FAQ

While there are several differences, we make them as subtle as possible:

• Metal thickness. Despite common preconceptions, the majority of late-19th-century and 20th-century lighting was made with brass spinnings and stampings that were very thin. Ours are usually thicker than their original counterparts.
• Modern wiring. Some changes from originals are necessary to accommodate modern wiring. Most of our customers are mounting to newer wiring instead of knob and tube. We have to make a few changes, such as larger canopies on some of our wall brackets, so junction boxes will be covered.
• Underwriter Laboratories safety labels. All our fixtures are individually subjected to high-voltage testing. Most required modifications you won't see; a few you will. Current regulations require that fixtures have a continuous ground. Therefore, you'll see ground wires on chain fixtures. To supply UL-listed floor and table lamps, we can't use the old cloth-covered wire, which is not UL-approved.
• Sturdier sockets. We like to use porcelain sockets in places where the originals might have had a paper-shell socket. Exceptions to this are on fixtures which have turnkey sockets.
• Electric, not gas. Obviously, our fully electrified gas-style fixtures have had small modifications to make them work with electricity. We try to make those modifications in the most subtle ways possible.
• Spot welding. Most old lanterns were fabricated by soldering pieces of sheet brass together. Often the solder eventually failed. We spot weld (a better method), since we have the advantage of 90 years' worth of hindsight.