I was looking for a replacement mantle for an Aladdin 23 and I can see that they are all out of stock in my usual places. The Ebay opportunists are asking silly money as per usual. I suppose another victim of shpping/supply chain issues. Does anyone have a tried and trusted way of rebuilding a mantle for these ? I have a couple of frames. thanks Chris
Hello. I'm new here and this is my first post. I'm not sure I'll stick around, but I saw this post and wanted to share what I've found out, in case it may help someone else. I'm not a collector - I have two Aladdin lamps I use during power outages. One is a modern glass model from the 1990s and the other is a "vintage brass font with a mismatched, nickeled burner. In 1999, the world was coming to an end and nothing electrical or electronic was ever going to work again after New Year's Eve. Remember Y2K? There was a huge run on this stuff and it was difficult to find, because all the Chicken-Littles were gearing up for a hundred-year throw-back. In the last few months before 2000, it was hard to find anything "non-electric, but by the spring of 2021, I was buying mantles for the princely sum of $6.19 each, and they were made in Brazil. In 2020, There was a huge run on this stuff and it was difficult to find, because all the Chicken-Littles were gearing up for a SEVEN-HUNDRED-year throw-back. Same thing in the spring of 2021 - everything was hard to find, but by summer of 2021, they were $25 each and I was only able to find TWO - at any price, then made in the Philippines. I had ordered FOUR mantles from Lehman's Hardware, in Kidron, Ohio, in the summer of 2021. One box had a mantle which was detached from the base and one box was simply EMPTY. The Lehmans, being the good folks that they are, committed to make good on the issue, but had no more in stock and put them on backorder for me. They stayed on backorder for months. Lehmans finally just refunded the two I didn't get and were unable to share any enlightenment on why we couldn't get them. They support a large Amish community, so this is an item they deal with regularly. Lehman's shows them on back-order (still, again?) right now, but still $25. The best price I've see lately is $25 each ("subject to limits") and up to $43 each. Shipping on top of that is usually brutal, as there is no competition and you're going to pay what is demanded, as there is no alternate source or product. As of today, Walmart.com shows them for $12.88, but out of stock and shows the country of origin as China, which may well be, but I no longer trust Walmart's or Amazon's information, as it is often incorrect. That said, production moving TO the Philippines, and then out of the Philippines to China has happened to other things I've used. I was able to get a spare chimney, new, brass bug guard and wicks in 2021, but the missing mantles have been the bug in the ointment. So, I don't know what the hold-up is, but it's been going on for at least two years. I hadn't bought any between 2001 and 2021, so maybe it's been going on longer - maybe even since 2001. I hope this helps. This post isn't just to whine or rant, but maybe there are some pieces to a puzzle here and we can figure out some kind of a solution.
These mantles are even harder to find than those for pressure lamps. I guess not many, if any are still manufacturing them. You can try Basecamp, John Moncrieff Ltd, Lehmanns, Imperial Lighting Company, or any others that might, or used to sell them. It seems they would likely be out of stock at least until around November or towards the end of 2022. If I'm in your situation, I would have tried some improvisation using conventional pressure lamp mantles. Open up the bottom tied-end of these mantles. Suspend using some wire loops, etc. Maybe shape them somewhat using a torch and aid from some sort of former to approximate the required shape. In other words, make my own. You'd never be certain if anyone would be keen on manufacturing them again.
Thanks, MYN. IT may well come to that. Personally, I've had to make a lot of things, so it's not unfamiliar territory. I once received a damaged mantle - the bottom of the mantle was completely detached from the base. Since it was damaged, there was little to lose by placing it back together as closely as possible and trying it. It worked, and the mantle will swing on the hanger, like a bell if you tap the lamp. Since this is an indoor lamp, not subject to jostling, I've left it alone. Maybe some dark night, a bump to the glowing mantle will ruin it, but maybe not. As anyone here knows, once they are lit, they are very fragile, but I've never looked at a mantle after it has been in use to see if the bottom was still glued to the base. Maybe not. If this is the case, starch glue might be used to hold the shape of a reshaped pressure mantle. I sure wish I'd save the last base/hanger assembly. I'll have to wait until one of mine burns out. If I have to pay $40+ for a mantle, I'd be as well off to switch to LED lanterns for emergencies. I'm not ready to give up on my Aladdin Lamps just yet, so I may experiment. What's the significance of being out of stock "until November?"
No idea on that but that's what some sites are hinting. At least one of those stating that they won't be available till 'Fall of 2022'. Another mentioned something like...unavailable until November 2022 due to delays in manufacturing. The rest just stated 'Out Of Stock', nothing else. Therefore, you can more or less guess that these mantles won't turn up for sales at least till the end of this year.
Sam Blank who made the Aladdin mantles (and others) in the Philippines sold his business to an Indian company. - short version so far, If Sam wants to tell us the long version it is up to him. The Indian company seems to find out now the making of Aladdin mantles is not that easy as they may have thought. But the company successfully got rid of a competitor who manufactured better quality for a reasonable price. Now they have to show what they are able to manufacture these mantles. Erik
Thanks all, although the news seems worse than I suspected. Not just supply chain issues. I have been to all the "usual" places in the UK. I will have to tinker with other mantles to see what can be done. Chris
I have used plaster of paris to secure the skirts of Aladdin mantles which have come adrift from their base. Make it fairly thin and runny and apply it like paint. Would it allow you to repair one using some other donor mantle? Maybe...
@ROBBO55 , thanks for posting those links. @Erik Leger , thanks for the history. @JonD , thanks for the tip! Nice forum here.
For anyone in the United States, if you happen to live near an Amish community, there may be mantles at Amish stores now. I had been looking for Aladdin mantles for over a year and the Amish store I go to had none and didn't know when they would get some. I just stopped in today and the mantles are in stock as of yesterday. The gentleman I visit is very easy to deal with. He is a Coleman dealer AND a collector! We've had many good conversations. After he realized I was a collector and wasn't just another goob stopping by to gawk at them, he welcomed me into his workshop/collection area. He has stuff I could only dream of owning! His sticker prices are very high, but that's for the uneducated. He has always given me a fair price on all of my purchases. It may help to build a relationship with someone like this if you have a chance.
Oh if only ! - here in the UK places like this are very rare.. Many sites say that they are expecting stock in November so it looks like the supply chain is freeing up. No doubt now some retailers have become used to asking $60 (£50) for them so we wait.. Thanks for the heads-up
$60 is crazy! I realize retailers can only charge what the consumer will pay, but WOW! My retailer charged me $19. He had priced them at $23, but after he looked at his invoice he lowered the price. He must have bought quite a few because he said he needs to ship some to Indiana to another retailer.
I guess I've been out of the market for too long, but I do need to restock. While I'm not having that much difficulty finding wicks for my Aladdin lamps everywhere but the hardware store that used to have them, I am still finding them all day on the e-tailers that I shop. Without them, there's a lot of things that I simply would not be able to source. ...but even they don't have the LoxOn mantles for some reason. Still, I can find mantles all day--both LoxOn and Kone Kap, on that certain auction block everybody knows about, and usually for around $25 USD or so. Some are more, but only some. ...though, of course, you have the world getting sideways, which is probably part of it. For now, I'd tell you to crusie that auction house if the Fettlebox doesn't have them. Import them from the States if you must.
Does someone know, if the production of the mantles runs again ... ore where do they come from ? Regards - Steven
As far as I know they were made by Peerless but they were under contract to only sell them to Aladdin. Peerless has been bought and sold a few times in between and as reported upthread the new owners are Indian. It's thought they have have been slow to start production. We suppose that they are under the same obligation to only supply Aladdin. This is no doubt what keeps the price high.
They are made in India. This is new production that just arrived. I believe Tuesday was when they started selling them in the US.
I just got an email from W.T. Kirkman, they now have R150 mantles in stock. Limit one per customer... Eventually, the mantles should be available worldwide.
I hope the new mantles are better than the last one I bought. It worked OK, but it tore a bit on the very first light up.
Firexit I am away from home at the present but this evening I will look at what I have in the way of mantles. I have purchased a few lamps at different times and found old new mantles within the boxes. Some time ago I purchased a Guardsman which had a pricker, mantles, and a 500 jet for a Anchor lamp..I seem to recall seeing an Aladdin mantle pkt can not be sure from what model but I will certainly look. Also you may look at facebook Marketplace, or Gumtree, or preloved I have recently seen people with mantles for sale. Hope that is of some help if you have not looked there.Best Regards Nigel.
Result ! - still none available online (apart from EB at silly money) but I found two (Phillipine made ones) collecting dust on the top shelf of a local ironmongers. They were marked up at £22.50 each but a deal was done at £18.30 each.
Crikey - I take it all back about Ebay - on Amazon they are a bargain at £84 https://amzn.eu/d/8al1VUH
