Archive for July 2010

Lighter Handy, 1940, owned by members of the team minesweeper YMS-370

Name: Handy
Type: gasoline lighter
Material: Copper, silver plated
Year: 1940
Country: Switzerland
Approximate cost: $ 30-100

Lighters with wartime history are fairly common, but this - one of the most interesting finds. This Swiss Lighter Handy, almost completely similar Dunhill Rollalite by design (I can even assume that it did exactly Dunhill: in the end, was a model of Dunhill Handy , other designs, but with the same name). Lighter is made of silvered copper and then - this is the inscription 'S.800' on flint mechanism (by the way, it looks and feels like a completely silver but copper yellowness at shabby corner produces silvering). Generally, the sensations in the hand, it seems like a lighter watch: so perfectly fit all the details and so accurately and reliably all done (which is to be expected for the Swiss products :). Cover when opening a spring leans just as good as new, and this despite the fact that the lighter at least 70 years!

But we are told the story of the inscription on the lighter. It belonged to a member of the team minesweeper YMS-370. The history of this ship is quite short. Ships Series YMS (Auxiliary Mine Sweeper) were so small (displacement was only 270 tonnes), which had no names - only a serial number. Total in 1941 was built the ship 481 series YMS, they were practically identical in their construction. The latest series of YMS ship was in service with the US Navy until November 1969.

YMS-370 was laid on 23 January 1943 at the dock of Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp and launched on August 7 of the same year. After serving only 3 years, it was decommissioned 19 June 1946 and finally sawed for scrap in 1948. But in a short time, he managed to get service in many Asian countries, which are referred to in this lighter, Philippines, China, Japan, Korea ... In the last two photos - the ship itself and its team in the last year of service. To some of these sailors and officers in the photo belonged to this unique and lighter. Who were you, an unknown CDH?

17-07-2010 Tags: Categories: 1940 , Handy , Switzerland 17 comment (-ev)

Semi-automatic lighter Nassau, 1910

Manufacturer: Nassau Lighter Company
Title: Nassau
Type: Semi-automatic lighter gasoline
Material: Copper
Year: 1910
Country: United States
Approximate cost: $ 75-200

Lighters Nassau performed in New York at Nassau street, since 1910 (although patent Set 1905). It was one of the first automatic pocket lighters that time, the mechanism of action of this principle was invented in Austria in 1909. There were many choices of finishes, from simple chrome plating to gold and silver shells. This lighter is attached emblem of Royal Arcanum - one of the oldest insurance companies, mutual benefit, founded in 1877 in Boston; it exists today.

13.07.2010 Tags: , Categories: 1910 , Nassau , United States 18 comment (-ev)

Lighter Swiza, 1930

Title: Swiza
Type: gasoline lighter
Material: Brass
Year: 1930
Country: Switzerland
Approximate cost: $ 20-50

Small wonder the Swiss engineering, rare Lighter Swiza 1930s, maybe an older brother, and even the pope popular model Dunhill Rollalite :) Mechanics made with astonishing thoroughness and clarity, particularly interesting cunning mechanism replacing the flint. To replace the need to simultaneously pull two tiny rychazhochka then flint horizontal vane moves out of the way.

13.07.2010 Tags: Categories: 1930 , Swiza , Switzerland 9 comment (-ev)

Lighter Cooperative Myanmar, 1940-1950

Title: Cooperative
Type: gasoline lighter
Material: Copper
Year: 1940-1950 (?)
Country: Myanmar (Burma)
Approximate cost: $ 10-20

Very entertaining lighter. At first glance, it would have gone to 100% for the English, if not stamped on the bottom of the housing: made in Myanmar (formerly. Burma). Surely not all even know about the existence of such a state! But lighter there - there :)

03.07.2010 Tags: Categories: 1940 , Untitled , Myanmar (Burma) 4 comment (-ev)

IMCO 4300 1936

Manufacturer: IMCO
Name: IMCO 4300
Type: gasoline lighter
Material: Copper
Year: 1936
Country: Austria
Approximate cost: $ 15-30

The first of the models with removable lid Imco - design easier to nowhere; compared to other models of the time it looks quite primitive, but at the same time remains quite working and reliable.

02.07.2010 Tags: Categories: 1930 , IMCO , Austria No comments