Tipless 60W Carbon Filament Lamp

[TomB]

Hi All... Another newby here

I have a 60W carbon filament bulb that has the wattage and voltage on the inside of the glass(bought it at a antique shop, no history). I've done a little poking around the various web sites and haven't seen anything quite like it. Does anyone know if it old or just a repo???

Thabnks Tom


 

[Ray Ladegast]

Welcome Tom,
I to have a bulb similer to the one you have. The only differnce is it dosn't have the voltage or watts on it. I paid $.25 at a yard sail back in the 60's. I also would like to know the history of this bulb? I think it might be a reperduction also.

Thanks, Ray

[Mónico González]

By the style and quality of printing of wattage and voltage, I could to say without any or none doubt that this bulb is in fact a modern reproduction.
Perhaps it isn't an actual product because the "patina" that can be seen over the brass cap proves some time past from the manufacturing to date.
Furthermore, most of true old carbon lamps were etched over the upper sleeve of the cap, not over the glass surface.
Today is very easy to find these reproduction bulbs, at least here in Europe.
In fact, some European (more precisely German) manufacturers, as "Radium", "Paulmann" and "Osram", has these bulbs at their own catalogues.
Most of modern models are fitted with A60 (A19 on U.S. standards) envelopes instead "S" or pear shape as your are. About cap size, all of them has the regular European Edison cap, the E27, and of course, are rated at 220-230 volts instead 120 v as U.S. models are.

If you want to see a sample of these actual reproduction carbon bulbs, please go to the following link:
 http://mis-bombillas.webcindario.com/Carbolight.htm

Here you can see one of the lamps I bought to my collection two years ago.
Today these bulbs can be purchased in almost every electric stuff supplier or lighting store here in Spain.

Best regards,
M. Gonz?lez.
 http://mis-bombillas.webcindario.com

[TomB]

Thanks for the replies....

Ray, I paid $5 for mine, so your .25 investment is now worth 20 times what you orignally paid..  

Monico, So what you are saying is that it's possibly a antique repoduction of a antique bulb???  ... Well that's gotta be worth something...

[TomB]

I received this email with some more info about the bulb I have. Bill and I thought it would be a good idea to share with everyone..

Hi:
What you have here appears to be a foreign made carbon filament bulb of the later 20s or early 30s.As a child in the upper east side of New York City,I used to go to the old hardware,electrical and antique stores on upper 3rd.Avenue looking for early
bulbs. One day in an old hardware store,I found about three or four new old stock
carbon filament bulbs similar to yours.Stamped on the base was "Austria" and the wattage and voltage was on the tipless rounded end. Later I learned that carbon filament bulbs were used in lamp banks for DC battery chargers and before rough
service bulbs came out in 1928,carbon bulbs were used in garage trouble lights.A carbon bulb would stand more abuse. Your bulb could have been made about 1927-1930. It is clearly not a modern repro.
                                                                                                   Bill

[James]

Hi Tom,

I believe your lamp is Japanese, made probably in the 1950's or 60's either by Asada or Kyokko.  They produced large quantities of carbon lamps in this era as low cost exports to USA after GE finally quit the carbon lamp business, to supply customers who required this lamp type especially for vibration service applications.

The construction style and internal markings are quite characteristic of these two firms.  Maybe others were around at the time, but the two I mention are the only two carbon lamp factories I know of in Japan, both of which still make almost identical lamps today.  Normally today their lamps are sold with fake tips for the decorative market - you can pick them up in Japanese electrical stores for about US$15 each.

Best regards,

James.