Was browsing the local classified ads and this lamp caught my eye as something that I've seen before. The seller was located about a 4-hour round-trip drive from me but she said can put it in a box and have it delivered. It was risky to have it packed in a box but it arrived last night and the glass survived. After a quick look, the pricker wheel doesn't turn but the rest looks to be in good condition.
The seller told me that this lamp had become strictly a display piece and hadn't been used in a long time, so it collected a lot of dust. The leather was dry but in good condition. I replaced the NRV and fuel cap seals. The jet was clogged and the pricker needle broken off. After 3-4 cycles of heating and quenching the jet, the orifice finally opened. When I attempted to light it, large yellow flames were coming out of the j-tube and the mantle had large orange flames. So I did a search here and found out that it's common for the jet to leak at the threads. I did the water dunk test of the jet and sure enough, there were bubbles coming out of the mating surface of the jet and vaporizer. A dab of anti-seize on the threads fixed it. It's not giving off any nasty smells while burning, so I believe it's running close to perfect. Thanks to this forum for all the previous posts about Primus lamps.
Well done, that is looking good. You were lucky to find a complete original example. Be careful with the globe. The only replacements that I know of are ones made in SE Asia. What year is it from? My guess would be 1937.
Thanks, this was a lucky find! It says AB, so you're correct. Is it the preheat cup that gave the clue? Maybe I should buy a spare globe from the Asian seller and use that instead of the original. I'll try to take better photos.
It was a combination of the preheat cup, the filler cap and the pricker control. That particular combination should only exist in 1937.
