Unusual Tilley control knob

Has anyone seen one of these brass knobs before? It’s on an early Guardsman. It also had what I presume is a homemade fixed spirit cup, so I’m guessing the owner may have had some skills and made these add-ons.

 

I believe they have military heritage, but somebody far more in tune will confirm or castigate. I have two of them, both bought in isolation off eBay. Both now on Guardsmans similarly.

 

That knob is not original to that model of Tilley X246 — they would have come from the factory with the black Bakelite.

Yes, there were war-time Tilley brass knobs, but there are also post-WWII brass knobs, but I don’t know by whine they were made. I have some NOS brass knobs from Jim Dick which may be from the UK. Brass knobs were also made for Kayen lamps (Tilley clones) in Australia from around 1944 to early 1959s.

Cheers

Tony

 

I also have a couple of these.

Alec.

 

Fat finger:

… early 1950s!!! For Kayen.

 

I have found several of those knobs over the years and they have been on WW2., PL-53 lamps and the control cocks which they were fitted to had steel threads for the gland nut to screw onto, that may have been a military specification and the link below shows information.

8 Tilley control cocks

 

Tony, if it wasn’t fitted in the factory, it seems odd that it was painted exactly the same as the rest of the control cock. Maybe it was swapped from another lamp, but wouldn’t it be a coincidence to match exactly?

 

Thanks Jeff. I didn’t see one like mine in that set of 8. Mine screws on, whereas the brass one amongst the 8 has a grub screw.

 

Ken

I hadn’t noticed it was painted. So may be a “special order”.

As I said, I do have bare brass NOS stock of Jim Dick, and these may have come from UK.

Edit: When I get the chance I’ll check my Tilley brass knobs for patterning.

Cheers

Tony

 

Hello Ken, look at the second photo, the control cock which has the magnet stuck to it has a screw on brass knob fitted.

 

Interesting thread..

i have seen brass knobs with a different knurl to that which Ken has shown? Straight but more faintly marked?
I seem to remember seeing them on R1s .. blue/grey paint involved
.. i suppose this means a loft excursion :-(