There are two versions of the shape of the enamelled all steel hood for the Tilley X246 lanterns. The first is shown on the left hand side of the photo below; the second on the right hand side (each individually reproduced below). The second is distinguished from the first by a small lip on the skirt of the middle section of the hood. The first lacks this "lip". While acknowledging that advertising and brochure art does not always accurately describe the model being written about, such material can, at least, indicate approximately when these shapes first appeared. Jim Dick, in his seminal book "Tilley: the versatile vapour lamp", states that the first hood shape came with the last of the pork pie X246s. Neil McCrae (personal communication) points out that these last pork pie X246s were fitted with brown enamelled hoods. The enamelled all steel hoods were standard on the "Guardsman" X246 which succeeded the pork pie X246 in 1949. Painted X246s were fitted with the brown hoods, and the speculum-plated X246s were fitted with black-enamelled hoods. For those of us that live in the colonies, Neil points out that, after the pork pie version, only the speculum-plated X246s were exported from the UK. This is the first illustration I can find of the first of the enamelled steel hood - advertising the X246 "Guardsman" (in Australia), 23 November 1949: https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/1949-nov-tilley-australian-advert.1294/ NOTE the clear illustration of the hood, without the lip on the middle skirt. Early 1950s catalogues also show the first version of the hood: The second shaped hood is first identified in print in the 1950s (date not precisely defined). These also came in brown and black, but eventually only black were made/supplied. https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/1950s-first-half-tilley.164/ Catalogues from later in the 1950s also show the earlier shaped hood, but I suspect these are stock drawings and overlap with the sale of the later shaped hood. I am concluding that the first version of the modern Tilley X246 enamelled hood was produced around 1949 (maybe as early as 1948), near to the release of the "Guardsman" X246, and brown hoods were fitted to the last of the stock of Pork Pie X246s. With the introduction of the "Guardsman" X246, black-enamelled hoods were produced for the speculum-plated "de-lux" version. The second version of the Tilley all steel enamelled hood was first produced around the mid 1950s in both brown and black. Eventually only black hoods of this style were produced and fitted to Tilley X246A and B lanterns Neil MacRae has stated that brown hoods were fitted to the X246A from its introduction in April 1961 to June 1962 after which both the Tilley X246A and the X246B were fitted with black hoods (see post below). Thanks to Neil (Mackburner) and Bob (Lamp Doctor, RIP) for input into this piece. Comments, additional information, and corrections are welcome. Cheers Tony
Good work. Brown hoods are seen on X246As often enough to question whether there was a short revival of that colour in the early 1960's.
Ian That's good to know. It may be the case that brown hoods were still being produced all along, or there was old stock to move. I would be interested in the observations of other members - I'm quite happy to amend my ramblings on this subject. Cheers Tony
Brown hoods were standard on model X246A from its introduction in April 1961 to June 1962 after which both the A and B versions used the black hood. ::Neil::
Thread revival...... I have a Guardsman "with ears" that has the early hood without the lip, I'm told this is a rare early hood and likely has a value in excess of that the lamp? Either way its a keeper lamp and was bought as such, its the first early Guardsman in my collection Will be joining a later "straight bail" X246 once competed and my first lamp, my X246A
