This is a long post, sorry about that, but I've been thinking about this subject for a number of years and I finally decided to put my thoughts into words Some background: I started collecting lanterns roughly 6 or seven years ago, (where does the time go?) starting with a couple of Tilley 246Bs that I bought to use during power cuts as I live on the West Coast of Scotland. Back then we had already suffered a number of power outages so I figured it would be a good idea to be prepared with some emergency, paraffin fuelled lighting. These were soon followed by a Coleman or two, then some Bialaddins and a whole bunch of Chinese Petromax clones simply because they were cheap, worked well and looked very decorative. As time went by I added different manufacturers to my collection and bought as many different models as I could find (at reasonable prices of course), however... Veritas lanterns were never on my list! Why? Because it was ‘common knowledge’ that they just didn’t work. I’d read enough posts on CPL to know that they were almost impossible to start, unreliable if you did manage to get them working, and if you were stupid enough to take them from a warm environment to somewhere cold, they would splutter a bit and then die! They were a joke, the ‘Skoda’ of the lantern world, fit only for the scrap heap. I need my lanterns to work as they might be called upon to provide reliable illumination if the lights suddenly go out and Veritas… well, they just didn’t have what it takes… did they? My First Veritas - a Superb I received my first Veritas from a mate as a thank you, and while I was very grateful, I thought it would probably end up on a shelf collecting dust. Nevertheless, I went through the motions, cleaned it up, checked it over, added new seals and a mantle and attempted to light it. I was stunned when it worked first time so I left it running to see what would happen. It sat in my kitchen pumping out a good amount of light for about 4 hours before I took it outside and waited for it to choke and stop working, only it didn't. I remember thinking that I must have a very rare beast indeed – a Veritas lantern that actually worked! I lit it again the next day, expecting the problems would probably now show themselves and was amazed when it started in less than 30 seconds… from cold! Intrigued, I decided to buy another Veritas so long as it was cheap - after all, they were still rubbish, right? Over the next few years I ended up with 10 of them! 5x Superbs, 4x 350s and a re-engineered hybrid 350/9955 but that’s another story. Apart from the unfinished 350/9955 project, they are all bright, reliable, easy to start and keep running with no issues. All you have to do it keep them filled up with paraffin or kero if you live in the US. So, the question is, how come they got such a negative reputation and why the strange tales one used to hear, like the fact that no-one knows who made them! A few ideas... They work differently to most other British pressure lanterns... To my mind, the Veritas 350 and the Superb are much more like American lanterns in that they use a positive shut off valve which allows you to keep them pressurised. I've taken one of my Superbs off the shelf and had it going in 20 seconds having not been touched for a year. They use brass generators with a removable jet (unlike Tilleys and Willis and Bates) and the overall shape is reminiscent of early Coleman and AGM models. Maybe this explains the problems some people have had, then again, maybe they have been used so often and for so long that the jets have become worn, causing them to over-fuel. I don’t know if this is the reason, but I have spoken to many Veritas ‘converts’ and everyone tells the same story– they work like a dream! The Dutch Army Veritas model caused all the confusion. I seriously think this may account for a great deal of the poor reputation. The Dutch Army model used an AGM burner assembly and ran on Coleman Fuel (or equivalent) which meant they didn’t need pre-heating, so maybe people assumed all Veritas lanterns worked the same way and simply got confused, either preheating when it wasn’t necessary or trying to start the paraffin models the same way. And what on earth is all this ‘no-one knows who made them' mystery? Err, the manufacturers name was printed on the box – Falks - and most of their documentation includes a helpful address in case you weren’t sure. Indeed, the company records for Falk, Stadelmann & Co Ltd are available online at the .gov.uk archive You can view the records here if you wish Falk, Stadelmann & Co Ltd, manufacturers of heating, lighting and cooking appliances | The National Archives Why the manufacturer of Veritas pressure lanterns is considered a mystery is, quite frankly, beyond me and not only that, but who gives a flying fig anyway? I've heard it said that Falk subcontracted the manufacture of the tanks to a third party. OK… so what? A large proportion of my Ford Fiesta is made by Lucas industries, from the lights to a vast number of electrical components. I don’t actually care and I don’t meet many people trying to tell me I’m driving a Lucas Fiesta! That would be weird! Rolls Royce once subcontracted British Leyland to make their body panels, and Volvo struck a deal with Mitsubishi to supply body panels and running gear for some of their smaller cars. Do either of these facts constitute a mystery? Does anyone go down the pub and talk to their mates about how no-one really knows who made the Volvo V40? I seriously doubt it! So, does any of this really matter? Actually, I think it does. I believe it’s more than likely that quite a few Veritas lanterns ended up being thrown away and trashed at recycling centres because it was 'well known' that they were ‘rubbish’ and all because of the unfair and unfounded reputation they attracted, and if that's true, it's a great shame. If you've read this far, you need a medal so thank you.
A thoughtful and reasoned post covering a lantern I enjoy. Well done. Love the info on the historical files. I thought though, that some 'Dutch Army' lanterns did run on kerosene, though many were petrol specific. I must check mine again.
I haven’t read any such posts, but recall that maybe twenty years ago Dave Shouksmith spoke on the ‘Be Back Later’ lamp website of a Veritas Superb that blackened mantles. My two didn’t, so I presumed Dave’s had a worn jet. That time to this, it’s the only suggestion of a bad reputation for a Veritas lantern I’ve heard. I certainly doubt that … Collectors don’t do that! Some people in the wider population in the ‘forties and ‘fifties might have, (together with Tilleys, Vapaluxes and other paraffinalia) and others when they’d no longer any use for them.
I thought long and hard about posting this thread but I felt things had moved on sufficiently that it (hopefully) wouldn't annoy or offend anyone too much. It's interesting that you say there was only one 'derogatory' post on the 'Be Back Later' website because I've never knowingly visited that site... but in any event, it wasn't just David by any means. It could take me ages to find specific posts here on CPL, if there even are any, but there definitely was a distinct and seemingly wide spread feeling that Veritas lanterns simply had too many problems to bother with. I've spoken to other collectors who had exactly the same impression, so it definitely wasn't just me. Back when I started collecting I knew absolutely nothing about lanterns and CPL was the place where I got all my information from... for me, there was nowhere else and I was and am extremely grateful! I've also had chats with other collectors who bemoaned the fact that they'd passed up chances to buy a 350 or a Superb because they'd been given the same impression as I had. Whether any got trashed or not I can't say but that specific worry was voiced to me in private conversations and at that time it hadn't actually occured to me but I found the possibility alarming to say the least. Anyway, I'm very glad I ventured in to the world of Veritas and even happier that their reputation is now a lot better than it was because in my opinion, they are one of the best British lantern makes.
All that I can say is that if anyone wants to trade for my Veritas Superb and my 350 then I'm open to offers.
I can understand if people preferred Tilley and Vapalux lanterns back then as they are inherently simpler to maintain. But like Colin, once fettled, I have had good experiences with my 350 and my Superb. I like them.
I too experience the feeling, I believe from this site, that Veritas were not worth the bother in having them. It was actually one of @ColinG earlier posts that convinced me that I should bid, on the bay of evils, on a Veritas Superb, I won. I was pleasantly surprised and amazed how easily it lit and its reliability. Since then I’ve found and bought more Veritas lanterns, 8 in fact. In every case, after fettling, I’ve not been disappointed and to date the Veritas lantern ranks as one of my favourites. Cheers Pete
A full strip down and clean of the Superb and it has run flawlessly for a couple of years now. The 350 on a hunch fired straight up as soon as I bought it with just a bit of oil on the pump cup. Love the shape of the Superb and I’d always rather have a fuel shut off valve.
Wow, that Superb scrubbed up amazingly well. As you say, it's nice to have a positive shut off on a lantern for a host of reasons. The 350 looks great too of course but the bulged glass of the Superb always makes me smile.
At this point I really don't need any more Veritas but if you feel like passing them on, why not? I've got a number of projects on the go, like my new metawork lathe but perhaps we can arrange a swap of some kind? PM me and maybe we can sort something out.
Whilst idly looking through old posts on CPL, I stumbled across this post regarding Veritas lanterns: both 350s and Superbs. I guess it's not too hard to see how Veritas gained such a poor reputation, with talk about throwing them in skips, filling them with concrete and using them as doorstops, etc etc. Veritas 350?
Well I am very happy with my 350 and my superb. I did replace all the seals and spent far too much on globes but they work well and are so easy to light. But a sample of two is hardly indicative of overall reliability and quality. Maybe I have just been lucky with mine or maybe all the duff ones were thrown away!
I have to say that having stripped down my 350 with a Superb waiting in the wings, it's a very addictive lamp. More importantly it's not a Tilley... sacrilege to say that in some quarters, but I've noticed that without much effort it's very simple to find such models as Guardsmen, X246Bs etc... after a while if you see one cheap then there's that temptation to grab it and get it going, and then wonder why you've got another one. For whatever reason - probably as Colin suggests, they've ended up with a poor reputation - Veritas's seem to be much thinner on the ground. Certainly the design is an interesting one, and once you work out how everything goes together they're very pleasant to work on. The only minor aspect I've found with them is the price of the spares - as Firexit1 says they're not cheap. I'm still looking for a globe for my 350 - yes I can use a Bialaddin 1A globe as Darryl helpfully suggests - but that's mainly an Australian model and they're not common over here. The one supplier of seals and globes in the UK at least is Basecamp from what I can see, and you're adding on an extra £10 for a service kit then what you'd be paying for the Tilley equivalent from Fettlebox while the 350 globe is knocking on for £30 compared to say a reproduction Bialaddin 300x at £19 or a Tilley at roughly £15-19 . Sadly, I don't have the skills or facilities to make my own seals, so I am a little stuck in that respect. Anyway, on a positive note I'm looking forwards to seeing just what the 350 can do when it's done - I'm hoping to spray mine its original green this weekend, and then next week order the necessaries from Basecamp. best, Chris
I hear what you are saying but there is a lot more in the Vertias service kit than a Tilley one, and it has been assembled by basecamp from parts sourced from god knows where. The globe is also much bigger than a Vapalux one (it is primus 1020 globe). That said I do not see you needing to change the seals for a very long time afterwards. Good luck !
I’ve a couple or three Veritas lanterns. I have to say that once they’re fettled, they run well. As mentioned, parts are an expensive issue!
Those are interesting reads. I would have absolutely no idea why they had been difficult. I don't find Veritas in my area. Had there been any suspected flaws in the design?
When my 350 was running I found it excellent. Handsome brass fount. Easy starter, bright. I don't know what stopped it a few years ago! But now I need new vaporiser spindle and pricker. (Damn!)
