pnome
Senior Member
Here's a pic of my old red one that I restored...
Coleman changed the way they made mantles in the early 1990's to remove the radioactive element thorium. It's widely agreed that the newer mantles aren't as durable, despite claims to the contrary by Coleman.
Well they can claim different but yep it was in the 90's when I noticed the least little thing could destroy them.
Funniest thing I ever saw with a Coleman Lantern was back in the late eighties bowhunting at Three Lakes in Florida. A guy a few camps over lit his lantern and it flared up on him and he decided to pick it up and wing it in the woods cause he thought it was gonna explode.
I am yelling "Nooooooo!!!!!" as we watch the fireball hit the palmettos. After about 25 scorched acres and the Division of Forestry bringing in one of thier swamp plows he kinda packed up and left quick like
Nic....never seen a brown Coleman, just red, green and gray. Post up a pic.
Hay Nic,
Did that one come with a clam shell hard case?
First rule he told me and my brother...."Do not touch the mantle, do not breath on the mantle, do not bump the lantern while the mantle is lit, do not even look at the mantle when it is not lit." Back then you were not running right down the road out in the boonies to pick up a new one. The mantles were the lifeblood of camp and destroying one was a serious issue.