Carbide Hand Lamps/Justrite Nickel Western Special LSide

Carbide Hand Lamps

Justrite Nickel Western Special LSide.JPG - NP WESTERN SPECIAL - Nickel plated Justrite Western Special hand lamp, model No. 105, 5 3/4 in tall with hook and butterfly handles, first advertised by Justrite in 1914, 5 hour lamp, marked on side JUSTRITE PAT. DEC 17, 1901 PAT. MAY 7, 1901 OTHERS PENDING, ex-Bob Hauck collection (The Justrite Manufacturing Co. of Chicago, Illinois was formed in 1906 as an industrial fabricating company making special machinery and tools. With Frederick J. Becker as president, Justrite would become the most prolific manufacturer of carbide lamps for underground use and a name synonymous with the carbide lamp. In 1911, Becker realized the potential market for carbide mining lamps and supplies and along with his chief designer August L. "Augie" Hansen, they created a product name with one of the top reputations in carbide lamps. The first lamps manufactured and advertised by Justrite in their first known advertisements of 1912 were the No. 99 horizontal, wire feed brass cap lamp priced at one dollar with nickel plating at a dollar and a quarter, the No. 100 superintendent's lamp priced at a dollar and a half with nickel plating extra, and the rare No. 77 stick lamp priced at two dollars and 50 cents. Justrite's un-numbered catalog known as Form 204 published sometime after June 1914 but before Feb 1915 introduced three matching "special" designs in 5-hour brass hand lamps to appeal to hard rock miners in the western U.S. Each lamp was made of seamless 24-gauge brass, 5 3/4 in. tall, with a 3 in. dia. reflector. The lamp featured a screw post on the center axis of the bottom to join it with the top and its concave reflector. Burner tubes were initially located low on the reflector and later in the center of the reflector. The "Anaconda Special" lamp, Justrite No. 93, used a special Justrite stick attachment at mid lamp and a spike hook on back. The "Arizona Special" lamp, Justrite No. 83, had a bail and swivel hook and the "Western Special" lamp, Justrite No. 105, shown here included the typical superintendent-type folding handles and a hook at the rear of the lamp. All three lamps came in polished brass but only the Western Special included a nickel-plate finish. It's interesting to note that the three marketing names never appeared on the lamps. What is also interesting is that the second 1901 patent date marked on the special lamps is a year missprint of the Hansen patent awarded on May 7, 1912. These lamps were still offered by Justrite in their May 1919 catalog No. 3. Justrite continued to expand the product line and their facilities and by 1919, they employed 350 employees and manufactured 42 distinct types of carbide lamps. Over the history of Justrite production from 1912 to 1931(catalogs 1 through 10A), at least 154 different lamp model numbers and at least 246 part numbers for a total of at least 400 number identifications were used by Justrite. However, a number of lamps, older versus newer, and parts used the same numbers so the whole identification matrix is ingrained with confusion. Nevertheless, it is very clear that Justrite provided more carbide lamps over a longer period of time than any other U.S. manufacturer. See Pohs, Miner's Flame Light Book, pp 435-462; Kouts, Miners’ Carbide Lamp Reference – Justrite Catalogs; Thorpe, Carbide Light, pp 140-143)

Justrite Nickel Western Special LSide | NP WESTERN SPECIAL - Nickel plated Justrite Western Special hand lamp, model No. 105, 5 3/4 in tall with hook and butterfly handles, first advertised by Justrite in 1914, 5 hour lamp, marked on side JUSTRITE PAT. DEC 17, 1901 PAT. MAY 7, 1901 OTHERS PENDING, ex-Bob Hauck collection (The Justrite Manufacturing Co. of Chicago, Illinois was formed in 1906 as an industrial fabricating company making special machinery and tools. With Frederick J. Becker as president, Justrite would become the most prolific manufacturer of carbide lamps for underground use and a name synonymous with the carbide lamp. In 1911, Becker realized the potential market for carbide mining lamps and supplies and along with his chief designer August L. "Augie" Hansen, they created a product name with one of the top reputations in carbide lamps. The first lamps manufactured and advertised by Justrite in their first known advertisements of 1912 were the No. 99 horizontal, wire feed brass cap lamp priced at one dollar with nickel plating at a dollar and a quarter, the No. 100 superintendent's lamp priced at a dollar and a half with nickel plating extra, and the rare No. 77 stick lamp priced at two dollars and 50 cents. Justrite's un-numbered catalog known as Form 204 published sometime after June 1914 but before Feb 1915 introduced three matching "special" designs in 5-hour brass hand lamps to appeal to hard rock miners in the western U.S. Each lamp was made of seamless 24-gauge brass, 5 3/4 in. tall, with a 3 in. dia. reflector. The lamp featured a screw post on the center axis of the bottom to join it with the top and its concave reflector. Burner tubes were initially located low on the reflector and later in the center of the reflector. The "Anaconda Special" lamp, Justrite No. 93, used a special Justrite stick attachment at mid lamp and a spike hook on back. The "Arizona Special" lamp, Justrite No. 83, had a bail and swivel hook and the "Western Special" lamp, Justrite No. 105, shown here included the typical superintendent-type folding handles and a hook at the rear of the lamp. All three lamps came in polished brass but only the Western Special included a nickel-plate finish. It's interesting to note that the three marketing names never appeared on the lamps. What is also interesting is that the second 1901 patent date marked on the special lamps is a year missprint of the Hansen patent awarded on May 7, 1912. These lamps were still offered by Justrite in their May 1919 catalog No. 3. Justrite continued to expand the product line and their facilities and by 1919, they employed 350 employees and manufactured 42 distinct types of carbide lamps. Over the history of Justrite production from 1912 to 1931(catalogs 1 through 10A), at least 154 different lamp model numbers and at least 246 part numbers for a total of at least 400 number identifications were used by Justrite. However, a number of lamps, older versus newer, and parts used the same numbers so the whole identification matrix is ingrained with confusion. Nevertheless, it is very clear that Justrite provided more carbide lamps over a longer period of time than any other U.S. manufacturer. See Pohs, Miner's Flame Light Book, pp 435-462; Kouts, Miners’ Carbide Lamp Reference – Justrite Catalogs; Thorpe, Carbide Light, pp 140-143)

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