Cigarette Lighters

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 40

My Old Dad, as always had an interest in vintage cigarette lighters, especially WW1 trench lighters. He has asked me what type of lighters would have been used by those who served in the Zulu War. (That’s if cigarette lighters were around then… Anyone know!!!! Idea

Posts : 3038 Join date : 2009-03-03 Location : Devon

Hi Impi

I think they only had matches.

Subject: cigarette lighters Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:32 pm

Hi Impi.
Never come across any mention of lighters , I'm with Graves only matches and I havent found a referance to them either that
I can think of ! . scratch

.
cheers 90th.

Subject: Re: Cigarette Lighters Wed Dec 01, 2010 7:04 am

The earliest versions of lighters were called Strikers. Basically a reusable match stick, dont have a clue how they worked. I have a lighter from 1899, hexagonal shape in solid brass, its half way between a striker and a modern Zippo.

Hope that contributes.

Regards

Posts : 600 Join date : 2010-01-07 Location : UK

Hi all,
Heres more info

The first lighters were invented in the 16th century and were converted flintlock pistols that used gunpowder. One of the first lighters was invented by a German Chemist named Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner in 1823 and was often called Döbereiner's Lamp. This lighter worked by a reaction of hydrogen to platinum sponge, which gave off a great amount of heat. The device was very large and highly dangerous and fell out of production by the end of the 19th century

Döbereiner lighter.
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Joe