Vintage Stanley and similar vacuum thermos bottles

[WilliamT081423]

This may not be the best place for this, so it can be removed if needed.

I've picked up three vintage vacuum bottles off of shop goodwill recently, and it may be like three strikes, and you're out. So far, two out of three of them seem to have their vacuum compromised and they don't hold heat. I've compared them to my newer Dutch military thermos, which will keep coffee piping hot for over 24 hours after being primed with hot water just off the boil from the kettle for 10 minutes.

The Stanley had a nice-looking patina and a couple of small dents on its bottom. I didn't think that would be a big deal, but from what I've found out, that's the worst place one of these can take a hit. Within five minutes of filling it with hot water, its outside was hot to the touch.

The large Uno-Vac looked more battered than its photos would suggest, which was strange, but whatever. I go to clean it with hot water and efferent tabs , and its outside became hot to the touch within a few minutes.

The third one is a quart-sized Uno-Vac that appears to be in almost mint condition, like it came right out of a 70s time capsule. It even came with a neat leatherette-looking zipper carry case. I've filled it with hot water and three efferdent tablets for cleaning, and after that's done, I'll fill it with just off the boil hot water and see if it feels hot to the touch and how much temperature it retains in 24 hours.

Is this sort of thing normal? Kind of a disappointment if it is. What do you do with a no longer functioning vacuum bottle? I'm not inclined to set up some kind of vintage display shelf, so the temptation is to put it in the metal recycling. The spiteful thing to do would be to donate it, but I'm not that terrible.

Edit: The minty-looking Uno-Vac lost 40deg or thereabouts overnight. Its sides felt like room temperature, but up at the top where it's filled, it was hot the whole time. So, it loses heat out of the top, which seems odd. Disappointing.

Edit 2: A little research shows that the vac may be intact on the Uno-Vac, but the o-ring in its #4 stopper may be past its prime and not sealing well. A 40-60 degree loss over 19 or so hours isn't terrible. Coffee would still be hot at that temp.

 

[Rusted Nut]

You used to be able to buy the liners from Stanley, not sure if that’s the case anymore.

 

[Beerhippie]

I have two Stanley/Aladdin thermos, one vintage '83 and one '02. I also have two UnoVacs from who knows when. All work, but, ironically, in an overnight test, the newer, MIC Stanley/Aladdin won hands down.

I bought my '83 Stanley/Aladdin new in '84. It's been on hundreds of jobs and looks like it. It's been left on the roof of more than one rig and bears the scars. It's still my DD.

These are all the SS permanent vacuum models--not glass liners.

 

[WilliamT081423]

You used to be able to buy the liners from Stanley, not sure if that’s the case anymore.

They're not glass thermoses, but all-steel, so there's nothing that can be removed or replaced.

 

[WilliamT081423]

I have two Stanley/Aladdin thermos, one vintage '83 and one '02. I also have two UnoVacs from who knows when. All work, but, ironically, in an overnight test, the newer, MIC Stanley/Aladdin won hands down.

I bought my '83 Stanley/Aladdin new in '84. It's been on hundreds of jobs and looks like it. It's been left on the roof of more than one rig and bears the scars. It's still my DD.

These are all the SS permanent vacuum models--not glass liners.

So, if I really want a steel thermos bottle with a handle that can be depended upon to keep hot coffee hot, either add a handle to the Dutch military thermos, or get one of the new MIC Stanley bottles that looks like an old one when you're squinting 5' away?

The smaller Uno-Vac may be ok. No change in temp to the outer shell when it was full of hot tap water and efferdent. I've just started the off the boil from the kettle test, and so far, it feels a little warm up near the fill hole, but otherwise the exterior is maintaining room temp.

 

[Farmer J.]

I have a Stanley that's been my every day companion since bought new in 1978, it holds heat all day as well as ever.

The newer ones are a lot lighter and have fancy modern insulation that works even better.

As to what to do with flasks that don't work any more:
I only ever had one like that which was a Land Rover corporate gift lightweight stainless made in china POS thing. I cut it up and used the steel with some hose clamps to repair a rusty hole in a Land Rover exhaust pipe, seemed like an appropriate use for it.

 

[GaryM909]

Do not clean them with bleach. They will never hold heat again. I have destroyed both Stanley and Thermos ones.

 

[WilliamT081423]

Do not clean them with bleach. They will never hold heat again. I have destroyed both Stanley and Thermos ones.

Yeah, I knew not to do that. Just hot water and efferdent tabs.

 

[WilliamT081423]

I have a Stanley that's been my every day companion since bought new in 1978, it holds heat all day as well as ever.

The newer ones are a lot lighter and have fancy modern insulation that works even better.

As to what to do with flasks that don't work any more:
I only ever had one like that which was a Land Rover corporate gift lightweight stainless made in china POS thing. I cut it up and used the steel with some hose clamps to repair a rusty hole in a Land Rover exhaust pipe, seemed like an appropriate use for it.

That's a great and fitting story. I don't have room to keep a bunch of non-working stuff around, though for some sentimental things I may make the exception, like if this had been my grandaddy's thermos or something like that, but after a point, he would have told me to get rid of it if it didn't work. It's a shame in some ways because it has that perfect worn-in look to it. Maybe pry off the handle and hang on to the stopper and cup in case another one crosses my path.

 

[Beerhippie]

That's a great and fitting story. I don't have room to keep a bunch of non-working stuff around, though for some sentimental things I may make the exception, like if this had been my grandaddy's thermos or something like that, but after a point, he would have told me to get rid of it if it didn't work. It's a shame in some ways because it has that perfect worn-in look to it. Maybe pry off the handle and hang on to the stopper and cup in case another one crosses my path.

Older Thermos used a smaller stopper than the new ones--and those older stoppers are no longer available. I had to buy a beat-up Thermos to get a new stopper for my DD. Same goes for the cup, and the handle can be attached using the D-rings and a few zip-ties. I did something like that on my UnoVacs.