Lighters to collect that were used in movies

[VonMagnum]

Ronson New Yorker Delight table lighter in Butterscotch Catalin (1929)

I just received this lighter today. It has a few hairline cracks in the Catalin plastic body (actually a polymer resin) and I had readjust the snuffer engagement height (wasn't clearing the flame area) and tighten the grip a bit, but the fulcrum screw is sadly stripped on the far end so repeated use will have a tendency to loosen it the fulcrum screw up.

Unfortunately, the far end threads are weak on this fulcrum and it's probably why the moved on to a separate set screw. I'm not sure if there's a source of replacements today that would fit. It does look nice in the China Cabinet, however.

Click for larger picture/slideshow:

 

[joberg]

Ronson New Yorker Delight table lighter in Butterscotch Catalin (1929)

I just received this lighter today. It has a few hairline cracks in the Catalin plastic body (actually a polymer resin) and I had readjust the snuffer engagement height (wasn't clearing the flame area) and tighten the grip a bit, but the fulcrum screw is sadly stripped on the far end so repeated use will have a tendency to loosen it the fulcrum screw up.

Unfortunately, the far end threads are weak on this fulcrum and it's probably why the moved on to a separate set screw. I'm not sure if there's a source of replacements today that would fit. It does look nice in the China Cabinet, however.

Click for larger picture/slideshow:

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That would go well in an Art Deco room

 

[VonMagnum]

Thorens Single Claw Lighter (1913+)

I read Thorens made their first single claw lighter in 1913. The first US patent listed on this lighter is in 1914 and a second one in 1920. This one was probably made around 1926-1927 based on the anniversary listing for Fownes Gloves on the front (still around today as Fownes Brothers Since 1777).

This one had horrible packing in it, kind of like string, but with the consistency of a wasp nest. It took an hour to dig most of it out and put in a new wick with proper cotton packing, but it works.

Click for larger picture/slideshow:

 

[VonMagnum]

More Ronson Socialite Lighters (1952)

I'm still picking these up when I can get them at reasonable prices because the inserts fit the "V" series that run on gas that can't really be fixed at this point. This will let them convert to wick lighters. I want to keep any good Socialite Bases, though.


All of them so far (click for larger view slideshow):



Individually Lit:

 

[VonMagnum]

I thought I was enjoying myself on Facebook showing these off to a larger audience, but something rubs me the wrong way there. I'll get a whopping 15-20 likes over a WEEK for an unusual lighter design while a plain flipping Zippo from the 1970s with a relatively modern ad or business name on it (e.g. Sonic) gets 70 likes in just two hours...

Zippos are boring to me. They're mostly all the same (tiny hinge differences and the like) and they don't hold lighter fluid more than a few days to a week at most (unused) before it evaporates. I know they were popular in Vietnam, but function is one thing and some like the art aspect, but as far as lighter designs go, snore..... You get flint dust on your fingers too (one big roller). Zippo already has its own group. If I collected them, I'd be there instead.

One of the few that took off there was my Nazi Olympics lighter. It got almost 300 likes. But I'll get more likes on IMCO that looks like 4 other IMCO lighters (basic bullet design) than something more interesting.

These do not align well with collecting values for the most part. I'm thinking I'm either dealing with amateur hour or or in missing something entirely.

 

[VonMagnum]

Worse yet is the political-esque garbage FaceBook throws into your feed, which can enrage you and make you want to test the limits of getting banned there (not much chance of that lately; I can't even get blatant scammers posts removed). It seems there's no simple way to only get feeds from groups your subscribe to and it wants to throw you back to the home page all the time if you're inactive for a minute or two.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

I just picked up a Joseph Adama lighter (REGENS) from Battlestar Galactica. Now I just need to find a place to engrave the name on it.

 

[VonMagnum]

A similar lighter was used by Humphrey Bogart in All Through The Night (1942)

It was especially noticeable when he lit it in front of the Hitler painting in the warehouse scene.

 

[VonMagnum]

Ronson Regal V2 Lighter (1957) in Copper

I picked this up from Goodwill for $15. It appeared unused, but it was missing its flint spring, had a nasty stick fuel screw and a flint I had to grind out by hand after taking it apart. I then polished it with Flitz™.

Click for larger picture/slideshow:

 

[VonMagnum]

Dunhill Wheatsheaf Butane Table Lighter (1970s)

I've been looking for one of these for a long time in good condition and a seller in Australia claimed he just had it serviced. I bought it and the short of it is, he LIED. It leaked faster than any butane lighter I've ever tried to fill. I bought a replacement fill valve and installed it. It leaked out the adjustment screw instead.

To get all the tools I'd need to fully service the lighter would be close to $100. I decided to try a pro service since it's such a rare lighter for a similar price. It is the only Dunhill lighter I need serviced and I'd rather practice such a complex operation on a cheaper more common Rollagas (same internals). He told me every seal in the lighter (save the new fill valve I installed) was hard as a rock and that's why it wouldn't hold gas. The seller from Australia is a flat out liar. It "worked for him" is a load of nonsense. No way. No how.

Anyway, it's working now. I think it's one of Dunhills most beautiful lighter designs, kind of a pyramid meets a genie bottle look.


Click for a larger picture/slideshow:

 

[VonMagnum]

MyFlam D7 Lighters (1936)

I got three broken MyFlam speakers, two D7 and one B51 with various broken or missing parts. I was able to get two of them working stealing parts from the B51 (cases fit all of them so I saved the German Nerve Tonic case itself and parts if I ever get more).

It was difficult to get the fulcrum pin in all the way compared to a Ronson plus I had to do some "bend" adjustments, but the black leather one works great and the brass "pyramid" one works reasonably well (doesn't light every time; maybe 50/50 overall).

The brass one needed a new wick/packing too. I should have gotten a better "before" picture as the brass one looked like it came out of WWII (it might have given the year). I wanted to see what it looked like new so I got out the Flitz polish. Call me surprised to see it has a pyramid design on it that's texturized still a bit on the part above the line. After several coats, it shines like a mirror, night and day from how it started, although that might have looked cool lighting up tarnished brass/gold too.

The one with the German Nerve Tonic is the donor B51 before disassembly.

Click for larger picture/slideshow:

 

[joberg]

Dunhill Wheatsheaf Butane Table Lighter (1970s)

I've been looking for one of these for a long time in good condition and a seller in Australia claimed he just had it serviced. I bought it and the short of it is, he LIED. It leaked faster than any butane lighter I've ever tried to fill. I bought a replacement fill valve and installed it. It leaked out the adjustment screw instead.

To get all the tools I'd need to fully service the lighter would be close to $100. I decided to try a pro service since it's such a rare lighter for a similar price. It is the only Dunhill lighter I need serviced and I'd rather practice such a complex operation on a cheaper more common Rollagas (same internals). He told me every seal in the lighter (save the new fill valve I installed) was hard as a rock and that's why it wouldn't hold gas. The seller from Australia is a flat out liar. It "worked for him" is a load of nonsense. No way. No how.

Anyway, it's working now. I think it's one of Dunhills most beautiful lighter designs, kind of a pyramid meets a genie bottle look.


Click for a larger picture/slideshow:

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Wow...that one is funky for sure What year was it made?

 

[VonMagnum]

1970s as it says in the title. I couldn't even verify what the first year was (possibly 1970, although I don't trust the source at all), but most Dunhill lighters are limited to a range of years. I assume it's about the same age as me (half century).

 

[VonMagnum]

I've discovered a hairline crack on the "pyramid" Myflam lighter that the opening spring mechanism is putting pressure on. What's the best method to reinforce it there? I don't have a welder. I don't want it to look like crap either.

 

[VonMagnum]

Should I ask this question in the bigger forum? I thought a hobby site where people make all kinds of incredible props would know more than me about the subject. I may try soldering this weekend. It's the one I know how to do, although I'll probably need to treat it more like a pipe. I just don't know if extreme heat will damage brass.

 

[JiminSTLouis]

Should I ask this question in the bigger forum? I thought a hobby site where people make all kinds of incredible props would know more than me about the subject. I may try soldering this weekend. It's the one I know how to do, although I'll probably need to treat it more like a pipe. I just don't know if extreme heat will damage brass.

These lighters are chrome plated brass. I’m not sure solder would do any good to cover up the cracks in the plating. I’d consider it natural aging of the piece.

 

[VonMagnum]

These lighters are chrome plated brass. I’m not sure solder would do any good to cover up the cracks in the plating. I’d consider it natural aging of the piece.

Yeah, it's right on the edge of breaking off entirely. A broken lighter isn't worth very much and I already spent hours getting it to this point between repairs and polishing and a wick/packing change. I got it for peanuts, but still.

I was trying to figure out why it would consistently fire three times in a row and then not two and repeat when I noticed it flexing there.

A couple of small spot welds on the inside edge where it's not normally visible could do the trick to at least keep it from separating. I don't care about a visible crack. I do care if I breaks apart when used.

 

[VonMagnum]

Ronson Perisphere Table Lighter (1936)

It's a glass ribbed base for the wick lighter insert. The MyFlam lighter is in the background (I soldered it and painted the solder gold to not stick out. It still only lights 3/5 times, but it's probably as good as it will get for now. I polished the ever loving hell out of it when I had nothing to do at work. It looks like a piece of jewelry now....)


Click for larger view/slideshow:

 

[VonMagnum]

IMCO Polo Lighter (Patent Granted 1946)

Similar to the IMCO Dandy, but not shown on their company history chart, it's got an odd flint spring screw (it's not the bottom, but the bottom section that unscrews).

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[Jintosh]

Now you've got me looking at lighters when I go to the thrift stores. I saw a cute 50's cigarette lighter that looked like a old lamp. Sorta. They wanted $30 and I looked it up and it appeared to be only worth around $30. So they knew what they had.