Zeiler Nº M. 4848

It's a german WW2 Zeiler Nº M. 4848 bakelite flashlight. Made around 1938.
The Zeiler factory had founded by Max Zeiler in 1910. In the first times they are manufactured only batteries, later started the flashlights, around 1920.
The bakelite Zeilers are very popular with collectors. Hard to find the nice, undamaged pieces. Bakelite is a beautiful material, but fragile, especially when used for military purposes. Often the strap is missing, and the edges of the top part are fragmanted, incomplete. 
My piece is not perfect either, but it's have an interesting strap repairing.

Zeiler 4848

The "4848" type was made in two variations, "Nº M. 4848" and "Nº 4848". 

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

One of the most beautiful flashlight was ever made, in my opinion.

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

This is the M. version, with aluminium strap fasteners.
The bottom half is the strap the original, the upper is the repaired, replaced part. The original was made of Presstoff (Preßstoff), the replaced is made of real leather.

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

It's opens verticaly.

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

The bottom part have some manufacturing sign. MPAD mark, molding part number, and the HRS logo. MPAD mark and the HRS logo indicate the Bakelite cast made by H. Römmler AG in Spremberg. 
At the time many bakelite things produced for the third reich at this factory, electrotechnical and radio parts, or the bakelite grips for the Luger semi-automatic pistol, for example.

Zeiler 4848


More information to the HRS logo:
"H. Römmler AG. In 1867 August Hermann Römmler founded a company in Spremberg, Brandenburg for recycling waste from cloth and hat industry. In 1919 the company was one of the first to use phenol-formaldehyde resins for mouldings, electrotechnical materials and insulating boards. Patents secured a leading position in applying aminoplast. In 1938 Römmler AG is taken over by Brown Boveri Company. Directly after WW II the Soviet Union confiscated the company and transported all equipment to Russia. BBC resumes production of Resopal® in Groß Umstadt, Hessen. Electrotechnical accessories are no longer produced."
https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/German-logos.html#BakeliteSteatite

Zeiler 4848

The MPAD mark. Informative explanation here:
https://www.plugsocketmuseum.nl/MPADmarks.html
Unfortanetly the "Z" sign not included in the description but probably its mean some type of mineral filling agent.

Zeiler 4848

Saw traces. 
It had to be cut the edges to straight after the molding.

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

The edges of the top part are slightly fragmented. This is a common thing, unfortunately.

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Presstoff is a really intresting material. One of the first types of the faux leathers. It's looks like leather, feel like leather but it's not. It's a paper-latex composit material. It was a very good leather substitute, with one big mistake. It's not water resistant, because the paper fibers dissolves in water... This is the reason why hard to find in good condition these presstoff parts.

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

 Beautiful bakelite.
So sad, it's gone.



Zeiler 4848

Zeiler 4848

Not just on the side of the Germans.

Zeiler 4848



Wartime Flashlights
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2021
 

Comments

  1. Luke PerkinsJanuary 13, 2022 at 3:44 PM

    I have just recently acquired an example of this old lamp, and was wondering if batteries still exist of the right type, and even if it would still work?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FlashlightCollectorJanuary 19, 2022 at 11:36 AM

      Yes of course, the battery type is still exist, that is the "3LR12".
      https://www.google.com/search?q=3lr12&rlz=1C1ASUM_huHU955HU955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi66a-ox771AhUBi_0HHfpsDK4Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1980&bih=1135

      Delete

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