I think I predicted this would happen some time ago and although these are not meant to deceive I am quite sure that ones that are will be along soon enough. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tilley-Style-Korean-L80-Kerosene-Hanging-lamp/222325587629 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tilley-Style-Korean-L14-Kerosene-Camping-lamp-/322351876723 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SVEA-No-26-Radius-No-33-Stove-Style-Dome-heater-and-Reflector-/322314633995 HD
But can an original Tl14 or Kl80 not be picked up for those prices on eBay? It seems rather pointless to me to be spending that much money on a repro of an original I could have for the same price. Or in my case cheaper. Then we don't know what the quality is like, hopefully it's good, but if like Tilley's modern offerings then your better off buying old anyway.
Yes good job but they can't make the Tilley pressure system because it still in patent today . Also they might have bought the dies etc of the old stuff from tilley . Bob .
I rather like the idea of a pressure gauge. I have never been that keen on a pressurised container, that must have a limit as to safe pressure, yet has no means of indicating the actual pressure. And of course the presence of the pressure gauge avoids any confusion between a modern replica and a vintage product.
My concern is not so much these reproductions, they are making no attempt to deceive and they appeal to some types of collector, but with ever more complex parts coming out of Korea and Taiwan I feel it will not be too long before very good counterfeits of rare lamps start to appear on the open market. Take the Radius heater and replace the cap with a genuine one, all it takes is some engraving and you have what seems to be be a near mint Radius Heater. HD
broadgage, if you're confident with with drilling a hole in a tank and soft soldering a fitting, then fittings compatible with 1/4 manometers are available for a couple of pounds. HD
Patents are only valid for 15 years after grant and the Tilley pressure indicator was being used from at least the early 1930s so it is long expired. I think it had expired by 1940 because Vapalux included the same device in their early lanterns so I suspect the Tilley patent will date from around 1925. Unlike registration patents, which are renewable every 7 years, technical patents cannot be renewed. ::Neil::
Indeed, and I am considering doing exactly that. I have a number of X246B lanterns which are very common so there is no concern about spoiling the authenticity of anything rare.
I thought I would come back to this. The point I was trying to make is that almost every part of the above lamp is being reproduced in Korea or Taiwan. The gallery, the burner, the control cock, the hanger and now someone is spinning tanks. You can go and buy most of these parts. Probably the most complex and economically unviable piece to reproduce is the diaphragm and pressure pip, but there are plenty of used tanks around with that part that can be bought for £10. My point is that once you can buy all the parts, there's nothing to stop anyone from putting together a seemingly mint KL80 which will attract a certain type of collector who will pay. HD
A further thought is 'are these tanks safe?' To an extent I don't believe the seller of these 'homage' lamps and stoves would knowingly sell tanks that which were not safe, but I doubt counterfeiters would pay too much attention to QC. HD I think this is the last I'll say on the matter, now I'm going to try and find a real Coleman Gold Bond.
