 the bulb housing was all plastic. Between 1950 and 1969 there were changes going from all metal to some metal to all plastic. The more metal in the bulb housing the older it likely is. The steel 2251 was made between 1950 and 1969. No 2251 showed up in the 1970 catalog or after

A dome lens version was model 2250.
A 2C version was called 2231 and used their new saddle switch in 1940.
A 3D version was called 2351 and used the boat switch.

The 2251 was $1. The 2351 was $1.95. Both came with batteries.

The combo of 2231, 2251 and 2351 were called "three black beauties" in Life Magazine ads post WW2.

In 1952 Eveready introduced a few versions of the 2251 such as all chrome, thin green or red stripes at the top and bottom with the rest chrome, a yellow version of the black beauty and a gold plated brass black beauty.

All info came from the book "Flashlights" by mega collector Bill Utely. He wrote it with a 512k Macintosh computer.

shadeone · Feb 12, 2021

Awesome, thanks!
I did find another thread on the forums here mentioning Eveready history and the Bill Utley book. There was a picture of one of the pages that I cropped here:

So based off of that, I think it's safe to say that the second flashlight pictured in my original post existed until 1959, at which point "carbon" was dropped from the name.

I found another variant that has the "Union Carbide" name on it, which is most likely the next variant after 1959:

bykfixer · Feb 12, 2021

Also note how slender the boat switch is on the Union Carbide one compared to the older model at the top of post 1.

DaveTheDude · Feb 16, 2021

Apropos of nothing, the knowledge of flashlight history that you guys bring to the forum is amazing. (Your flash-fu is strong.) :thumbsup:

Katherine Alicia · Feb 17, 2021

There`s even a U.K. variant

and it`s written as 2 separate words `Ever Ready` instead of `Eveready`

Hugh Johnson · Feb 17, 2021

I'd love to get a vintage light at some point. Are bulbs still available?

Katherine Alicia · Feb 17, 2021

Hugh Johnson said:
I'd love to get a vintage light at some point. Are bulbs still available?

Yes, or at least the ones in this thread take readily available bulbs (as do about 20 of my other retro lights), they`re usually either E10 MES bulbs or PR13.5 (flange) bulbs.

bykfixer · Feb 17, 2021

E10 are the screw in type. E for Edison, 10 for 10mm.
PR bulbs were introduced in the late 1930's by Eveready. 1940's by everybody else.
They have a flange to hold them in a given bulb fastener. PR is for pre-focus.
The 2251's came with PR bulbs.

Left is a PR, right is an E10

Some additional info on the PR bulb.

And why it's called pre-focused

From p. 230 of the Bill Utely book.

snakebite · Feb 18, 2021

edit.
a page refresh after posting shows this answered yesterday.
must have been pulled from the cache.
would this have been one of their earliest pr bulb lights?
i get nothing searching for mazda 1404 bulb.
btw pr bulbs became available in 1935.

bykfixer said:
You have what was referred to as an "automatic" and "black beauty".

The 2251 was introduced in 1939. It came with a Mazda 1404 bulb and was Eveready's newest model in 1939. It was the first light with the boat shaped switch called……the boat switch. The bulb housing was all metal.

There were two versions of the 2251. Pre WW2 and Post WW2. Production resumed in 1945 just in time for Christmas. That one remained similar to the Pre-WW2 until 1950 when the plain tail cap was used. About that time they started using chrome plated steel instead of chrome plated brass.

By 1969 the bulb housing was all plastic. Between 1950 and 1969 there were changes going from all metal to some metal to all plastic. The more metal in the bulb housing the older it likely is. The steel 2251 was made between 1950 and 1969. No 2251 showed up in the 1970 catalog or after

A dome lens version was model 2250.
A 2C version was called 2231 and used their new saddle switch in 1940.
A 3D version was called 2351 and used the boat switch.

The 2251 was $1. The 2351 was $1.95. Both came with batteries.

The combo of 2231, 2251 and 2351 were called "three black beauties" in Life Magazine ads post WW2.

In 1952 Eveready introduced a few versions of the 2251 such as all chrome, thin green or red stripes at the top and bottom with the rest chrome, a yellow version of the black beauty and a gold plated brass black beauty.

All info came from the book "Flashlights" by mega collector Bill Utely. He wrote it with a 512k Macintosh computer.

bykfixer · Feb 18, 2021

Mazda bulbs were Eveready owned. They said Mazda being the godess of light was a good name.

I do not know when they stopped producing Mazda bulbs but many of my 1920's era E10 are Mazda. It seems the auto industry switched over to PR in 1935/36 but flashlights still used E10 for a while.

snakebite · Mar 10, 2021

beware the model 2251 got recycled as the energizer halogen.
thats the nearly cylindrical one with the 3 piece body and pushbutton.
also a neighbor has a rayovac that was a prototype from 1935.
it didnt go into official production till late 1938 where it showed up at the 1939 worlds fair.
it has a early pr bulb with a oddly shaped envelope and brass base.
going to put up the bulb for safekeeping and put a 3 cell xenon in it along with one of my 3d printed adapters and an 18650.
he can then use it without risk of damage.

xxo · Mar 10, 2021

bykfixer said:
Mazda bulbs were Eveready owned. They said Mazda being the godess of light was a good name.

I do not know when they stopped producing Mazda bulbs but many of my 1920's era E10 are Mazda. It seems the auto industry switched over to PR in 1935/36 but flashlights still used E10 for a while.

Apparently, GE stopped using and licensing the Mazda name in 1945.

https://www.aldenhill.com/Community_Event_Text/the_mazda_lamp_story.pdf

wjv · Mar 17, 2021

I think mine is a 52' - Just says EVEREADY on the bottom

thermal guy · Mar 18, 2021

Been single for awhile now but I'm not this desperate 😂😂

scout24 · Mar 18, 2021

I'll echo DaveTheDude's sentiment above. The depth and breadth of knowledge here never ceases to amaze me.

Dating A Vintage Eveready Model 2251?

shadeone

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bykfixer

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shadeone

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bykfixer

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DaveTheDude

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Katherine Alicia

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Hugh Johnson

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Katherine Alicia

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bykfixer

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snakebite

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bykfixer

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snakebite

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xxo

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wjv

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thermal guy

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scout24

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