Early Maglite History and Maglite Head Sizes Debunked

Summary: Early Maglite packages made reference to different head sizes. These head sizes never actually existed. Before flashlights had an adjustable focus head they did have different size heads and that was likely the plan early on for Maglite. However, that idea was scrapped and the "large head" and "small head" designations were used as marketing terms for the D cell and C cell lines instead.

There has long been a rumor online that Maglites were available early on in different head sizes. Maglite has never produced different head sizes although it was considered early on and some early marketing made reference to this. One example is the early packaging as shown below.

The picture on the left shows a box end from a C cell light and makes mention a a"large head". The picture on the right shows a box end from a D cell light and makes reference to a "small head". Rather than each cell size being available in different head sizes this labeling was likely a marketing decision as the smaller C cell barrel made the head look bigger. This is even though the reflectors and face caps were the exact same size. It should be noted that Mag Instrument used this packaging from 1980 through 1985 and that all these lights came in hard cardboard boxes which are surprisingly durable and as such many survive today.

Another example is this very early D cell package insert as shown below. It even lists part numbers in the old style Mag Instrument format for the large head reflector and parts. This insert was only used very briefly in 1979 when the lights first started to be manufactured. Mag Instrument has always been about optimizing manufacturing processes so C and D cell Maglites have always shared reflectors, bezels (facecaps), and lenses. For Mag Instrument to produce different head sizes would require a different head, reflector, lens and bezel as shown below. This insert gives an interesting look into the plan before the head size options were abandoned. C cell inserts came out in 1981 and while these inserts make no mention of head sizes the packages did as shown above so the plan was likely scrapped within the first few months of 1979.

Everyone knows Tony Maglica started Mag Instrument. However, the man behind the Maglite was Don Keller. Don Keller may not be the most famous name is flashlights but he certainly should be. In 1968 Don invented the aluminum flashlight, the original Kel-Lite. By 1972 he was forced out of the company he created and eventually went on to work for over a dozen different flashlight companies, many of which are still around today. Don created so many firsts in flashlights it is impossible to list. Among the most impressive are his creation of the first weapon mounted flashlight and the first LED flashlight.

Starting in 1970 Tony Maglica began producing parts for Kel-Lite through his machine shop as a third party vendor. Prior to this Tony was producing 30mm artillery shells for the US government. Don was so impressed with his workmanship that the two went into business in 1979 to form Maglite

Why do I mention the early history of Maglite and Kel-Lite now? Well because the head of marketing for Maglite was Don Keller from 1979 through 1986. In the early days of aluminum flashlights beginning in 1968 none of the lights were available with an adjustable focus. Maglite was the first to introduce a beam that could adjust from spot to flood with the twist of the head. Flashlights instead had varying head sizes to achieve either a spot or a flood beam. Shown below are 3 second generation Kel-Lites from approximately 1976. These show the smaller head on the left through the larger head on the right. The smaller head was designed to be a long range spotter and the larger head was a close range flood with the medium head being a compromise of both.

This goes even further in showing that due to Maglite's adjustable focus there would be little to no need for varying head sizes. The terminology was left in the marketing of Maglites likely to make the lights more easily identifiable to consumers and as a haphazard reference to the abandoned planned large headsizes.

As an interesting side note please find a 3D Maglite next to a large head Kel-Lite. This photo gives a good feel for how large the large head Kel-Lites really are and what a large head Maglite would have looked like.

Kel-Lite's are a fascinating story themselves and Don Keller is a legend in the industry. (Literally, he has a flashlight named the Legend produced by Brinkmann after him.) A couple good resources are:

http://kellite911.blogspot.com/
A truly awesome Kel-Lite collection with many rare items from the Norm Nelson estate. Norm was the second president of Kel-Lite. I got the name form my blog as a tongue in cheek reference to this one.

http://www.flashlightmuseum.com/multimedia/KelliteHistory.doc
Don's self penned article about the history of Kel-Lites.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?272627-The-ABTOMAT-Police-Flashlight-Collection
The ABTOMAT police flashlight thread on Candle Power Forums. ABTOMAT was one of my early inspirations in flashlight collecting.

I have a very small collection of Kel-Lites and other early aluminum flashlights that I've made a separate blog for and can be found at:

http://otherflashlights.blogspot.com/

As always I'm looking to buy Vari-Beams and Vintage/Rare Mags. Please let me know if you have any, top dollar paid.