This is a Norwegian made Standard from Høvik Verk. Unfortunately I can't find any kind of model number on it, which would have been of real interest to see. In lack of the correct model number, I used the same number Primus did for their original lantern: 1001, but within quotations because it's of course wrong to actually call it a 1001. As expected, it's still a spitting image of the Primus 1001. Only a few details differ apart from the obvious ones like the engraving. E.g. the little plate at the centre of the globe rest is made out of steel. As far as I know, Primus used aluminum. And the collar is nickel plated, though with a rough surface, where Primus used tin or perhaps even lead (in the same manner as both manufacturer used on the globe cage). There are also more subtle details that differ, but all in all, it's the same lantern as Primus 1001. If it would have been a Primus, I think it would have been made around 1928-1930, but nothing says that Høvik couldn't have been making this early type longer than Primus. But around 1930, give or take, is probably a fair guess. The glass is widened at the top and the three tabs in the hood holds the glass firmly, making the two parts almost one unit, as you can see in a couple of pics below. The observant might have spotted that the lantern missed the mixing chamber in the pics above. Those pics are as the lantern came to me, including the old style needle and jet. Luckily I had a mixing chamber for a Primus 1001 laying around, and of course it would fit this Standard. I also changed the needle and jet to the ones Primus used; No. 6131 and 6145:
And now a couple of hours later I tested this old geezer. It worked just as it should. Anything other would have been very surprising since I gave the vaporizer a good scrub and mounted a new jet and needle. What could possibly go wrong? The two-tied mantle in its three stages; Just tied to the vapouriser, pre-burned and finally in its operating stage: Two-ties are sometimes tricky to get well formed, but this one came out pretty nice: Not that it matters much how they actually look. They generally perform as they shall even if they look like crap! But it's still nice to get a well-formed mantle just for the sake of it all. And here's the lantern in all it's glory when composing this post over a well deserved Old Tom from Robinson's.
Very nice Christer and it is interesting to see the small differences in most of the parts. I see they even included the little slide thing on one of the cage legs. I wonder if we will ever know what that was for. The glass is interesting. I can't help thinking if it could be a problem with expansion when it gets hot. I know early Primus 1001s have the three tabs on the hood, but always thought they were for when using a mica globe. I've never seen a Primus glass with an edge like that. The mantle you used has shaped well and seems a very good size. What type is it?
Don't you think the slide was meant as a rest for the glass and hood when you don't have the correct spirit bottle with the swan neck? Atleast that's what I use this thing for when priming with a squeeze bottle. The glass I used when running the lantern and in the picture above is a later replica, by the way. But that one is large enough to make a snug fit on the three tabs in the hood. I'a also a bit sceptical with having the glass in constant pressure against other materials. I forgot exactly which mantle that was. They came in small zip-bag without any brand name on them. But they all have a note saying 300/400 cp in the bags, so that's the size. I bought them at Stuga-Cabaña a long time ago. He has both Aida and Luxor as two-tied mantles in that size, so probably any of those.
I've never thought about it as a rest for the glass but it makes sense. It's the best suggestion I've heard so far. I don't think I've seen any instructions for the 1001 that are that old where it might be described.
Yes, Jeff. It really is a great find, and I am grateful to Håvar who let me have it, and also helped me out a bit in getting it. Nils, some old instructions would have been really good to help us understand things like that little sliding sleeve. Primus (or perhaps even Høvik) must have had some sort of instruction for these, so hopefully it will emerge one of these days. I actually had a full NRV failure on this one yesterday. It was quite dramatic. I noticed a small leak in the NRV region a short while after I had lit it for the first time, but since I like to have it running for a while with a new mantle, I just kept it going. The thing is that when shaping a new mantle, I also tend to use alot of over pressure, and when adding some extra strokes, the NRV just failed in some way, and the pressure instantly pushed the paraffin up through the tube and squirting it out pretty violently through the hole for the pump rod. Not a pretty sight... So a new NRV it will be!
