FAQ: KKW / Lumix Camera Lighter Instruction, ca. 1965

Below an instruction for the Lumix Camera Lighter that was manufactured in Japan in the mid. 1960s. The instruction can be also used with the Japanese KKW Camera Lighter (Photo-Liter, butane gas version only!) and AKW DII Type Perfect Camera Lighter.

Strikalite Lucite Table Lighter, 1946

The Strikalite Lucite Table Lighter was manufactured most probably between 1946 and 1948 in New York, U.S.A. The designer of the lucite lighter was K. Adler.

Strikalite was founded in 1934 by Harley Avedon in New York. The company dealt from the beginning with the manufacture and sale of novelty volume priced lighters. The lucite table lighter is one of its kind as it was probably the first lighter that took advantage of plexiglas which was first brought into market in 1933. The lighter insert is marked:

STRIKALITE

MADE IN U.S.A.

Type: petrol (wick) lighter

Scarcity: rare

Value for very good–mint condition: $25–40 (approx €20–30)

Weight: 90 g (6.70 oz)

Dimensions:

• height: 7.5 cm (3")
• width: 5 cm (2")
• depth: 2.8 cm (1")

Ronson Wedgwood Royalty v2 Table Lighter, 1953

This Ronson wick table lighter was made in 1953 in England by Ronson and Wedgwood. The 'Royalty' had a chrome plated fitment called Ronson Rondelight. It was mounted in a Wedgwood blue Jasper base with overlaid design – depicted are the Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) and Duke of Edinburgh – in white ceramic. The year 1953 was the year of Elizabeth II coronation so the lighter is also a royal memorabilia which does add some extra value to it.

Wedgwood is a British pottery firm, founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood (1730–95). The company still exists and is noted for its numerous innovations and high-quality wares that achieved renown throughout the world. Wedgwood's name is synonymous with the Jasper Ware body type.

The main themes on the company's jasper ware have all been taken from ancient mythologies: Roman, Greek or Egyptian or Italian Renaissance and Baroque The initial decision to have antique designs was probably that as Britain entered an age of great industrialization, the demand for luxurious goods subsequently exploded. Meanwhile, the archaeological fever caught the imagination of many artists. Nothing could have been more suitable to satisfy this huge business demand than to produce replicas of artifacts. Wedgwoods pottery is  very collectible nowadays.

The lighter base is padded with felt. Marked on the bottom of the base:

WEDGWOOD
MADE IN 
ENGLAND 

1953

Lighter insert marked:

RONSON
TRADEMARK
MADE IN ENGLAND
RONDELIGHT
BRIT. PAT. 621570

Type: wick (petrol) lighter

Scarcity: uncommon

Value for very good–mint condition: $50.00–75.00 (approx €40.00–60.00)

Weight: 125 grams (0.27 pounds)

Dimensions:

• height: 6.5 cm (2.6")
• length: 7.3 cm (2.9")
• width:  5.5 cm (2.2")

Parker (Dunhill) of London Silent Flame Lighter, 1935

This Silent Flame Table Lighter was manufactured by Parker of London Ltd. in New York (U.S.A.) between 1935 and 1944. The invention patented in 1935 was known as the electric cigar lighter "of the type wherein a wick is ignited through the heat of an electrical resistance element" and was very popular in the Art Deco period. 

The depicted silent flame lighter is known as the "Fan Dancer" inspired by Sally Rand. It was also sold as the "Aphrodite" - "Graceful nude statuette in gleaming chromium, mounted on plastic base. Touch lighter unit to any part of figure for a quick, sure flame". The metal female figure was available in chrome plate and gold-tone plate. The base was made of black or dark brown Bakelite. The very same version was marketed by Dunhill.

The bottom of the base is marked:

SILENT FLAME
TABLE LIGHTER
by
PARKER OF LONDON

MADE IN U.S.A.
U.S. Pat. No. 2020142

Type: electric petrol (wick) lighter

Scarcity: uncommon

Value for very good–mint condition: $75.00–90.00 (approx. €60.00–75.00)

Weight: 180 grams (6 ¹/₂ oz)

Dimensions:

• height: 12.5 cm (5")
• width: 7.5 cm (3")
• length: 9 cm (3 ¹/₂")

The instruction on how to fill and light the cigar lighter and how to exchange the batteries is available here.

Ronson Carousel Table Lighter, 1950

The Ronson Carousel was first manufactured in 1950 in England. The production ceased shortly after in 1954. It has a ball shaped base made of dark and light wood.

This wick lighter was produced with two different chromium plate lighter inserts: flat and the one seen on the picture on the right. Both marked:

RONSON

TRADEMARK

MADE IN ENGLAND

BRIT. PAT. 621570

The bottom of the base is padded with green felt. Golden foil sticker on bottom marked:

RONSON

CAROUSEL

MADE IN ENGLAND

Type: petrol (wick) lighter

Scarcity: uncommon

Value for very good–mint condition: $30.00–40.00 (approx. €25.00–35.00)

Weight: 150 grams (5 ¹/₈ oz)

Dimensions:

• height: 7.5 cm (3")
• diameter: 6.5 cm (2 ³/₄")

Advert: Dunhill Ball Table Lighter et al., 1929

A black & white Alfred Dunhill Limited advertisement published in 'Punch, or The London Charivarl' magazine on 18th December 1929. It depicts some of the smoking accessories manufactured by Dunhill:

• Vanity Pocket Lighter
• Sports Pocket Lighter
• Ball Table Lighter
• Table Lighter
• Watch Pocket Lighter
• Bijou Pocket Lighter etc.

FAQ: IMCO Foxhole & Blackout Lighter Instruction, 1941

This instruction comes from a foxhole lighter manufactured by IMCO in the 1940s in New York, United States. IMCO was founded in 1907 in Vienna, Austria by Julius Meister. At the beginning the company manufactured buttons for the military but from ca. 1919 it completely switched to the production of cigarette lighters.

Swiza Alarm Clock Table Lighter, 1959

This Swiza Alarm Clock Table Lighter combination was manufactured mainly for the British market in between 1959 and 1961. It is a very collectible lighter and rare to find in this version. It is equipped with a 30-Hour Desk Lighter Alarm made by Swiza which was founded in 1904 by Louis Schwab in Switzerland. Today Swiza SA is the biggest Swiss table and alarm clock manufacturer.

The clock's face has gilt figures, hours indicators with cream and gold/luminous hands, and a gold alarm hand. The case of the clock is made of brass, partly brushed and partly gold color plated. The base is almost identical to the Phinney-Walker 'Smoke-Time'.

The lighter unit was provided by an English company. It is made of metal and is gold color plated. The rounded base is padded with blue felt.

A Swiza Coquet 4 jewels is also known with an Evans lighter insert. 

Type: petrol (wick) lighter

Scarcity: rare

Value for very good–mint condition: $150.00–200.00 (approx €110.00–155.00)

Weight: 450 grams (1 pound)

Dimensions:

• height: 13.0 cm (5.2")
• width: 8.0 cm (3.15")
• depth: 6.0 cm (2.36")

United & Clearfloat 'Fish Alive' Table Lighter, 1954

The United "Fish Alive" table lighter was manufactured between 1954 and 1956 in the United States by United Findings Co Inc. This wick lighter is a typical example of the industrial use of the clear float technology (based on the idea of inclusion) which was very popular in the 1950s in the U.S.

The base of the lighter is made of clear float lucite which is a transparent thermoplastic commonly known as plexiglas. Within the lucite is a realistic "Fish Alive" or "Fishing" theme with a fish, sand, pearl, sea shells, fish hook and plants. 

The lighter insert is removable and covered with a gold-tone lacquer. Marked on the underside:

MADE IN U.S.A.
UNITED
PAT. 2,723,547

The lucite base is signed Clearfloat TM on the bottom.

Type: petrol (wick) lighter

Scarcity: uncommon

Value for good–mint condition: $45.00–60.00 (approx 30.00–45.00)

Weight: 200 grams (6 ³/₄ oz)

Dimensions:

• height: 9.5 cm (3.74")
• width: 6.3 cm (2.48")
• depth: 4.8 cm (1.89")

Alessi SG18 AZ "Bruce" Table Lighter, 1999

The Alessi SG18 AZ also called "Bruce" the Dinosaur Table Lighter was manufactured by Alessi between 1999 and 2003 in Italy. This modern gas lighter was available in three different colors: blue, orange and green. It is made of plastic with a chrome plated face. The "Bruce" Dinosaur lighter uses commonly available disposable butane lighters to work. To turn on the Dinosaur lighter you have to press his tummy.

The lighter was designed by Stefano Giovannoni, an Italian designer and architect born in 1954 in La Spezia, Italy. He designed some products mainly for Alessi but also for Fiat, Siemens, Henkel and Lavazza.

Type: gas (butane) lighter

Scarcity: uncommon

Value for mint condition: $25.00–35.00 (approx €20.00–30.00)

Weight: 140 grams (5 oz)

Dimensions:

• height: 22 cm (8¾")
• width: 10 cm (4")

Old French postcard from the First World War, 1915

Below an interesting old postcard from France from the First World War period dating on the back 1915. The postcard is depicting a soldier with a cigarette and lighter in his hand. The French note means: A fine Londres cigar and a lighter and I am completely satisfied.