I was in Barcelona, Spain, for vacation and at the flea market I bought these two lanterns for a good price. Neil says they are Focus, from Badalona (near Barcelona). Nice and rare lanterns. Both are very similar but not identycal as you can see. They are in the condition I found them. Almost complete, even with the working pricker one of them. Juan
Thanks for posting these Juan. What an unusual looking pair of lamps. I especially like the double looped vaporizer.
I agree, John. First time I see such generator. Here there are some other images, low quality because taken with the phone camera. Juan
These two excited me as they are a pair of lamps I have not seen before. Focus seems likely to me but I am not certain of that ID. They do have a sort of Focus like chunky look to them and being found near where Focus were made reinforces that guess. Very strange burners and generators and we just got to see one working if possible. Super find Juan. ::Neil::
Soon I'll post a picture to compare with other lanterns but they are as little as an optimus 930, just a little bit taller.
Well, I could finally have one of them working but I have now to work again on it because I have a likeage on the pricker knob. This lantern seems to be made or at least finished by hand. Many pieces were finished using a file. The pricker rod works directly on the excentric, which is much bigger than a px type one. Hand finish here too. The pricker needle was to short but a Volcan one do the job very well. Another curiosity is that the generator nut is soldered to the generator itself so you cant adjust easily and you have to turn it clockwise to the right position. On the tank shoulder there is a device which seems a security valve but it does nothing: there is a lead gasket under it. Perhaps it was to fit a pressure gauge there. I don't know what to do with the second one as I haven't got the nozzles. I hope to solve the leakage during the week and to think about the globe... Finally, I forgot to upload an image of the top: pieces are soldered by silver. Juan
Wow! The images are too little. I'll try to post again better ones tomorrow. Now it's time to have dinner...
Ok. Now it is working without any leakage and the tank keeps the pressure well. It is not as bright as you can see on the pictures and it doesn't burn even: one of the nozzles burns more than the other one. But is in working order. Juan
Very good. It is always nice to see another rare and strange beast running again. Seems to be an od design with parts soldered together like that. Suggests a small "factory" perhaps. An uneven burn or Lazy mantle is common enough with any twin mantle lamp. The insides of the mixing and mantle tubes have to be clean and smooth. The mixed fuel/air is running at a relatively low pressure and any roughness inside the tubes causes friction. Even small diffeences can alter gas flow and make one side work better that the other. ::Neil::
As this is already sold I guess it is OK to link it up here. This is how the glass shall be on your lamps Juan - I think http://www.marktplaats.nl/a/antiek-en-kunst/antiek-lampen/m912462795-geen-petromax-maar-focus.html?c=8c285449651fa109c354bbabe740c1b&previousPage=lr I secured more Photos and can send them to you by mail if you are interested. Claus C
Hi, I have found this, probably you would like to buy it: Folleto de linterna incandescente de dos mecheros de Ricardo Mestre en Barcelona Nicola
Interesting lamps! If you stumpped Niel ,...you must of found something Unique! Me thinks glass hard to find?
Hi Juan, you're welcome. The foil isn't mine, it's for sale on that spanish website. When I saw it I remembered this lamp. In my opinion this isn't a Focus, who knows Best, Nicola
Well, probably Ricardo Mestres was just a distributor... it could be a focus, but all focus lamps are well marked and numbered... it's strange that this doesn't have any marking... with so many spanish brands I think that without any real proof we're doing speculation.
When a lamp is unmarked there is always doubt. I have listed this as a Focus but that is subject to proof which I don't yet have. For now it is convenient to list it with Focus because it has Focus like features. Mestres will have to be listed as a possible maker but I suspect they were retailers. When someone proves me wrong I will re-list it. ::Neil::
Hi Neil, sure, I think the same, Mestres must be a retailer. Unfortunately I don't own any focus lantern yet, so I can only judge by the images I have seen about Focus lamps. I don't see any aesthetic similarity honestly, this lantern looks old and if it was a Focus at least I was expecting that chubby wooden pump knob that seems to be a must for all the Focus lamps and stoves... but this is just an opinion based on my sensation, for me you will always have the last word on any subject regarding pressure lamps, I'm just a newbe Nicola
Newbie maybe but I always value other opinions. I agree there is doubt here but this is for now listed as Focus because it is clearly Spanish made and Focus is closer in design that any other company. Not quite right as you say but the best I can do for now. Prove me wrong and I will be delighted. ::Neil::
I start to be almost sure that this lamps are made by Cimsa, I have 2 different cimsa lamps (mine are not marked anywhere but I have seen one marked cimsa on filler cap) and I see same parts and details that let me think that these unknown lamps are more close to cimsa than focus (I have 5 focus to make comparisons). Anyway, I will post some photos soon. Nicola
I don't have Cimsa listed at all. Not a maker I am familiar with. I need to see these lamps and any other details you have so they can be added to the PLC. ::Neil::
Hi Neil, sure. In a few days I will receive the double burner lamp so I will make some photos with the other 2 Cimsa (that basically is always the same lamp but from different periods, so with just some aesthetical variations). Cimsa is 99,9% a spanish brand, that produced pressure lamps, stove and heaters, as well other wick lamps and stoves. On the spanish market is easy to find stoves and heaters in a quantity, lamps as well but they are a little more rare. The lamps use a stove nipple and they are built on the style of standad licht lamps. PS Bo listed a Cimsa heater, that is spanish and not from south america. Cimsa heater Colombia? Nicola
I agree here Nicola - a long way. Focus do tend to have the chubby wooden pumpknob and they always also mark their lamps. Further more I have never seen a Focus-lamp without the very recognizeable special vent-holes. The round holes with a thick edge-ring around. The shown lamp has none of these features. I dont agree in the Cimsa-theory. Cimsa also always marked their lamps and the stovenipple have I never seen on a Cimsa-lamp, only on their heaters. And you are absolutely correct - Cimsa is spanish all the way. Here is your unknown lamp with glass Juan, if you can use it for reference in any way. I have more fotos if needed. The lamp must have looked awesome as new. Mestres could have been for this lamp, as F. R. Racek was to the Hasag, Optimus and Petromax, a lampmodifier, who took lamps and improved them, which fits nice to Neil's observation about the methods of fabrication, a smaller company. Nicola, I would really like to see these Cimsa-lamps of yours. Is it table-pressurelamps? or traditional pressurelamps?. Anywhat you have found some rare ones and they need to be shown here - a lot.
In one sense I am not all that bothered who made the lantern. We can identify it as Ricardo Mestres from the paper and that is good enough for me to add it to the PLC as a new list for the brand. So these lanterns are no longer in with Focus but have their own listing. I knew Focus was not right. They were Badalona and always marked their lamps so. These are marked as Barcelona and whilst I know they are near enough the same place it was not how Focus marked their lamps so that made me suspect it was not the same company. . ::Neil::
