Tikiskip: Guide to tiki bar lights, Identification of styles, ect...

On 2016-03-07 11:14, tikiskip wrote:
Nice pics DixonAlibi!

(.....)

Thanks again, your two posts are some of my all time favorite posts ever on TC.

Hopefully we will have the 'new' lamps hung by the end next week, and I can get photos of them in place. Cleaning them, as well as drilling through 8inches of cork ceiling tiles for new hooks has proven quite the task, but we're getting there!

Just a suggestion, maybe the next set of pictures should also be posted under Portland Alibi thread.

Whoa!

That's a lot of bitchen old school lampage!

Kon Tiki Tucson has those tapa cloth wall sconces and

Don the Beachcomber/Sams had/has those Fishtraps with Balls too.

I'll have pics of the old Bahooka lamps in the near future

when Cliftons Pacific Seas kicks in.

I'll try to post some here. Tiki Tiki!!!

"I'll have pics of the old Bahooka lamps in the near future

when Cliftons Pacific Seas kicks in.

I'll try to post some here. Tiki Tiki!!!"

That would be cool Bamboo Ben.

And you make lights Ben would be great to see your lights added to this thread as well.
Too bad there was no TC back when these guys were making this stuff back in the day.

Today is back in the day, 40 years from now.

I stopped by the Alibi on my trip to Portland last November. Amazing environs and lamps, the drinks were not so good but still well worth the visit.

Was at Trader Sam's yesterday and took this photo of the custom lamps on display.

That first one reminds me of the lamp that A-Frame made for me from an old rattan foot stool I found at a thrift store. Thanks Anders!

DC

MAhalo Skip!

Here are some of those Kon Tiki Tucson lamps.

I made them pretty again during one of the tune ups I did there

a while back.

Before

After

Great additions Dustycajun and Ben, thank you!
And yes that is an old rattan foot stool.

Love the little doors on those lights Ben.

So far we have placed 6 of the 'new' lamps! Here's five of them!

Very cool fiberglass 'beach ball'

Bamboo carved with an awesome fish

Glass float filled with some type of plastic angel-hair with cork rings on the top and bottom

another bamboo stalk with simple carving

Awesome fiberglass 3foot tall tiki head!

Will be getting more put up soon!

That fiberglass Tiki was available as full figure Tiki, here it is in a Sea & Jungle catalog, top row, middle:

Sea & Jungle did a lot of studio rentals, here is one of those guys in Jerry Lewis' "The Big Mouth" (1967):

I don't recall ever seeing just the head of it, as a lamp - what a cool idea!

On 2016-03-10 10:45, bigbrotiki wrote:
That fiberglass Tiki was available as full figure Tiki, here it is in a Sea & Jungle catalog, top row, middle:

(.....)
I don't recall ever seeing just the head of it, as a lamp - what a cool idea!

It would be so cool to have the full wooden Tiki!
Here's a page from a Sea & Jungle catalog I found on the Sea & Jungle topic on here that shows the wall lamp version!

The full-sized Tiki was a fiberglass Tiki, too, so they just used the head for the lamp. Same thing for that tongue-Tiki mask next to it in the catalog: That also came in full size, in fiberglass - you can see it in the top page, top row, on the left.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2016-03-11 10:57 ]

Yes there is a full-size one at Hala Kahiki, right?

Love the new pics Dixon!

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2016-03-14 15:44 ]

Here are seven more of the 'new' lamps put up here at The Alibi!

Still got a few more to put up!

We were able to get the rest of the lamps cleaned, fixed, and hung! All 80 are now lit and looking amazing!

We have three of these drum style lamps.





This shell one we had to do some extensive repair work on, replacing many of the shells, then staining them to match the nicotine stained older shells!

Those lamps are astounding! I would be drinking my Zombie looking up at the ceiling and not at anyone else. I still have dozens of lamps from the Bahooka and they always make me smile when I look at them.

On 2016-03-08 07:44, Dustycajun wrote:
I stopped by the Alibi on my trip to Portland last November. Amazing environs and lamps, the drinks were not so good but still well worth the visit.

Was at Trader Sam's yesterday and took this photo of the custom lamps on display.

That first one reminds me of the lamp that A-Frame made for me from an old rattan foot stool I found at a thrift store. Thanks Anders!

DC

I'm a little late to the game but you're welcome DC!

The Fish trap light leads us into our next style of tiki bar light.
This too is a fish trap of sorts as it is used to catch small fish by
standing in the water and plunging the basket quickly down over the fish and trapping it.
Then you can reach into the hole in the top to get your fish.

Have also seen where this basket is used at open markets as a coop for small birds or chickens that are for sale.

Many of the lights from old tiki bars were something else before they were lights for a tiki bar, like say a waste basket, or fish trap, and even rattan Ottoman or other bamboo type things.
You can see the post right before this one has a light made from a rattan ottoman.

In Dixons photos of The Alibi they have this Fish trap/bird coop style light in that place as well.
You can see this light in Sven's house too.

I was able to find some of these on eBay right around the time of the bird flu outbreak, maybe they had to get rid of them.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2016-08-26 07:38 ]

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2016-08-26 07:40 ]

Here is a post by Erich with info on this light style....
Thanks Erich!

On 2016-03-03 16:21, ErichTroudt wrote:
Dixon,

Here's some info I came up with on a few of your lamps. Hope it helps. I got out the old Jungle and Sea imports pamphlet with the names and code numbers of the lamps they sold.

The one in the catalog had flowers around the outside, but very similar otherwise. "Shell fish trap hanging light 143L"

Erich

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2016-08-27 06:30 ]

Look what they did here on this light at the Alibi.
They took the fish trap flipped it upside-down and threw on a hat.
That is a new one on me.
Cool light.

On 2016-03-04 13:54, DixonAlibi wrote:

-Dixon

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2016-08-27 06:38 ]

Here's better photos of all five of our small trap style lights!
The one in the bottom left corner has a design of some kind etched into it. Not sure if that was original or not.

Great pics of that style of light! thanks!

I would bet that they make more of this coop fish trap rattan thing for décor or to be sold as souvenirs than they do to actually use to fish with.

Got one of these fish traps from eBay long ago and the measurements were in centimeters
well it came and that thing was like 4 inches tall could not catch a minnow in that thing.
Guess that was a trap made to catch suckers like me on eBay, It worked.

Here are a few other styles of the Fish trap light, would think this is what most people think of when you say Fish trap light.

But the idea is the same it used to be used to catch fish and now it's made into a light.
Or a fake one is made to represent a fish trap made to be a light.

Fish trap light from Trader Vic's...

Fish trap light made by Tikiskip...

Real fish trap....

This may be a decorator piece...

This also may not be a real fish trap...

Other lights might have the fish trap style or a modification that gives a nod to the fish trap light.
Like this light at Oceanic Arts...

Here is a light by Monkeyman here on TC this has a fish trap look but is sometimes called a drum style light....

Now on to the table lamp....
Most of the time you find parts for these lights if they are real old ones like this Kahiki table lamp base made by Mrs. Sapp for the Kahiki.
This is the first table lamp style for the Kahiki 1961.

Image from ebay and is Trader Jeff's Photo/collection.

Here is the shade that went to that lamp.
I found this at one of the unknown Kahiki sales after it closed.
The two lamp shades were put together as a hanging lamp.
Thank goodness they did this as these have to be the only two original shades for this light out there and making this hanging lamp saved them. (found two)

Here is the shades together as I found them...
In fact I bought all of these lights.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-01-08 15:35 ]

I am constantly amazed at the "lost" artifacts your persistence keeps turning up, Skip. You, sir, are an inspiration to us all!

Thank you Prikli Pear but really I get lots o info living in Kahiki land USA.
BUT in many cases I found what I found because I asked questions others did not,
And I asked if I could buy things that were not yet for sale.
When they said you can come and look I brought cash and was ready to buy and every time they sold what they told me was not yet for sale on that day.

Got good deals on some things and paid too much for others.

On that Kahiki lamp base up top there Jeff beat me to it by like five minutes, damn! He met me at the center of the show holding that base!
Two thumbs up Jeff, HA!

I would love to be able to put shade and base back together again as I don’t think there is a lamp like this put together and working.

On the people, I talk to lots of people, having parents in the restaurant biz I got to talk to many as they came in every day.

Some of the things I post are not that important but still interesting tidbits I think.

Lastly this thread has had MANY other people add some awesome lights to it and this is what makes TC great together we can map out and find much of what the old tiki joints were all about one post at a time.

This is the second style of table light at the Kahiki.
I got two of them at the public auction at the Kahiki.

On these lights it is the shade that is hard to find, and if you do find one it's kinda beat up, lots O Soy Sauce stains.

I made the first shades pictured here even though I had original shades that were in ok shape, Having the highest bid gives you first choice of what lights you want and how many.
First bid gets you the best lights for sure, I shoulda bought them all.

Kahiki table lamp copies made by me Tikiskip...

This is an original shade.

This is an original lamp base.

I always enjoy seeing more about lamps Skip! Question the Kahiki lamps were they always electric or were they oil or candle lit at one time and modernized at some point?

I must have been writing this when you asked tikicoma, as you may know the Trader Vic's table lamps had a candle holder thing in it.
Don't know if they were made electric ever.

A few more points about the Kahiki table lamps then I will move onto some other lights.
I only made like 8 or so lamp shades and like four of the table lamps.

The second table lamp was painted a color made just for the Kahiki by Majestic paint “Kahiki Brown”
The first one was unfinished clay.
They would have felt on the bottom at least the ones I found.

The first and even second table lamps at the Kahiki were first outfitted with coconut scented oil lamps as told to me by Herman Leitwein.
I think the oldest lamp base was only lit with the oil lamp but this is a guess.

Now don't get confused, they were the same bases they just retrofitted the old base with electric.

Imagine going to the Kahiki with the low lights, soft tropical music playing and the smell of coconut oil in the air, only to get smacked in the face with freezing rain when you leave.

See the old oil can here fitted with electric...

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-01-08 17:22 ]

Yes, I'm very impressed by the contributors to this thread. But you're like the Dude's rug--you tie it all together!

Actually, I'm kinda envious that you have a Kahiki to mourn and eulogize. Apart from long-forgotten transient Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber locations in Houston and Dallas, Texas really is a historical wasteland for tiki. One has to dig pretty deeply to find home-grown examples of the tiki phenomenon--Steak Island in Austin and Lahala House in Corpus--and none of them lasted long enough to leave a legacy. The fact that basements are a rarity here didn't help matters much, either.

Keep posting your Kahiki reclamation projects. I'll live vicariously through them! :wink:

Well the Lagoon of Mystery will have to do then.
Keep working on your home bar and people will one day collect stuff from it Bill Sapp had no idea that people were so into the Kahiki collecting and history.

Here are some other types of table style lights.

Trader Vic's
These had a candle holder in them.
(there are at least two styles of this lamp that are a bit different)


Here are the lamps with the shade I made for the Kahiki lamps.
I don't know if the Trader Vic's lamps ever had their own shades.

[ Edited by: tikiskip 2018-01-09 08:55 ]

The coconut shell lamp.
These were the souvenirs you would buy way back when in Hawaii.
Once saw a postcard with many of these on a table on the side of the road in Hawaii for sale, am kinda surprised they are not more popular in the new tiki bars I see.

This one has starfish feet very cool, also has a light in the bottom and on the top but then I added the bottom light.

Now this one is a starfish lamp as it is made of starfish.
These two are mine and I think I have like four of these lights now.
They sell for between $20.00 and up, most in the $80.00 dollar range and always need to be rewired.

Here is s shell lamp.
These could also be called TV lamps as they were said to help your eyes if watching TV in the dark.
These too were sold as souvenirs way back when in Hawaii.

So I wanted to add this light to this page.
It was first seen here on the thread below about a house that is for sale but I had seen one of these at the Kahiki sale but unfortunately my friend Brad bought it and it is surly dead.

So here it is and they have two of them.
They are made of rattan and WOOD ribbons.
Those points are the fine thin wood ribbon that has been woven and twisted to loop up to that point and then turn back into the light and continue around the light.
This light is a bit bigger than a basket ball, like one and a half times bigger and would weight about 1 or 2 pounds.

Think of the ribbon you use to wrap a Christmas package and that is what this wood ribbon is like.

Don’t know how one would make this light they are so cool.
All I can say is they are a one off style all their own.

Very fragile and there can’t be many left.

Thank you Sweet Daddy Tiki.
Link to thread….
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=53040&forum=1&25

I just looked at the very first photo of this thread that is the Kahiki auction, the first auction that is.

And that light I talked about above is right there in the mid left of the picture.
Damn I should have never let Brad buy that light.

To wrap wood like a ribbon (as in these lamps), you'd most likely have to soak the planed strips in something to break down the material a bit (which is probably why they're so fragile) and then steam the heck out of them to get them that pliable.

You would have to do it with something that has a very uniform grain, but not a lot of variation in the growth rings (so nothing like oak, but a mahogany or poplar might work).

They're amazingly intricate, and it's not a surprise that they don't survive long in the wild. I'd imagine that any place that got too dry (like us up here on the North Coast) would be awful for those lamps, as they'd probably get brittle in a hurry.

"you'd most likely have to soak the planed strips in something to break down the material a bit (which is probably why they're so fragile) and then steam the heck out of them to get them that pliable"

For sure.
I put rattan in my hot tub and it get real bendy,I have at times added soap to the water ( not in my hot tub) this helps keep the rattan wet and not to dry too fast as you work.

Plus when I say wood it could also be rattan as rattan has a fibrous type of grain and would work well for this.
If you can get fresh rattan it is also WAY more workable heck it's still green, I don't know if you could even find rattan green like that.

But damn it is still hard to bend it without breaking whatever you do.

Bet these people made these right next to the spot where the Rattan was harvested.
Just not that big of a demand for this kind of thing anymore so why make it.

Everything is made of plastic these days, the more we say we are going green the more not green we get.

My first tikiskip light! The first of many. Thanks skip!!

Hey thanks, it was great to see you again!

When you get your bar goin I can come over and look to see what kind of lights or other things I can help you with even if it is just advise.

Good luck with that new pool too, I have gotten pretty good at the chems and the many was a pool can go south so when it clouds up I can help you with that too if needed.

Take my word for it get a small pool, heats faster and less chems.

Hey wanted to add this light to this thread all I can come up with is a natural light or a One off type light as it does not fall into any category really.

Made by the Mushroom lamp Company in the 60s? 80?.
This light had a part in it dated April 29 1986 one of those touch the base and the light turns on switches.

On 2018-11-05 15:53, tikiskip wrote:
So I wanted to add this light to this page.
It was first seen here on the thread below about a house that is for sale but I had seen one of these at the Kahiki sale but unfortunately my friend Brad bought it and it is surly dead.

So here it is and they have two of them.
They are made of rattan and WOOD ribbons.
Those points are the fine thin wood ribbon that has been woven and twisted to loop up to that point and then turn back into the light and continue around the light.
This light is a bit bigger than a basket ball, like one and a half times bigger and would weight about 1 or 2 pounds.

Think of the ribbon you use to wrap a Christmas package and that is what this wood ribbon is like.

Don’t know how one would make this light they are so cool.
All I can say is they are a one off style all their own.

Very fragile and there can’t be many left.

Thank you Sweet Daddy Tiki.
Link to thread….
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=53040&forum=1&25

I saw a lamp like that in B&Q the other day! And thought that would I look good in a tiki bar!

https://www.diy.com/departments/colours-bolsena-beige-hedgehog-light-shade-d-300mm/1008831_BQ.prd?utm_campaign=bau&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=awin&utm_content=Shopping+Directory&utm_term=178015&awc=483_1569485175_61bcb1c88b107e001b70fff2a23af7f6&CA_6C15C=120147360000403776

Here is a new style to post here.
This is what I always thought called a Hexagon style light it has twelve sides to it and can come with Starfish or other things in the round windows in the sides.

It looks to have broken green bottle glass in the resin of the windows.

This version came from the Kahiki.

Hope to make a pattern/guide as to how to make this light in the future.

º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤ºº¤ø,¸¸,:MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM TIKISKIP!!:º¤ø,¸¸ø¤ºº¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º

That would be a Dodecagon, and one hell of an amazing lamp!

To all members,

If you have a mirror like this or a lamp, I’m searching for them to restore my tiki house. My home doesn’t look like this today, but I’d like to recreate it. Finding this lamp especially,