“FWD,” an acronym for “Friemann & Wolf Duisburg,” signifies the company’s true name. Based in Duisburg, Germany, “Friemann & Wolf” was originally headquartered in Zwickau. Post-war, its operations were confined within the territory of the “German Democratic Republic,” the segment of Germany under Russian occupation. In 1946, the company underwent expropriation and a renaming, becoming “GLZ.”

In the locale of Duisburg, West Germany, the Type 20502 found companionship with the FWD 400 model, often fashioned from solid brass. The latter gained popularity as a gift for special occasions.

 

The showcased Type 20502 was meticulously designed for white spirit operation, ignited through an electric glow wire. Powering the ignition was a battery, an original component that has since faded into obsolescence. Yet, ingeniously crafted modifications now render the firing mechanism fully functional. This is visually demonstrated in the accompanying photos.

 

An enlightening video accompanies this post, showing the elegance and simplicity underlying the mechanics of the ignition system.

 

 

Orchestrated by a glow wire and fueled by a battery—a component that has slipped beyond reach in its original form over time. However, through thoughtful modifications, the core of the firing mechanism can be upheld in functional harmony (see photos for reference).

 

It’s important to acknowledge the evolution of the ignition head’s design. A primitive iteration of two exposed electrodes, between which the glow wire is delicately positioned. This configuration was vulnerable to external influences, potentially compromising the glow wire’s integrity. In response, a semi-closed version was ingeniously developed, effectively addressing and mitigating these concerns.

[See image gallery at oldflames.com.au]

In the 1890s, the Wolf company increasingly used the so-called rub strip igniter. A coiled strip was placed in the igniter case. This strip was lined with an ignitable material and treated with paraffin. With a bolt that was moved up and down, each stroke moved the strip a little further. At the end of the bolt was a metal tongue with several small ripping hooks. These hooks ruptured the surface of the strip with each stroke, creating an ignition spark.

Due to the networking of the Wolf company in other countries, this type of ignition was also used in safety lamps from other well-known manufacturers, such as Hubert Joris (Belgium) or Arras (France). This friction strip igniter was also installed in many safety lamps that the Wolf company built for the American market up to the First World War.

Of course, other manufacturers of safety lamps have also developed ignition systems that work on a similar principle. The companies “Wilhelm Seippel” and “Grümer & Grimberg” used friction strip igniters that were arranged horizontally and not vertically, as was the case with “Wolf”.

At this point, it should be pointed out that the ignition strips of the two systems described here are completely different and can only be used for their individual systems.