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.

Advert: Dunhill Hunting Horn Table Lighter, 1932

A very interesting example of the 1930s ephemera – a letter from Alfred Dunhill Ltd. sent to their wholesale clients advertising a new model of a table lighter – the Dunhill Hunting Horn Lighter.

Airbrushed and Hand Painted Zippo Lighters

Claudio Mazzi is known in the Zippo World as number one in airbrush painting since 1985. Although Mazzi is by far the most popular in this field other artist are trying to go his path and do air paint Zippo lighters for private collectors and organizations.

One of them is Maciej Książek (maaks) – a young Polish airbrush artist living in the United Kingdom. He started airbrush painting of Zippo lighters in 2012. Below are two projects from his portfolio. On the right a beautiful example of Mazzi's piece of art. 

You might be also interested in seeing the portfolio of Art Enchent and Claudio Mazzi.

Patent: Phinney Walker Combo Clock Lighter, 1950

This is an interesting Combined Clock Case and Cigarette Lighter design patented (158,097) by Samuel J. Kaufman on Apr. 11, 1950. This combo was marketed and made by Phinney-Walker in the early 1950s. Another Phinney-Walker Alarm Clock Lighter was described here.

Antique postcard from the First World War, 1914

Here we have a postcard from the First World War dating 1914–1918. The postcard is depicting a soldier in an strange outfit firing a cigar lift-arm lighter.

FAQ: Ronson Banjo Pocket Lighter Instruction, 1926

The first automatic pocket lighter Ronson Banjo was marketed by Art Metal Works, Inc., Newark, N. J. between 1926 and 1928 in the United States. Here we have the instruction sheet for it.

How are St. Dupont Lighters made? Watch this video!

Antique postcard depicting two lovers,1920s

Here we go a vintage (probably Polish) postcard from the Art Deco period. It depicts two lovers who use a cigarette as a lighter.

Advert: Ronson Varaflame Premier & Rafale Pocket Lighters, 1960

This Ronson magazine advertisement was published in an unknown French magazine in 1960. It depicts Ronson pocket butane lighter models such as: Varaflame Premier and Rafale.

Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations for lighter collectors [D-G]

• Date letter – is a letter of the alphabet stamped with a punch in conjunction with hallmarks on British silver. Each letter represents a specific year, recording the official date of manufacturing of an item. The date letter system was introduced in London in 1478. The cycles of date letters were usually in strings of 20 and each cycle was differentiated by changing the font style, latter case and shield shape. Date letters are very useful for dating silver lighters made in GB. 
• Doulton Company – an English company producing tableware and collectibles, dating to 1815. Operating originally in London, its reputation grew in The Potteries, where it was a latecomer compared to Spode, Wedgwood and Minton. The Royal Doulton Company began as a partnership between John Doulton, Martha Jones, and John Watts, with a factory at Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, London. The company took the name Doulton in 1853. Production ended at Lambeth in 1956 but continues today at Burlslem under the name Royal Doulton Fine China. It is famous among others for Toby Jugs which were also used as table lighters bases. 
• DBP – abbreviation for Deutsches Bundespatent (German for "Federal German Patent). It has been used since 1949 for lighters manufactured in Germany.
• DPMA – Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt German Patent and Trade Mark Office (GPTO) is the German national patent office, with headquarters in Munich, and offices in Berlin and Jena The first unified Patentgesetz (German Patent Act) was adopted on 25 May 1877, which mandated the establishment of an authority tasked with reviewing and awarding patents. On this basis, on 1 July 1877, the Kaiserliche Patentamt (Imperial Patent Office) was founded in Berlin. Am 2. Juli 1877 wurde das erste deutsche Patent für ein „Verfahren zur Herstellung einer rothen Ultramarinfarbe“ des Erfinders Johannes Zeltner erteilt. Die erste Marke wurde am 16. Oktober 1894 für einen Berliner Lampenproduzenten eingetragen.
• DBGM – abbreviation for Deutsches Bundesgebrauchsmuster (Gebrauchsmuster / Gebrauchsmusterschutz) which is an intellectual property right to protect inventions within Germany granted since October 1952.
• DRGM – abbreviation for Deutsches Reichs Gebrauchs Muster (German Reich Utility Model) which was an intellectual property right to protect inventions within Germany granted between 1891 and 1949. The property right was only valid for three years.
• DRP – abbreviation for Deutsches Reichspatent (German for "German Reich Patent). It was granted for lighters manufactured in Germany between 1918 and 1945.
• DRWZ – the acronym D.R.W.Z. with or without punctuation stands for Deutsches Reichswarenzeichen, meaning that an item marked as such was officially registered under trademark laws inside all of the Germany states and not only locally registered as it was the case before the introduction of centralized registration. Note that many people quote this acronym as standing for 'Deutsches Reich Warenzeichen', which is grammatically wrong and also omits the letter 's' after Reich. This results in shifting the weight of pronunciation on 'Deutsches Reich' alone, but this acronym has nothing to do with the Third Reich as many sellers want to imply so to catch the attention of certain 'collectors'. D.R.W.Z. registrations were introduced 1891 and if you are dating items you should hold in mind that even during Allied occupation up until 1949, registration procedures remained untouched and still used the D.R.W.Z. registration documents, which of course explains why such marks can be found on products actually manufactured up until 1952 as the registration itself was valid for three years. As from the end of October 1952, all registrations were definately marked as 'Deutsches Bundeswarenzeichen' (D.B.W.Z.) or simply 'Eingetragenes Warenzeichen'.
• Delft ware – denotes blue and white pottery made in and around Delft in the Netherlands and the tin-glazed pottery made in the Netherlands from the 16th century. Delftware in the latter sense is a type of pottery in which a white glaze is applied, usually decorated with metal oxides. Delftware includes pottery objects of all descriptions such as plates, ornaments and also lighter bases.
• De oro – in Spanish de oro means gold. 
• Denatured alcohol – ethyl alcohol which is used as fuel in certain lighters, for maintenance of wicks in kerosene heaters and lamps to remove water contaminants and restore the capillary action of the wick, as a wick cleaner and a kerosene additive, by adding approx. 1 teaspoon denatured alcohol per gallon of kerosene. As a fuel for older toy steam engines which used a wick-type or vaporizing burner.
• Déposé – French abbreviation for patent pending, see brevet depose.
• Depression glass – is clear or colored translucent glassware that was mass produced at low cost, in the United States and Canada around the time of the Great Depression. Common colors are clear (crystal), pink, pale blue, green, and amber. Less common colors include yellow (canary), ultra marine, jadeite (opaque pale green), delphite (opaque pale blue), cobalt blue, red (ruby & royal ruby), black, amethyst, monax, and white (milk glass). Although of marginal quality, Depression glass has been highly collectible since the 1960s. Depression glass was used among others for manufacturing plates, glasses, lighter bases and ashtrays.
• Die casting is a metal casting process that is characterized by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a closed metal or mould. The casting is removed from the die after a short cooling period. Most die castings are made from non-ferrous metals, specifically zinc, copper, aluminium, magnesium, lead, pewter and tin based alloys. Die casting was very popular among table lighter producers like Ronson.
• Disposable lighter – inexpensive mass produced pocket lighters meant to be disposed when the tank got empty.
• Döbereiner's lamp – a lighter invented in 1823 by the German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner (1780–1849), the lighter is based on the Fürstenberger lighter and was in production until ca. 1880. In the jar, zinc metal reacts with sulfuric acid to produce hydrogen gas. When a valve is opened, a jet of hydrogen is released and bursts into flame. The ignition is catalyzed by platinum metal.
• Double-tank lighter – type of a lighter in that two separate compartments or chambers are built in in order to ensure safety reserve of fuel. The first double-tank lighter was patented in 1932; US patent no. 1,884,481.
• Double wheel lighter – is a lighter that uses a double wheel mechanism. Usually the wheel on the side of a lighter turns another that strikes the flint. The spark generated by striking the flint ignites the gas or lighter fluid creating a flame. Double wheel lighters were made among others by Dunhill, Park Sherman, Parker.
• Dureum – antique gold finish invented and used by Ronson between the 1920s and 1940s. 
• Duty mark – stamped with a punch in conjunction with hallmarks on British silver. The duty mark system was introduced in 1784 and lasted till 1890. It indicated if the tax on the item was paid to the crown. The mark presented a profile portrait of the reigning monarch's head. 
• Eslabon – lighter in Spanish.
• EPNS – abbreviation for Electro Plated Nickel Silver. Nickel silver, also known as German silver, Argentan, new silver, nickel brass, albata, alpacca or electrum is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated.
• Electric lighter – type of a lighter powered either by batteries or electric power usually used as a table lighter. Examples of electric lighters: Dunhill silent flame, Tassel-Liter and Fumalux).
• Enamel – is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing. The powder melts, flows and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, or on glass or ceramics. The term "enamel" is most often restricted to work on metal, which is the subject of this article. Enameled glass is also called "painted". Fired enamelware is an integrated layered composite of glass and metal. Used as a noun, "an enamel" is a usually small decorative object, coated with enamel coating. Enameling is an old and widely adopted technology, for most of its history mainly used in jewelry and decorative art.
• Engine turning – fine geometric pattern that can be inscribed onto metal as a finish. Aluminium is often the metal chosen but any metal can be finely machined to produce intricate repetitive patterns that offer reflective interest and fine detail.
• Ferrocerium – see: flint.
• Feuerzeug – lighter in German.
• Figural lighter – type of cigarette lighters manufactured in shapes of objects (photo camera, lamp, car), animals (elephant, dog, cat), people (bartender, nude lady, soldier) etc. 
• Filler cap
• Filler screw – is a screw of the fluid tank lighter.
• Flat advertiser – type of a pocket lighter used for marketing purposes with a relatively big advertising imprint area. The vast majority of flat advertisers were manufactured in Japan from the late 1940s to early 1960s. The common company names of these lighters include: Rolex, Rosen-Nesor, Crown, Balboa, Penguin and Vulcan and Rolex.
• Flint – also called ferro rod or ferrocerium is a man-made metallic material first made in 1903 that gives off a large number of hot sparks at temperatures of 1650°C when scraped against a rough surface (pyrophoricity), such as ridged steel. Because of this property it is used in many applications, such as clockwork toys, strikers for gas welding and cutting torches, so-called "flint-and-steel" or "flint spark lighter" fire-starters in emergency survival kits and of course cigarette lighters, as the initial ignition source for the primary fuel. It is also known in Europe as Auermetall after its inventor Baron Carl Auer von Welsbach. 
• Flint screw – also called pressure screw, holds the flint in its upper part of the flint tube.
• Flint spring – is a spring that exerts pressure on the flint to keep it in contact with the spark wheel of the lighter. The flint spring is ended on one side with a flint screw.
• Flint spark lighter – sometimes just called a spark lighter, striker, or flint lighter is a type of lighter used in many applications to safely light a gaseous fuel to start a flame. It is most commonly used for bunsen burners and oxyacetylene welding torches. A flint spark lighter works by rapidly rubbing a small piece of ferrocerium against a rough steel surface (also called the rasp), in much the same way flint and steel are used. This manual rubbing action, done by squeezing the handle, creates a spark which then lights the gaseous fuel.
• Flint tube – is a tube were the flint spring and the flint itself is mounted in the cigarette lighter.
• Flint wheel – also called spark wheel is a small wheel made of hard steel. Due to the rough surface of the spark wheel and the contact with the flint it allows to produce a shower of sparks in a lighter. 
• Fluid (lighter) – a common name for butane gas, naphtha and special petroleum solvent used in different types of cigarette and cigar lighters.
• For. patent – abbreviation for "Foreign patent".
• Foxhole lighter – type of a lighter that used tinder cord impregnated with flammable chemicals that allow the cord to glow and burn slowly. In order to lit the cord one had to pull out the cord from the casing and turn the spark wheel. The cord slowly burns but does not produce a flame. The gleaming was hardly visible even in the dark which was crucial especially during wars hence the name of the lighter.
• Frozen flint – refers to an old decomposed flint (ferrocerium) that got stuck in the flint tube of a cigarette lighter.
• Fuel – type of a lighter fluid used in wick lighters.
• Fulcrum screw  – a screw in the lighter that holds the spark wheel, snuffer cap and the clutch spring assembly. The fuel screw is supported by so called ears.
• Fused flint – see: frozen flint. 
• Fusee – (also know as 'tinder cord') special cord impregnated with flammable chemicals that allow the cord to glow and burn slowly. The fusee was used among others in foxhole lighters in the I WW.
• Gas – type of a lighter fluid (usually butane gas) used in butane cigarette lighters.
• German silver – also called nickel silver or alpacca is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance but it contains no elemental silver unless plated. The name "German silver" refers to its development by 19th-century German metalworkers in imitation of the Chinese alloy known as paktong.
  
• Ges. gesch. – (gesetzlich geschützt) registered/protected by law, marking used on German lighters.
• GF – abbreviation for gold filled.
• Gold – precious metal used for coinage, jewelry, and other arts. Lighters made of gold (usually 9ct or 14ct gold) are very rare and their value is usually very high easily excessing 3 243 zł.
• Gold filled – (GF or RGP) also known as "rolled gold" or "rolled gold plate" is composed of a solid layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal such as brass. The most common stamps found on gold-filled lighters are 1/20 12K GF and 1/20 14K GF. Also common is 1/10 10K."1/20 14K means 14K gold is 1/20 the total weight which is an equivalent of 0.7K or 0.9 gram of pure gold per oz. For comparison GF items are 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplate (sometimes stamped HGE or HGP).
• Guilloche – (or guilloché) is a decorative engraving technique in which a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design is mechanically engraved into an underlying material with fine detail. Specifically, it involves a technique of engine turning, called guilloché in French after the French engineer “Guillot”, who invented a machine “that could scratch fine patterns and designs on metallic surfaces”.

Go to: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations for lighter collectors [A-C]