Lighters to collect that were used in movies
- Thread starter VonMagnum
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VonMagnum
Sr Member
I just got this Ronson "Mother of Pearl" Boxed Lighter + Cigarette Case set in from England today. They only made this Mother of Pearl set for 1 year and only in England (1952 I believe) so it's supposedly pretty darn rare. It's also my first Ronson GOLD lighter (well it's gold colored/plated at least. All my other Ronsons are silver colored or lacquer painted silver). Someone had one for sale "unused" on Etsy so I bought it. Unfortunately, while it appears the lighter was unused in terms of the wick and not a scratch on it, etc., it did still manage to have a stuck flint in the damn thing so someone must have at least loaded it up with a flint at some point and like most people, left it in the lighter to sit for a half century to get stuck in the lighter....
Oh, I had fun working on this one trying to make sure I didn't put a mark on it. Of course, its clutch goes in backwards (gem movement) compared to the others I've done so I had to do it TWICE.... Ugh. So now it sparks like mad (apparently a brand new set of gears and spark wheel do much better than an average used lighter. It sparks like a Dunhill "Rolla" series (Rollalite and Rollagas) which is to say blinding bright. I didn't fuel it up since it's supposedly never fired with a new wick and all, but at least it's ready to go now.
The cigarette case is rather small and only holds the older style non-filtered cigarettes (at least without some clipping off of the ends), but it's rather nice looking. The lighter itself is also very small. I think it's probably meant for a lady's purse.
Oh, I had fun working on this one trying to make sure I didn't put a mark on it. Of course, its clutch goes in backwards (gem movement) compared to the others I've done so I had to do it TWICE.... Ugh. So now it sparks like mad (apparently a brand new set of gears and spark wheel do much better than an average used lighter. It sparks like a Dunhill "Rolla" series (Rollalite and Rollagas) which is to say blinding bright. I didn't fuel it up since it's supposedly never fired with a new wick and all, but at least it's ready to go now.
The cigarette case is rather small and only holds the older style non-filtered cigarettes (at least without some clipping off of the ends), but it's rather nice looking. The lighter itself is also very small. I think it's probably meant for a lady's purse.
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VonMagnum
Sr Member
Watching my new Humphrey Bogart Deadline U.S.A. (1952) blu-ray MKV dump, I noticed a Ronson Crown Lighter about 22 minutes in. Finally, a movie with the wick version of the Crown lighter (I've only got 3 of them now including a brand new 1936 unused one). The butane version was in Harper (1966). It's hard to tell from that resolution/size whether that's the newer 1949-1954 version or the older 1936-1948 version of the lighter. If it was new, it was probably the newer straight snuffer.
1936-1948 Crown Lighter (curved snuffer)
1949 -1954 Crown Lighter (Straight Snuffer)
1936-1948 Crown Lighter (curved snuffer)
1949 -1954 Crown Lighter (Straight Snuffer)
VonMagnum
Sr Member
The lady I bought that mother of pearl lighter from said Hollywood buys vintages compacts from her all the time for making movies in older periods.Well, if a Hollywood director/set designer/decorator needs some vintage lighters for a movie...you should volunteer
VonMagnum
Sr Member
OK.... I tried once again to free the fuel cap from the Ronson Colony Lighter (1955-1958). This is a somewhat odd, somewhat cool design wick lighter with a copper body (or is that brass? It sure looks like copper and most say copper that are copper colored; a few are silver/steel colored instead) and a wooden handle. It reminds me of a mocha pot, really that you make pseudo-espresso in on the stove.
This time I succeeded! I had to dig a deeper groove into the fuel cap flat slot so a coin could get leverage without slipping. I dug and dug with a star driver of all things seem to work the best. It's then a bit wider too so I got a nickel instead of a penny. I then super heated the fuel cap again with fire. It started to move. I had to put some real muscle into that thing and it finally turned a full turn and then broke free. I removed that horrible dried out o-ring and went to work.
This one has a good looking wick, but of course you can only see what's sticking out and pulling on it generally leads to a mess that means replacing the wick so I decided to try it with lighter fluid. But first, it wasn't moving fully smooth and sparking worth a darn so that means tearing apart the snuffer. First, I doused it with WD40. Bad idea unless you want to take it apart as it needs wiped out generally, but that seemed inevitable anyway. I took it apart and cleaned all the parts with a Q-Tip and lighter fluid (works well) as well as the flint chamber. I reassembled, inserted the flint and fueled up....
This time I succeeded! I had to dig a deeper groove into the fuel cap flat slot so a coin could get leverage without slipping. I dug and dug with a star driver of all things seem to work the best. It's then a bit wider too so I got a nickel instead of a penny. I then super heated the fuel cap again with fire. It started to move. I had to put some real muscle into that thing and it finally turned a full turn and then broke free. I removed that horrible dried out o-ring and went to work.
This one has a good looking wick, but of course you can only see what's sticking out and pulling on it generally leads to a mess that means replacing the wick so I decided to try it with lighter fluid. But first, it wasn't moving fully smooth and sparking worth a darn so that means tearing apart the snuffer. First, I doused it with WD40. Bad idea unless you want to take it apart as it needs wiped out generally, but that seemed inevitable anyway. I took it apart and cleaned all the parts with a Q-Tip and lighter fluid (works well) as well as the flint chamber. I reassembled, inserted the flint and fueled up....
VonMagnum
Sr Member
The Ronson Standard in chromium with vertical lines that matches the one in Bogart's movie In A Lonely Place.
What a pain. Stuck flint (again as usual) and then putting it back together it was extra "slippery" for some reason and then it still wouldn't work two more times. I was sure I had it together right. Well, there was a tiny bit of flint that escaped the bottle brush, as it turns out. I scraped it off the opening of the tube with a screwdriver. It's always a good idea to drop a flint through the bottom flint tube and see if it easily falls out the top end when it's apart. Skipping that step lead to this grief. The fuel cap also didn't want to come loose (I thought this was a pocket lighter; it had the same stuck seal but fortunately had enough bite on the screw to force it open). Anyway....
Scene from In A Lonely Place with Bogie lighting up with a Ronson Standard
The Ronson Standard in Chromium with Vertical Lines
Back View
Front View With Empty Monogram Plate
Lit
What a pain. Stuck flint (again as usual) and then putting it back together it was extra "slippery" for some reason and then it still wouldn't work two more times. I was sure I had it together right. Well, there was a tiny bit of flint that escaped the bottle brush, as it turns out. I scraped it off the opening of the tube with a screwdriver. It's always a good idea to drop a flint through the bottom flint tube and see if it easily falls out the top end when it's apart. Skipping that step lead to this grief. The fuel cap also didn't want to come loose (I thought this was a pocket lighter; it had the same stuck seal but fortunately had enough bite on the screw to force it open). Anyway....
Scene from In A Lonely Place with Bogie lighting up with a Ronson Standard
The Ronson Standard in Chromium with Vertical Lines
Back View
Front View With Empty Monogram Plate
Lit
Probe Droid
Master Member
I have one of those. Lines and the rectangle on the front but plain on the back.
VonMagnum
Sr Member
Oh my... I've got over a half dozen more Ronson (mostly table) lighters coming I don't have in my collection. Someone needs to stop me from buying lighters. My China Cabinet is loading up with lighters now. I feel like I'm playing Zork I with the trophy case in the house or something....
VonMagnum
Sr Member
I actually repaired a butane lighter successfully for only the 2nd time (and first time for actual o-ring leaks). Sadly, I still couldn't disassemble the burner assembly and successfully just replace the o-rings and have it work properly (always seems to leak no matter what). Fortunately, I actually had the entire burner assembly as one screw in replacement part that fits this particular size Ronson lighter (Princess StarFire) and that worked like a charm, well after I also removed the fill valve and changed its o-ring too as it was also leaking like a sieve. Now it's quiet (I don't hear any leaks), fully adjustable and seems to be working just like new.
Ronson Varaflame Princess "Starfire" lighter (Mid 1960s) (It doesn't say "Starfire" on the lighter, but it matches a StarFire full size model I have exactly in appearance other than the lack of a red gem on the snuffer cap). I don't know if I can buff the scratches out or not (not as visible in regular lighting) as Ronson clear-coated many lighters to keep silver plating from tarnishing. I kind of doubt this one is silver, though as it has a gold tone to it. I just got some new polishing and buffing tools to play with and a nice needle set of files coming in the next couple of days as well to sharpen some old spark wheels (You used to be able to buy a new one and replace it back in the day, but good luck finding them now).
Ronson Varaflame Princess "Starfire" lighter (Mid 1960s) (It doesn't say "Starfire" on the lighter, but it matches a StarFire full size model I have exactly in appearance other than the lack of a red gem on the snuffer cap). I don't know if I can buff the scratches out or not (not as visible in regular lighting) as Ronson clear-coated many lighters to keep silver plating from tarnishing. I kind of doubt this one is silver, though as it has a gold tone to it. I just got some new polishing and buffing tools to play with and a nice needle set of files coming in the next couple of days as well to sharpen some old spark wheels (You used to be able to buy a new one and replace it back in the day, but good luck finding them now).
VonMagnum
Sr Member
Three more lighters arrived today and I just bought two more, including the 2nd most expensive lighter purchase I've ever made.
Let's just say I'll soon have the "other" lighter featured in The Maltese Falcon (not the other touch tip Mary Astor uses in her apartment either as there really were three Ronson table lighters in that movie).
This one was also featured in Bullets or Ballots. Bogart used them both. They might even be the same lighter, 8 years old in Bullets or Ballots and 11 years old in The Maltese Falcon...Now 93 years old....)
Only the lighter was in both movies. The accompanying cigarette box and tray were nowhere to be seen, but I believe it was only sold in sets.
Let's just say I'll soon have the "other" lighter featured in The Maltese Falcon (not the other touch tip Mary Astor uses in her apartment either as there really were three Ronson table lighters in that movie).
This one was also featured in Bullets or Ballots. Bogart used them both. They might even be the same lighter, 8 years old in Bullets or Ballots and 11 years old in The Maltese Falcon...Now 93 years old....)
Only the lighter was in both movies. The accompanying cigarette box and tray were nowhere to be seen, but I believe it was only sold in sets.
VonMagnum
Sr Member
Ronson Senator table lighter with an alligator leather wrap (1950-1954). The flint drilled out very easy for a change. For once I didn't have to disassemble the snuffer cap. I did have to free the fuel cap from the rubber o-ring going hard, but it had good leverage. It could use a bit of polishing (I'll try my new buffer on it later).
VonMagnum
Sr Member
Ronson Lotus table lighter (early 1950s). This one is in a nice brass finish with a black lacquer wrap around base. This lighter had a very nasty hard flint stuck in it (older ones usually just crumble). I had to drill this one out for over 40 minutes. Such fun.... Otherwise, it was in pretty good shape. I did a little touch up work on the black lacquer where a few bits had come off.
VonMagnum
Sr Member
I usually just remove them with a jeweler screwdriver as they're usually pretty soft at that age and just bust to pieces really easily, but this flint was hard. I used a battery powered hand drill.
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