Col-Ronson

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AMW / Ronson

was originally founded as Art Metal Works

by Louis V. Aronson (1869-1940) in Newark, New Jersey, makers of a vast range of metalwares.

Following an early interest in metallurgy in 1886 (age 16!!) he sold his first invention

- the process of Ormolu gold plating, using the funds to start AMW.

In 1913 he patented his first pocket lighter, named the Wonderlighter,

& in 1928 patented the USA's first automatic lighter, the Banjo.

In 1945 the company name was changed to Ronson Art Metal Works, Inc.

& in 1945 to Ronson Corporation.

In 2010 a substantial portion of Ronson Corp.

was acquired by Zippo Manufacturing Company.

Pocket lighter

Removable pocket lighter with piezo ignition in heavy plastic like table base,

78mm tall

"Richmond" table lighter with English Walnut base, first made in 1959, & produced only in England

"Carousel" table lighter with wooden base, first made c. 1950.

"Norseman" wooden butane table lighter,

100mm tall

"Vernon" wooden table lighter,

76mm tall

"Crown" table lighter with Adonis fitment. The base is made from a diecast lead-antimony alloy (a.k.a. "white metal") as are the Queen Anne & Waldorf below

"Lotus" heavy silver plate table lighter, with Adonis fitment, was first made in 1953

Table lighter

"Waldorf" table lighter, first made in 1936,

66mm tall

"Queen Anne" quadruple silver plated table lighter with Adonis fitment, first made in 1936 & last seen in catalogs in 1959 - one of their most popular models. 63mm tall

Table lighter

Table lighter with leather base

"Spartan" table lighter with Adonis fitment, with box, bag & paperwork. First made in 1950. This is a later model - having cork (rather than the earlier green felt) padding on the base. 60mm tall

"Weight" Varaflame butane table lighter, 93mm tall

"Decanter" silver plated table lighter first made in 1936. This is the 3rd, & last, model

Table lighter

Table lighter with piezo ignition,

73mm tall

Table lighter

"Nordic" glass table lighter with Essex fitment & plume arm, first made in 1955. 95mm tall

"Varaflame" butane table lighter

Service Outfit - incomplete

"Nordic" table lighter with Essex fitment, first made in 1955, only sold as part of a set - sadly it misses it's matching cigarette urn. 69mm tall

"Leona" table lighter, first made in 1949, & named after the wife of L.V. Aronson's son, Alexander who was president of Ronson at that time

Table lighter

with

English made base

& US made

(?? Varaflame")

fitment

"Saturn Varaflame " table lighter, 97mm tall

Table lighter with Copenhagen porcelain base

"Viola" table lighter, c. 1964,

92mm tall

Pendant made in silver that Wayne & Susan Melhiser of Oklahoma commissioned a local silversmith to make.

"Repair-a-lite System 2000" serviceman's repair kit,

?? US made.

"Twentycase" lighter/cigarette case combo, first made in 1935. This, the earlier version, has the short door into the cig. case (later version had a full height door, a slightly different mechanism & 5 chimney holes per side) & is stamped "Art Metal Works Inc" with a hand stamped "X100". 107mm tall

"Octette" touch tip table lighter, English made. This one is post WW2 as it has a half circle cover over the flint wheel cover - pre WW2 had a rectangular cover

"Rondelight" (?? Junior) ball table lighter

West Germany

USA

most of the fluid lighters were made in the Newark, NJ plant

while the Typhoon, Windlite, & butane models

were made in Woodbridge, NJ

Canada

Standard Butler pocket fluid lighter (patented in 1929), 49mm tall - bottom stamped "Ronson, Dominion Art Metal Wks Ltd, Toronto, Canada, Canadian Pats. 288148 289889"

Striker pocket lighter, first made in 1919. Marked with both AMW (Art Metal Works) & Ronson logos

"Penciliter" lighter & pencil, first manufactured in 1934

"Standard butler" lighter (patented in 1928) with chisel engraved monogram, pouch, box & paperwork - 58mm tall, bottom stamped "Brit. Pat. 291695, Canada Pat. 288148, Ronson, made in England, US Pat. Reg. 919023"

"Standard" lighter patented in 1946, 52mm tall & thicker than the Butler

"Cadet" model C202 pocket lighter, first made 1959 & only made in England.

49mm tall

"Standard " lighter,

49mm tall. ?? early version as has both Art Metal Works & Ronson in stamp. 50mm tall

Brass sign (?? from a shop display)

Fluid

Butane

Fluid

Butane

Miscellaneous

"Super Windlite"