Lamp of the Day
Lamp of the Day: the Demon Strike Light, Australia’s mystery carbide cap lamp
Maker unknown! The Demon Strike Light (DSL) is a small brass carbide cap lamp, dated to about 1910.
About the picture. It’s a recreation of a brass carbide cap lamp of the same general type, not a DSL. You can see a real one in Collections WA, item 2020.306 (link below).
The mystery
For years collectors thought the DSL was made in the USA purely for export to Australia, possibly by the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. of Springfield, Illinois. That was never proved. Then paperwork supplied with a DSL turned up stating it was made in Australia, yet it names no maker at all.
In his 1991 study, Stephen James McCabe examined twenty blade-style lamps and one hook-style lamp and found the DSL was well marketed in both the eastern states and WA. He also found a 1910 Victorian report, Tests of Mine Candles, listing a “Demon Brand” mine candle. Related? Nobody knows yet.
What to look for
- “DEMON STRIKELIGHT” embossed on the water-chamber lid, with 22 click stops (29 on the last variant)
- A plain unplated brass reflector, 2 or 3 inch
- A broad flat spade for the helmet (one hook style is known)
- About 9.5 cm tall; smooth water tank, ribbed carbide base
- No gauze, glass or lock: it’s an open-flame cap lamp
Collector’s tip. It looks a lot like a six-patent-date Guy’s Dropper, so check the lid wording. McCabe’s tells are a crimped water-door flange, the click-stop count, and whether the tank base is beaded (later) or sharp (earliest).
Lamp record
| Maker | Unknown; paperwork says made in Australia |
|---|---|
| Model | Demon Strike Light (DSL) carbide cap lamp |
| Date | About 1910 (Collections WA dating) |
| Fuel | Calcium carbide and water (acetylene) |
| Price guide | A$120 for a DSL with its pamphlet, plus a small brass Justrite and a spare base, ABCR Auctions lot 648, 27 July 2019 (estimate A$50–75). The only confirmed sale record we found. |
