Ring the alarm! Firefighting historians and fire fighting collectors won’t be able to set this book down.  With over 250 pages crammed full of firefighting collectibles including uniforms, tools, signs, old photographs, lanterns, alarm boxes, badges, fire extinguishers, and many more firefighting collectables that enabled the old time firefighter to survive his task more easily. An eight page full color section accentuates some of the nicer fire fighting antiques, while all appear illustrated or photographed in detail with accompanying descriptions. For those who long to expand their firefighting collectible collections.

 Testimonial for firefighting collectables

 I recently started collecting antique firefighting collectibles which goes along with my career as a firefighter. As a beginner it is difficult to get an idea of how much these firefighting collectibles are actually worth. I was recently in an firefighting collectables antique mall in Nebraska when I came across Andrew Gurka’s book entitled Firefighting Collectibles. As I was browsing through the illustrated pages of his book I noticed that quite a few of the firefighting collectibles I had been looking at were featured in the book and the prices being asked were very much lower than the quoted suggested prices in the book. Needless to say, I purchased the items and the book which I refer to every time I search for a new item. It is filled with a variety of items from A-Z and lists suggested values for the items which you can use as a comparison for the items you are interested in. The prices shown in the book are from 1996 so you should keep that in mind when you are looking at collectibles. This is definately the book for the beginning collector.

     “Hot stuff!”: Firefighting collectibles : an illustrated reference and buyers guide

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Firefighting Collectables Review: Firefighting Collectibles Book Review

    The leather fire fighting helmet is an internationally recognised symbol representing the history of fire fighting and in particular the firefighter. The term Leatherhead actually has two meanings. One of which means an old style leather fire fighting helmet worn by fire-fighters and secondly a colloquial slang term for firefighter who wears a leather fire fighting helmet. 

    Most leather fire fighting helmets were adorned with the statue of an eagle which secured a leather front to the fire fighting helmet, the eagle as become very symbolic over the years. History states that the eagle was actually sculpted as a memorial for a fallen fire fighter in the early 1800’s and its presence is still retained today.

    Quite often many of the eagles on the leather fire fighting helmet have become dented and damaged and detached due to becoming caught in wires and other various obstacles. Some fire departments have resorted to the use of more modern composite material helmets but there is still a die hard following of the original leather fire fighting helmet and eagle.

See our full selection of antique fire fighting helmet

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The Leather Fire Fighting Helmet

Nowadays antique firefighting equipment is very much in demand by firefighting memorabilia collectors worldwide. One particular item which always draws attention is the antique fire extinguisher.
  The earliest types of antique fire extinguisher date back to the early 1700’s. These antique fire extinguishers were of a primitive design consisting of a cask filled with a fire retardant liquid, incorporated in the internal construction of the cask was a gunpowder charge connected by a light-able fuse. The fuse would be lit which ignited the gunpowder which in turn exploded the cask releasing the liquid onto the fire.
   The first modern type of antique fire extinguishers were patented in the early 1800’s. They consisted of a mixture of compressed air and potaasium carbonate in a copper cylinder. On operation the compressed air would expel the potassium carbonate at the base of the flames.
A further development of this design was patented in France in 1866, which utilised the the internal mixing of water, sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid to produce carbon dioxide gas.The carbon dioxide gas was directed at the seat of the fire to extinguish the flames

Further enhancements to these early types of antique fire extinguisher were being made worldwide. An American named Almon Granger developed an antique fire extinguisher which worked by mixing sodium bicarbonate with sulfuric acid producing carbon dioxide gas which pressurized and propelled water contained in the copper shell through a small direction hose to the seat of the fire.
  The next stage in the development of the antique fire extinguisher came in 1905 with the first chemical foam extinguisher. Its main working principle was similar in many ways to the previous soda/acid types. The main cylinder contained a mixture of water, foaming compound and sodium bicarbonate.  Inside the main body of the cylinder was a small chamber of aluminium sulfate which is sealed with a lead cap. When the antique fire extinguisher was turned over the chemicals mixed resulting in the formation of carbon dioxide, which produced a thick light brown foam.

    As technology improved in the early 1900s a new form of antique fire extinguisher came to the forefront the carbon tetrachloride extinguisher manufactured by Pyrene. Characterised by its chrome or brass holding cylider and the hand pumped action this extinguisher was very popular with the auto industry due to its suitability to be used on liquid and electrical fires.

   Around this time a series of glass bottle liquid carbon tetrachloride filled fire extinguishers were produced. The glass bottle or bomb as it was known would be launched at the seat of the fire breaking on impact releasing the fire suppressant CTC liquid which immediately vapourised and snuffed the flames.  
With the advent of the boom of telecommunications industry in the US, a new type of non conductive fire extinguisher was required to deal with the numerous electrical switchboards fires.

   In stepped the Walter Kidde Company with their CO2 designed antique fire extinguisher. This particular fire extinguisher featured a metal shell containing carbon dioxide gas, a controllable wheel valve at the top, a directional woven brass hose fitted with a dispersing funnel at the end.
Another type of antique fire extinguisher was developed to handle in particular pressurised gas fires This extinguisher consisted of a large copper outer casing containing a dry chemical charge of sodium bicarbonate which was expelled by an internal cartridge of carbon dioxide gas. This dry chemical antique fire extinguisher was manufactured by DuGas who were later bought by Ansul and this form of fire extinguisher was particularly popular for small domestic use

The US Army in combination with DuPont introduced a new type of fire extinguisher specifically to deal with Class A fuels in the early 1970’s the Halon 1211 extinguisher. The only negative side to the Halon antique fire extinguishers was their non environmentally friendly properties which resulted in severe restrictions in their use in certain countries. In other countries where the laws are more relaxed they still are used.  

Browse through our selection of antique fire extinguishers 

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History of the Antique Fire Extinguisher

One of the most popular firefighting collectibles that always attracts great attention is the antique firefighting helmet particularly the Cairns fire helmet and the leather high eagle helmet worn by many a New york firefighter. With careful searching many an excellent example of firefighting helmet can be sought online and in antique shops.

September 11^th 2001 will stick in everyones mind forever as one of the worst atrocities to mankind. But it is this kind occurrence that generates a large amount of interest from the public to search out and find firefighting collectibles that associate with this period. Whether it be a need to remember our gallant fallen heroes who fought life and limb to save lifes or just as a rememberence for their outstanding courage in the face of adversity.

Another very popular piece of antique firefighting equipment from the early 1900’s is the antique fire alarm and fire bell, both used as an early warning on a start of a fire and both of these items are in great demand from antique firefighting collectors worldwide.

Quite alot of fire fighting collectibles have deeply sentimental value particularly fire chief badges and of course firefighting posters and firefighting prints. The majority of firefighting collectors have been actively involved in a firefighting career and are now retired and the remaining are completely aware that for sure firefighting collectibles are very much appreciating in value.

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Firefighting Collectibles and Antique Firefighting Equipment