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Lighters made in
France
Olivier Chauvin (??) liftarm fluid pocket lighter,
c. 1930's
Fujiama (made by Polaire) fluid table lighter, 100 mm tall
Abdulla, c. 1930's, 37 mm tall.
Interesting safety mechanism
- the screw (on the left in pic 1),
when unscrewed (right pic 2)
allows the action to take place
when the screw is depressed.
It appears Abdulla started
as a tobacco company
that branched out into
pipes, lighters & cigarettes.
The business was sold to the Quercia family in the 1920's.
Amadou flint & tinder wick lighter. It is stamped "Briquet Tempete, Depose" & has the 2nd tax seal. Tinder wick lighters such as this were made by a variety of companies from 1910 - 35. A spark ignites the tinder wick allowing it to smolder rather than produce a flame (making them safer for soldiers avoiding snipers on the front line).
Le Chergui fluid pocket lighter, 39 mm tall
Myon model 201 fluid pocket lighter, 46 mm tall
Nova fluid pocket lighters, 50 mm
tall & 35 mm tall
Polaire fluid pocket lighters with movable chimney. 1st one c. 1940's aluminium case 50 mm tall,
2nd & 3rd c. late 40's, chrome over brass case 47 mm tall
Quercia Champion SB75-17 fluid pocket lighter, 47 mm tall. The Quercia company includes the brands Abdulla, Flamidor, Flaminaire & Myon
Transfo fuel-less cigarette lighter with anodised aluminium body. A cigarette is placed inside the opening (top of pic 1), the handle is turned producing a shower of sparks. Pic 5 shows the opened bottom with places for the extra long flints (one in the foreground). Patented in 1952
Robust heavy fluid pocket lighter (60 mm tall) that originally had the 2nd French tax stamp. Pic 2 shows the sprung knob in the cutaway area - slide it down & the flint (in the gap below the striker wheel) can be easily changed
Bic gas lighter - special for the Prince Charles & Lady Diana wedding edition of The Dominion, a Wellington, NZ newspaper
Flaminaire Galet butane lighter, France, c. 1959, monogrammed JB with St Gobain on edge. Early butane with refillable Butabloc tank
Dandy Super fluid pocket lighter
Ferro Electra fluid pocket lighter,
35mm tall
Luxuor fluid pocket lighter,
48 mm tall
Feudor Model 100 - c. 1944. This has the 2nd French tax stamp (3rd pic) .
Feudor Model Luxe - post 1945.
Feudor c. 1932 with the 2nd French tax stamp. There is a very small 69 stamped near the bottom (?? model number).
Lancel c. 1935 "Bijou" size,
40 mm tall.
Lancel c. 1939, 48 mm tall.
Lancel c. late 1930's, with French porcelain base, 92 mm tall.
Lancel c. late 1930's, 95 mm tall.
Lighters sold in France were taxed
(based on lighter size & the quality of materials used) from 1911 - 45.
The first tax plates, which were soldered in place,
were used from 1911 on.
They were either bone shaped
(for lighters with a length + width + height totalling a max. of 10cms)
or oval (for those with a with a length + width + height larger than 10cms)
& had 1911 cut out of them, with a bust of Minerva stamped between the 19 & the 11.
It appears these were used until a 1927 decree when they were changed to Minerva,
wearing a winged helmet in the centre,
circled by the words Ministere Des Finances
& the entwined letters C & I (contibutions indirectes) on either side.
The use of the plates seems to have ceased c. 1939
Feudor Joly (Algiers), c. 1920, with Algerian tax stamp. Tube on side ?? made to hold spare flints/wick, 68mm tall
Lancel Gazel, butane with safety mechanism to control flying arm release, 50mm tall
Lancel had a factory near Paris from 1929 - 65
& were noted for their highly engineered flying arm lighters.
Lancel lighters were made from 1924 until the '40s
France
Lighters made in .......
Collecting
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