I’m beginning to like these Bialaddin table lamps but haven’t come across one in years. It actually looks better in that outdoor setting than a Tilley lamp would look, in my opinion.
Very nice. The T10 does appear to be marmite lamp, people love them or hate them. Mines just being fettled at the moment...
I think that is to simplify things too much. It's seldom black or white like that, and I for one neither hate, nor love them. But I think a reason many think these are ugly, is because they practically always are shown without a shade despite the fact that it is table lamp. I think they are really ugly when presented incomplete like that, but put a proper shade on it, and it will actually look pretty decent. It's the same with most table lamps; if they don't have the shade they were designed to use, they just simply look wrong! I guess it's just more noticeable on these with their more unusual design.
@Carlsson Good point. My observations were made entirely on remarks from folk who had seen lamps without shades. I shall now endeavour to find a suitable shade!
A Tilley pleated shade would be easier to find but then I’m not sure it would have the same look on a Bialaddin T10.
Good idea Jean. I think a pleated Tilley is quite close to the Bialaddin in appearence, so would probably look good. Not sure whether the dimensions are right, though. And they are perhaps not so easy to obtain either? The easiest in these cases, is to just simply make a parchment shade on your own. They are not hard to reconstruct. Anything that make a lamp actually look like a lamp is an improvement, but above all; it makes also them useable for real as they were meant to be. Indoors. A bright naked mantle is passable for lanterns and working lamps, but a horrible thing to sit by, and the light is not pleasant even indirectly from the walls. No a proper shade, or opal globe for those who use that, is a must if I shall use a lamp indoors.
Thanks for the comments. I’ll look for a suitable shade. The thing about the T10 is that once you own one it gets harder to see it as ugly - it’s a very practical design and silent when in use.
Because it shall be possible to use it as it was intended, of course. Surely you can't mean that a lamp for indoor use should have a naked, blindingly sharp mantle un-shaded?
Exactly - one of the most memorable times in my life was when I placed a translucent shade on a running Tilley table lamp. The difference in the quality of light and illuminanance (is that a word?) provided was staggering...
Indeed! A translucent shade is the best. By diffusing the light, it actually works better for the human eye. Direct, sharp light give too much contrast. That's why "our" lamps are best with e.g. opal globes or shades. Globes are for more all-around illumination, while a shade that's open downwards, like a Vesta or Rochester is fantastic for a lamp on a table.
A practical looking lamp and working well. I have a couple of 3/4 frosted globes and these make a pressure lantern a lot easier on the eyes when used as a table light.
It looks great with or without a shade to me. Well, I'd prefer to use that for area illumination or a work light. A little too bright for candlelight dinner I think.
