Hello all here is a clone of Col-max made in Hongkong in ...??? by ....??? I guess the power is 500 CP, and the lamp looks exactly like a Petromax The lamp have a green embossed Butterfly glass and the fount is stamped (Original Col-max and some others chinese characters) On the other side of the fount, we can see COL-MAX, trade mark REGD COLEMAN Made in Hongkong
This is the first time I have noticed the spirit cup on these. It is almost the same idea as the later Optimus lamps with it being a dish in the actual base plate. Did the US made Col-max lamps have the same arrangement?
I reckon that this is model 555G, because it has the pressure gauge, but no rapid pre heating blowtorch and it dates to 1960. If I recall correctly, all Col-Max lanterns were made under licence in Hong Kong. I shall be corrected if I have made any errors, Jeff.
Not all Jeff. Production started in Wichita then moved to Toronto and then HK. This is not a clone of a Col Max. It is a real Coleman product made for Coleman in HK. It should be listed in the Coleman gallery under Coleman 555G ::Neil::
Thanks all for those details I have lots of question staying Neil : if I understand the US Colmax was different ? What was the difference ? Do we know who produced this Chinese Col-max in Hongkong ? Do we know when the production moved to HK ? The lamp have a Butterfly glass. Could it have a connection with Butterfly ?
I don't know the differences. I have not seen enough of them to make a study. US and Canadian ones will be marked so of course. The Butterfly connection could be a clue. The Lea Hin Group who own the Butterfly Brand also own the Tingkwon factory in HK. It is possible they made the Col-Max but we have no evidence of that. ::Neil::
Sorry I haven't yet managed to take more images of mine as per your request in the LRG, Neil. I intend to bring it to Newark for you to examine it at your leisure and take as many images as you like...
500 or 350 CP will be marked on the pricker wheel disc to show model output type. Check lantern with magnet; if the lantern fount, collar and ventilator are made of chromed steel then the model of the lantern will be 555GS or 333GS. As far as I've seen all Hong Kong marked Col-Max lanterns made for Coleman Canada were steel bodied.
In the 2nd photo, the side where Arabic letters are just below the Cole-max. That isn't actually Arabic. Its in the older form of Malay written in Arabic letters known as Jawi script. Typically used up to the 60's. It reads ' kul-maks yang asli sekali' which is word for word 'Cole-max which is original very'. However, the 3rd line is too faint for me to make up in that photo.
I've never seen this thread before. Interesting. It is not stamped with Chinese characters, although it was made in Hong Kong. Indeed those are Arabic or Jawi as it is known in this part of the World. That was the official script before adopting Roman characters. Perhaps it was meant for the Southeast Asia market? Then its not too surprising that it might have been made by Lea Hin. Lea Hin had manufacturing facilities in Hong Kong too. Besides manufacturing products in Singapore and other areas of Southeast Asia, they actually had imported some from Hong Kong to meet the high demands of those times. Of course, there had been other makers in Hong Kong besides Lea Hin but their products don't see much market in Southeast Asia. I do not know if Hong Kong-made Col-maxes were marketed in the Middle East. If they were, then the makers could be others too, besides Lea Hin being probable.
