Does anyone else get "Vaporiser anxiety"? I see the supplies for Vapalux and Tilley dwindle and the prices asked getting higher and higher. Almost all other parts for the more modern lamps are still available but our lamps cannot run without vaporisers. As someone who likes to run my lamps I worry that one day I'll have lamps that are useless for want of a vaporiser or having to ration the use of my lamps in order to try to preserve the vaporisers for longer. Stephen
I seem to have an addiction to buying Vapalux vapourisers wherever i see them and if at a good price.
If there is enough of a market among collectors and enthusiasts, someone will resume production again. It’s already happening in Korea, where there is a market for Tilley repro brass parts.
I am not sure of the "rated" lifespan of a vapouriser but I have never worn one out. I have bought lanterns that have knackered ones. Even the most keen of camper/fisher/ recreational lighter-up is not going to burn out numbers of vapourisers all the time. I think the rising prices may be due in part to hoarding ? The interesing thing is that if demand/market value goes up it may well become worthwile making them again. @Alex74 Xd in the post !
Yup, I did the same a few years ago with both Tilley and Bialaddin/Vapalux and I've still got a good stock, especially 606s. So I'm alright (Jack!)...
Likewise although i do my best not to use any I unwrapped a new one to test a few Bialaddin Bowl fires a while back and thought all the burners were u s as they wouldn't work properly so put them aside for a few months but it turned out that the new old stock vapouriser was faulty, i wasn't too pleased but on retesting found that all the burners were sound
@MG - got that T-shirt. Went round and round until somebody here pointed out that not all NOS is good. It is now a very expensive spare pricker.
Accumulating a stock at a good price yes if they ever are at a good price. I did not accumulate enough years ago when they were plentiful and cheap. Fettled both of my Vapalux M320's the other day. All new seals. One of them refused to work properly. Variable light output, occasional hiccups of yellow flames for a second or two. Fiddled around. Checked all seals. Washed out tank, fresh paraffin filtered on the way in and still the same issue. Took vaporiser off, removed needle and spring (clean), banged on chopping board, no loose carbon, examined jet hole with 12x loupe. No problem seen. Looked at burner, all clear, new mantle. Same problem. Very reluctantly decided to try a new vaporiser (a very old NOS Bialladin one) and bingo -it works perfectly. Now down to only 2x spare vaporisers!!! Uncomfortable feeling.....Tilley vaporisers more widely available for later lamps at least. Looked on auction site this evening and Vapalux vaporisers few and far between and going for prices as much as a tatty lamp.
I’ve got some old NOS of various brands including Tilley and Vapalux. I have a couple of Korean steel vapourisers, and I have a large stash of used vapourisers that I clean and put on my “users” if they work properly, or scrap them if they don’t. Note: The Base Camp now sells new but tested Tilley vapourisers. Cheers Tony
