"Not Under Command Light" [INDEX: Ship's Lamp]

86. Not Under Command Light [INDEX: Ship's Lamp] by Joe (jands.wells@cwix.com)
    Posted: Dec. 10, 1998 @ 22:30.
    I have an all brass ships lamp. I believe it is Japanese (based on inscribed characters)and rather old. In addition to much writing in japanese characters, it has the following words inscribed in english "Not Under Command Light" and "Nippon sento Co LTD" The lamp is approx. 10" diameter and 19" tall. It has a heavy ribbed glass globe 7" diameter by 5" tall in the center of the lamp. And it has "handles" at the top and bottom for tying ropes to. My questions are threefold: Where can I find a replacement wick. The remnants of the original(?) is 1 1/2" wide by 1/8" thick. Does this lamp use oil or kerosene. How old is the lamp. Thank you for any info you can provide.
    

• On Dec. 11, 1998 @ 06:06, Fred Smith (Fred.Smith@cwusa.com) wrote:
  Joe, (Here is copy of my reply from the Rushlight BB.) I can't give you a lot of detail. But I do have a pair of Japanese kerosene ship side lights that date from the 1940's (I assume post WWII.) So kerosene based navigation lighting for ships was still in production relatively recently. Additionally, the 'ribbed glass globe' is probably a fresnel lens which did not enter routine use on ship's navigation lights until the first part of the 1900's (New international light standards were agreed around 1910 I think.) They are also used in lighthouses, etc. Thus I would not consider the lamp any older than this century and given the use of english on the lable plate, probably also post WWII. The lamp should have been one of pair on the ship as the modern light formation for "Not Under Command" is two red lights, one above the other, separated by 12 feet or so. (I can't remeber what the rules were in the 1940's but think it was the same.) They would have been raised on a line up the mast above the pilot house of the ship. As for a wick, I would try any of the commercial sites/links that sell kerosene lamps/parts. There are plenty in the Aladdin Knights web page. Fred
  
  
  
• On Dec. 11, 1998 @ 17:11, Fil graff (fgraff@comcast.net) wrote:
  Joe: Your 1 1/2" wick is a regular US #3 sized wick...should be available in most hardware stores! If not, I (and probasbly every other lamp dealer) have them in stock. :: Fil ::