Pocket match holders / vesta cases converted into lighters, XIX/XX century

Pocket match holders, also called 'vesta cases' or 'matchsafes', were holding a number of friction matches and were introduced in the 1840s. They were made from precious (metals like silver, gold) to common (brass, copper, German silver, wood, celluloid etc.) materials. The most popular material was solid silver, and silver-plated brass. The phosphorus head of the match could be easily ignited when rubbed against roughened serrations.

Vesta cases are a wonderful area for collectors - the variety of decorations, styles and quality is stunning. The most sought after are figural novelty vestas and those finely painted by hand. The heyday of pocket-sized matchboxes was between 1870 and 1920 - hundred of thousands were made by silversmiths and workshops around the world.

After 1907 matches as well match holders were slowly displaced by lighters. The invention of ferrocerium (lighter flint) began a new era of lighters that were very cheap in production. A new designation for vesta cases was found - small family owned metal workshops began to convert vesta cases into petrol lighters. Such case was ideal for such operation as vesta cases were designed to keep friction matches safe and dry (tight fit). Such converted lighters are quite difficult to find nowadays but nice to have in once tobacciana collection.

One of the best books on matchboxes is the 'Matchsafes' edited by Deborah S. Shinn. It has a great selection of vesta cases, wonderful photos and a lot of interesting info.

Book review: Collectible Lighters, 2003

• Full title: Collectible Lighters
• Author: Juan Manuel Clarke

• Binding: Soft cover
• Number of pages: 384
• Publisher: Flammarion et Cie
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English (available also in German and French)

• Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 inches
• ISBN 10: 2080111337
• ISBN 13: 9782080111333
• Availability: used and new on amazon
• Price range: $4–10

Description of the book provided by the publisher:

The lighter, with its striker, fuel, and wick, was invented less than a century ago, and has since become an extremely popular collector's item, available in every imaginable shape and style. The contents of this richly illustrated volume range from the humble Bic (albeit with stylish James Bond designs), to the most luxurious of lighters, such as the bracelet/lighter manufactured in the 1930s by the Flamidor jewelers.

There are, of course, many examples of the archetypal Zippo, as well as brands like Dupont, Dunhill, and Polaire. A large section is devoted to soldiers' lighters - made from bullet cartridges, shields, and national coins - that tell their own story of the experiences of a young man at war.

Another section features figurative lighters, including one ingenious device that doubles as both a lighter and a functioning camera!

Collectible Lighters is a perfect source on the topic for all those interested in lighters, whether vintage or novelty, elegant or fun.

Contents:

Introduction 10
Workday lighters 38
Soldiers' lighters 108
Novelty lighters 180
Luxury lighters 228
Promotional lighters 326
Index 372
Acknowledgments 374
Bibliography 377

Sample pages:

coming soon...

Review:

A small inconspicuous and handy book full of great pictures and worth knowing facts. A book for everyone who enjoys beautiful objects. This description fits only to one book devoted to lighters, namely the "Collectible Lighters"; a book written by Juan Manuel Clarke.

The book covers over 300 lighters which are divided into sections like novelty or luxury lighters. The choice of what lighter belongs to which section was made quite subjective. Also a keen observer will find out that French lighters are heavily favored as well as the American Zippos. I wish the author could bring a little bit more diversity into this book with more examples of lighters made by different manufacturers. The photographs are superb and the lighters well displayed.
The layout of the whole publication is simple and beautiful - one picture of a lighter and a short description on each page. The selection of lighters might be a matter of taste but you will find a lot of intriguing examples of lighters and interesting facts. All is presented in full color, nicely detailed and worth having on you coffee table or bathroom.

The book contains an index and a limited bibliography. The book was published in 2003 and is easily available new and used. Overall a great book for every collector of vintage items (not only lighters!).
Rating: Excellent (5/6)

Historical documents: Zündwaren, Dr. Alfons Bujard, 1910

Another interesting document from the past worth reading will be provided for my donators. Two chapters are devoted to lighters and matches. It was written and published in Leipzig in 1910 by Dr. Alfons Bujard. The text is in German, so German reading skills are required. Below couple of paragraphs of the lecture entitled "Zündwaren":

Durch die Wirkung des Blitzen und durch der Erde entströmende brennende Gase oder Dämpfe wird der Urmensch wohl zuerst in den Besitz des Feuers gekommen sein. Ursprünglich mag er die Feuerbrände nur als Kampfmittel, also als Waffe gegen Raubtiere, gebraucht haben, er hob aber diese Naturgabe sorgfältig auf und verehrte in ihr eine Gottheit. Das Feuer wurde bei manchen Völkern durch besondere Priester unterhalten, wie die religiösen Gebräuche, Sagen und Dichtungen lehren. Es hat gewiß lange Zeit gedauert, ehe an den einfach lebenden Menschen der Vorzeit das Bedürfnis der Feuererzeugung herangetreten ist, und bis er ein Mittel zur künstlichen Feuererzeugung benutzt haben mag. Funde aus der Steinzeit, Gerätschaften aus Feuersteinen, deren Gebrauch man sich erklären kann, deuten auf eine erste Anwendung künstlicher Mittel zur Erzeugung von Feuer hin, und es ist wahrscheinlich, daß man damals durch Aneinanderschlagen der sehr harten Feuersteine mit anderen Steinen (Pyriten) Feuer erzeugt hat.
 
In Pfahlbauten fand man dagegen schon den Feuerstahl nebst Zünder (Feuerschwamm). Auch Drehfeuerzeuge, die sog. Drillbohrer (ein Holzbohrer, welcher mittels eines mit einer Sehne gespannten Bogens gedreht wird), find in frühester Zeit bekannt gewesen. Nach den Schriften der Alten hat schon Prometheus Feuer aus harten Steinen zu gewinnen gewußt.
 
Stahl, Feuerstein und Zünder waren den Römern bekannt, ein Feuerzeug, welches heute noch Anwendung findet und von Leuten, die sich viel im Freien bewegen, zum Anzünden der Zigarren und Pfeifen bei windigem Wetter benutzt wird. Die Zündholzverteuerung führt ohne Zweifel wieder zur vermehrten Anwendung dieser Feuerzeuge, wenigstens soweit die Raucher in Betracht kommen.
 
Als Zünder (Fomites) verwendete man im Altertume trockene Blätter, Schwämme von Bäumen, Holzspäne, auch Schwefel. Die Griechen kannten auch die Brenngläser aus Bergkristall und die Hohlspiegel. Sie wurden von Ihnen unter anderem in den Tempeln zur Hervorrufung von Göttererscheinungen und zum Anzünden des Holzes auf den Altären benutzt. Das Material dieser Spiegel war polierten Erz oder Silber. Die Brenngläser waren radförmige Gläser, sie wurden nach Plinius in der ärztlichen Praxis verwendet, auch war es schon bekannt, daß mit Wasser gefüllte Glasgefäße von geeigneter Form eine ähnliche Wirkung erzielen.
 
Im Mittelalter war das Schlagfeuerzeug aus Stahl und Stein das herrschende...

The 20 page long text (PDF document) is now reserved for my donators who will also receive the "Lighter Repair Manual. For All Cigarette Lighters" from 1954 and a lecture given by Dr. Rud. Benedikt in 1895 on lighters: "Die Feuerzeuge". Please donate $5 or more to this blog and you will get all three publications as a thank you.

Lighter Repair Manual. For All Cigarette Lighters, 1954

I have decided to share some extra content with everybody who wants and is willing to donate couple of dollars for the development of this blog. 

Please donate $5 to this blog and you will receive the "Lighter Repair Manual. For All Cigarette Lighters" which was first published in 1953/1954. This publication is available in PDF and only for private use. 150 pages of superb content, see some example pages below.

The list of Cigarette Lighters that are included in this manual is very impressive:

•     ASR
•     Avedon
•     Beattie Jet
•     Berkeley Director
•     Berkeley Windproof
•     Bowers
•     Bowers
•     Clark
•     Corona Atom
•     Dome
•     Dunhill
•     Dunhill Windproof
•     Dunhill Dueling Pistol
•     Elgin American Case
•     Elgin American Pocket
•     Evans
•     Firefly
•     Giant
•     Karat
•     Kimberly
•     Lektrolite
•     Liberty
•     Lord Oxford
•     Maraking
•     Marathon
•     Mars Triggerlite
•     Metalfield (Aladdin)
•     Mylflam
•     Negbaur
•     Parker Flaminaire
•     Parker Silent Flame
•     Parker Table
•     Pistoliter
•     RamaSpin
•     Regeliter
•     Regens
•     Ritepoint
•     Ronson
•     Ronson Maximus
•     Ronson Octette
•     Ronson Touch-Tip
•     Ronson Vanguard
•     Ronson Viking
•     Royal Case Lite
•     Royaliter
•     Solo
•     Speed
•     Stratoflame
•     Strikeliter
•     Swiza
•     Team
•     Thorens
•     Thorens Jubile
•     Thorens Ladies
•     Thorens Lucky
•     Thorens Oriflam
•     Thorens Standard
•     Thorens Vedette
•     Top Hat
•     Urislite
•     Wademeyer
•     Windy
•     Zippo

Book review: Compacts and Smoking Accessories, 1991

• Full title: Compacts and Smoking Accessories
• Author: Roseann Ettinger

• Binding: Soft cover
• Number of pages: 170
• Publisher: Schiffer Pub Ltd
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English

• Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 inches
• ISBN 10: 0887403719
• ISBN 13: 978-0887403712
• Availability: used and new at Amazon
• Price range: $4–$25

Description of the book provided by the publisher:

Cosmetics and tobacco are two of the 20th century's most fascinating fashion influences, for they inspired new accessories for the well-dressed woman. This book highlights the evolution of popular vanity cases by investigating materials from compact, cigarette case and lighter manufacturers. The book begins with a history of cosmetics, and their impact on society, and goes on to show how compacts evolved to hold cosmetics and who fashioned them.

The tobacco-related containers are also traced from their beginnings to the establishment of a new line of accessories for both men and women. Through her newly revised text and hundreds of color photographs and advertising pieces of examples arranged chronologically, the author provides a wealth of information in this growing collector's field.

 

Contents:

Acknowledgments 2
Preface 3
Brief history of cosmetics 7
Vanity Cases and Compacts 21
Smoking Accessories 107
Bibliography 161
Values guide 163
Index 166

 

Sample pages:

 

 

Review:

 

Roseann Ettinger specializes in antique clothing and jewelry. She has published a few books for collectors among others: "Popular Jewelry 1840-1940", "Popular Jewelry of the '60s, '70s & '80s" and "Handbags". These books were great but can be the same said about "Compacts and Smoking Accessories"?

The author covers the use of tobacco in history making it an introduction to the third chapter on smoking accessories. Short stories about cigar and cigarette cases, match safes, lighters, jewelry stores, cigar and cigarette holders, men's cases are following - in total about three pages of little enlightening information for a collector. With a small exception - did you know that: by the 1920s, a survey was conducted among jewelery store owners which concluded that twenty-four out of twenty-five pocket lighters that were sold were bought as gift items. The majority of the customers were women buying the lighters for men. Also some of the main manufacturers of lighters were described like Evans, Ronson, Dunhill and Zippo. 

The layout of the whole publication is unattractive; surprisingly the same applies to the cover. Also the selection of lighters and other smoking collectibles is questionable. There are plenty of pictures showing smoking accessories, catalog pages and old ads with some very modest captions. All presented in full color, nicely detailed but nothing special.

The book contains an index and bibliography which is unfortunately limited to the compacts and cosmetics part. Overall an average publication which cannot be recommended unless one is also interested in compacts. Despite of the fact that the book was published in 1991 it is still easy available today. At amazon you can have it in used condition below $5 - still to much for an eager lighter collector.

Rating: Average (2/6)

Book review: Smokerama. Classic Tobacco Accouterments by Philip Collins, 1992

• Full title: Smokerama. Classic Tobacco Accouterments
• Author: Philip Collins
• Photographer: Sam Sergent  

• Binding: Soft cover
• Number of pages: 124
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 1992

• Language: English

• Dimensions: 10 x 8.4 inches
• ISBN 10: 0811801195
• ISBN 13: 9780811801195
• Availability: used and new at Amazon
• Price range: $1–$20

Description of the book provided by the publisher:

Camels, Luckies, Pall Malls, Chesterfields - these cigarette brands were once as familiar as the movie stars and sports heroes (and future presidents) who endorsed them. In the decade following World War I, smoking bespoke sophistication, elegance, and glamour. It was a style statement as emphatic as clothes and cars. Accordingly, the smoker needed accessories that elevated this simple act to new status and importance.Manufacturers were only too happy to supply the necessary products and, with their advertisers, to create new needs.

Now, in Smokerama, nostalgia buffs, collectors, and designers will find superb samples of these fashionable and sometimes humorous objects. The inventiveness is beguiling - engraved Zippo lighters, ashtrays emblazoned with tobacco company logos, trick cigarette lighters that send a spark arcing between the horns of a devil, and books of matches with their bland or bizarre messages - each played their part in the art of smoking.

Accompanied by brief, informative captions, the intriguing pieces arrayed in this splendid photographic collection convey exactly the importance that smoking once had for millions of Americans and provide a visual documentation of America's former favorite pastime.

Philip Collins is the author of Dickens aria Crime and Dickens and Education, and the editor of volumes of interviews with Dickens and Thackeray. He was formerly Emeritus Professor of English at Leicester University.

 

Sample pages:

 

 

Review:

 

The Smokerama is a wonderful coffee table book on smoking collectibles. The layout of the whole publication is prepared with taste and the selection of lighters and other smoking collectibles is superb.

Photographs play the main role in this book. They display artifacts such as ashtrays, stands, cigarette cases, holders and lighters in loving detail. Almost every photo can be called a small masterpiece. Sam Sargent did his job perfectly well - the arrangement of lights and shades show the depth of every item and make you want it in your collection. Also the composition of the photos is stunning - everything has its purpose and complements the beauty of the photographed artifacts.

The book lacks of such obvious elements like content, index, bibliography or even an identifiable structure. There is not much text either - only a short introductory story to smoking accouterments at the beginning and photo captions which are in some cases inaccurate and, in my opinion, too modest. More information would make this book even more interesting for collectors.

The wonderful photographs of lighters and other smoking memorabilia make this book a very intriguing and nostalgic journey through the past. Despite of the fact that the book was published in 1992 it is still easy available today. At amazon you can have it in used condition even for a buck! It is without doubt a must have book for every lighter collector and which I highly recommend it. You can't get enough of it!

Rating: Must have (6/6)

Book review: Ronson's Art Metal Works by Stuart Schneider, 2001

• Full title: Ronson's Art Metal Works. With price guide
• Author: Stuart Schneider
• Series: Schiffer Military History 
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144
• Publisher: Schiffer Pub Ltd.
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English

• Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 inches
• ISBN 10: 0764311948
• ISBN 13: 9780764311949
• Availability: used and new at Amazon
• Price range: $25–$40

 

Description of the book provided by the publisher:

 

Ronson's place as a leader and pioneer in the manufacture of fine decorative metal wares from the 1900s to the mid-1930s is documented here. In addition to cigarette lighters, for which Ronson is most readily known, the company, then known as Art Metal Works, also produced a diverse selection of metal bookends, hood ornaments, statuary, aquarium and plant stands, clocks, pipe holders, desk sets and accessories, figurines, novelty items, lamps, boxes, toys, incense burners, and much more. With descriptive captions and information from original company catalogs and advertisements, alongside full-color, detailed photographs, this book is like no other on the market today. Whether you are a collector of art metal or a student of art and design, you are guaranteed insight into the style, beauty, and value of some of the finest metal wares manufactured.

Stuart Schneider lives just outside New York City. He is an accomplished photographer who currently scouts cemeteries in the day and sees and senses what is there. He returns at night to capture his images. One out of a hundred have something unusual, most do not. The color photos are evocative and draw you in as if you are actually standing there and seeing what the photographer saw and felt. These are not the typical orb or streak-type ghosts that ghost hunters often get, but full formed, vaporous apparitions. He has visited haunted cemeteries throughout the world. His latest books, "Ghosts In The Cemetery" and "Ghosts In The Cemetery II, Farther Afield" are best-selling works, melding storytelling, photography, and beautiful imagery together.

 

Contents:

Acknowledgments 4
Introduction 5
History 6
   Competition 9
   Company details 10
   Model Finishes 12
A-Z Art Metal Wares 13
   Aquariums 13
   Ashtrays 14
   Atomizers 16
   Banks 17
   Bookends 18
   Boxes 88
   Busts 89
   Candlesticks 89
   Cigar and Cigarette Art 90
   Clocks 92
   Crucifixes 93
   Desk Accessories 93
   Door Stops 97
   Ferneries 97
   Figurines 99
   Hood Ornaments 107
   Incense Burners 108
   Inkwells 117
   Lamps 117
   Paperweights 129
   Pipe Holders 131
   Plaques 135
   Tobacco Jars 139
   Toys 140
Bibliography 144
Index 144

 

Sample pages:

 

Review:

 

The Ronson's Art Metal Works is a typical collector's price guide as it consists primarily of pictures and captions. In the first part of the book Stuart Schneider tells the history of Art Metal Works as a company that became famous through the innovative and stylish metal wares produced since the 1880s. Also some competitors are named and different model finishes are described.

In the second and main part of the book the reader might be astonished of the wide product portfolio of the company which was limited mainly to cigarette lighters and associated items after the end of WWII. Till then the company though was producing various items like aquarium stands, bookends, clocks, door steps, incense burners inkwells, hood ornaments etc. Although the AMW is famous for its smoking antiques like ashtrays, cigar and cigarette art, pipe holders, tobacco jars and of course striker lighters, touch-tips only few examples are mentioned in this book which is a shame. Half of the hudered-fourty-four-page book is devoted to bookends which makes the representation of items unequal. 

The book, as you would expect from Schiffer Pub, has everything what a reference book should contain, that is a good index, bibliography (modest but all right) and quality photographs. The book contains over three hundred full-color detailed photographs with descriptive captions which are very accurate as in most cases they are derived from Ronson catalogs. They do include present valuation, production year and in most cases information on type of finish, size and model number.

Not only photographs of  single items can be found in this book - also scans of original AMW catalog pages and price lists which are optimal sized and legible, are present. One can wish more of them were included. Moreover only few photos of the items actually have a pure white background. All others presenting Ronson ware are half-baked and the color is in different tones from gray to ivory which is for sure a week point of this book.

Overall this hard cover book makes an very good impression. As it is the only price guide fully devoted to Ronson AMW it is a must have for collectors. It is relatively a little bit overpriced as the recommended retail price is $39.95 but fortunately one can get it cheaper (less than $30) here. one must though admit that for a lighter collector who is not interested in the bigger picture of the Ronson products this book wouldn't be the best choice as only a very limited number of smoking antiques are represented.

Rating: Very good (4/6)

Book review: Smoking Antiques by Amoret and Christopher Scott

This post starts a series of book reviews on cigarette lighters and other smoking accessories.

• Full title: Smoking Antiques (Shire Album No. 66)
• Authors: Amoret Scott, Christopher Scott
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 32
• Publisher: Shire Publications Ltd.
• Publishing date: 1981
• Language: English

• Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 inches
• ISBN 10: 0852635400    
• ISBN 13: 9780852635407
• Status: Out of Print
• Availability: used and new at Amazon
• Price range: $2-$10

 

Description of the book provided by the publisher:

Since tobacco was brought to Europe from America, where it was widely used by native Indians, its consumption has formed a significant aspect of social life. Different methods of taking tobacco have come into and gone out of fashion and as a result of an enormous range of objects connected with smoking and snuff taking has been produced, much of it of great potential appeal to the present-day collector. For the pipe smoker there were clay pipes and racks for holding them, pipes of meerschaum (sepiolit), porcelain and briar (wood), and tobacco jars and boxes. The vogue for taking snuff led to the production of many beautiful snuff boxes and accessories. When cigars ousted snuff in the early nineteenth century the cigar case took over from the snuffbox as the subject of elaborate decoration and smokers also needed cigar cutters and holders. Primitive lighters, early matches and their containers are an interesting sideline. In this book the authors examine these and other smoking antique, including printed ephemera, from the collector's point of view and provide the historical background of smoking. 

Amoret and Christopher Scott have written many books, including Discovering Stately Homes and Staffordshire Figures for Shire, but most of them are about antiques and they have made several television appearances with their collections. Amoret Scott is a founder member of the Ephemera Society and items from her collection have been shown in exhibitions and displays throughout Britain and the United States. She is a travel consultant for visitors to Britain.

 

Contents:

The tobacco story 3
Foreign pipes 7
Clay pipes 8
Meerschaum pipes 10
Porcelain pipes 10
Briar pipes and others 11
Tobacco jars 12
Tobacco boxes 14
Pipe racks 15
Smoker's tongs 16
Stoppers 18
Matches and match containers 19
Lighters 22
Snuff and snuffboxes 22
Cigars 29
Cigarettes 30
Ephemera 30
Clothes 32

 

Sample pages:

Information on lighters are limited to minimum although many other subjects 

are covered as you would expect from this small publication

Review:

 

This little book makes an overall good impression. It is not a reference book but rather a brief story of the world of tobacciana collectibles like: pipes, tobacco jars, tobacco boxes, pipe racks, smokers; tongs, stoppers, matches and match containers, lighters, snuff and snuffboxes, cigars, ephemera and even clothes. The approachable writing style as well as the selection of facts make it a light and quick read. The booklet lacks an index and bibliography which can be excused taking into account its moderate content. A lighter collector won't find much information on lighters but may find interesting to read and see the variety of clay and porcelain pipes or decorative meerschaum cigar holders.

The 36 black and white photographs are high quality - they are clear, optimal sized, well organized and what is even more important, all of them are equipped with comprehensive captions.

I recommend this low priced (used) booklet for beginners and those beyond lighter collectors who would like to get a broader view of the world of smoking antiques without getting too much involved in details. It is short enough to read it conveniently anywhere including a bathtub.

Rating: Good (3/6)