A Brief History of Lighters

By Alex Bergman

Ever since Prometheus descended from Olympus, man has longed for an easier way to transport that great civilizer: fire. From the fire drill and flint to matches, nothing has obsessed man more then the ability to have fire, and it’s benefits easily transported and accessible. The lighter is what men have strived after for thousands of years: instant, reliable fire. By the late 1800’s this goal had been realized, and by the early 1900’s the modern lighter had been born.

Until the 1950’s most lighters used naphtha as their fuel (the earliest versions from the 1800’s used hydrogen, which was apt to explode). Naphtha is the petroleum product used in Ronson, Zippo, Dunhill and many other types of lighters. These Naphtha lighters are the most widely collectible, as they are among some of the oldest lighters still in existence.

Ronson Lighters one of the most famous lighter brands in existence, with a tradition manufacturing tradition going back to 1913, when their first “liter” patent was filed. Ronson Lighters held an exclusive patent in the United States for single motion lighters (lighters which lit with the press of a button, then extinguished with it’s realize) until 1952. These Ronson lighters were ubiquitous, an important part of any person’s wardrobe. The Ronson Company stopped producing lighters in the 1970’s, but their lighters remain collectable to this day.

In 1932 everything would change. The Zippo Corporation was born out of an idea by George Blasdell, who established the company whose very name became synonymous with lighter. He created a durable, stylish and most importantly reliable lighter. Zippo, like the whole nation, struggled through the Great Depression. Zippo’s struggles would be more then be made up for by the American entry into World War Two as their lighters became world recognized symbols of both quality and the American Armed Forces. Since then Zippo has made millions of lighters in thousands of different designs. Zippo lighters are a universally recognized part of American life, and collecting them keeps getting more popular.

Dunhill lighters are some of the most expensive. Made in England they are “luxury lighters” to quote their webpage, with prices for a new lighters costing upwards of $150. Dunhill makes a number of different models, and one of their classic lighters is the centerpiece of any collection.

There are many other types of lighters that are collectable. Novelty lighters were mostly made in Japan after WWII in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Cats, eggs, or baseballs - nothing was too strange to hold a lighter. There are also table lighters, which were larger meant to be the focal point of a room. Both of these verities can be very desirable to the collector, and are very often some of the most interesting lighters in a collection.

Another collectible segment relates not to the manufacturer, but to the markings. Between the 1930’s and 1970’s lighters were given out by thousands of companies across the country. Smoking was everywhere, and companies wanted to cash in on cigarette’s popularity. Branded lighters were an omnipresent form of advertising. And now what was once given away for free can be worth quite a bit of money.

Lighter Collecting goes beyond the association with smoking. It is a fun and enjoyable hobby on its own. The thousands of models and hundreds of manufacturers of lighters guarantee that lighter collecting is a hobby which will never get old.

Alex Bergman is an advanced collector, and a staff writer for Manion’s International Auction House. He is currently studying Anthropology and History at the College of William and Mary.