Fire Extinguisher

Q: I recently bought an antique fire extinguisher. It has a Lofstrand pump. The badge says “Underwriters Laboratories Inc. 2 1/2 gallon hand fire extinguisher classification A-1 no. 3.” I haven’t found anything on the Internet that looks the same. I was wondering the age and value.

A: Lofstrand was founded by Anders R. Lofstrand and was business in Rockville, Maryland, from at least the mid-1930s. The company made tank sprayers, glassware washing machines, leg braces, crutches, and other metal items, as well as fire extinguishers. It was bought by New York Wire Cloth in 1956. The classification letter and number on your fire extinguisher tell what kind of fire it can extinguish and how many gallons of water it contains. Class A extinguishers can be used on “ordinary combustibles”—paper, wood, or cloth. A number, which usually comes before the letter, indicates the gallons of water it holds. Number “1” indicates 1 1/4 gallons of water. Vintage fire extinguishers from the 1940s and ’50s sell for $50 to $100.