Posted 11 years ago
SerbianSpark
(1 item)
This is IMCO 105107 IFA (IMCO Feurzeuge Austria = IMCO Lighters Austria) pocket cigarette lighter from 1927. It's all brass except steel flint wheel and steel flint spring. It is officially 3rd lighter in IMCO's production line, but first with the "automated" snuffer cap. The lighter is operated by pulling the windshield up which simultaneously opens the snuffer cap. All it takes after that is striking the flint wheel and getting the flame. The flame is extinguished by reverse action - pulling the windshield down which closes the snuffer cap. Very simple but amazing engineering especially if we consider the era of this lighter's production. It made IMCO lighters very recognizable. Later some manufacturers copied the design like Bowers, "no name" copycats probably from Asia and some marked "Made in Japan". Great collectable and fantastic lighter to operate with one hand. It can be found with many different writings like "Rofl", "Neverfail", even advertisements for whiskey and other products and companies.
Do not get confused with "J" instead of "I" in IMCO and IFA markings. In the early days it was spelled with "J" because of the first letter in the name of the factory founder, Julius Meister from Vienna. The company got its name as an abbreviation of "Julius Meister & Co." = JMCO = IMCO. It is the only company so far that produced and sold over 500.000.000 (five hundred million!) cigarette lighters. Unfortunately the company closed lighter production last year. Beside some of the best cigarette lighters mankind has seen it left huge influence on other companies and designs all over the world.
That's what I'm talkin about. Awesome photos.
Great info, Thanks for posting.
Thanks AzTom. The pleasure is all mine.
Very detailed thanks
Thank you for reading, Zowie.
Thanks, PhilDavidAlexanderMorris! I'm glad you like it!
My pleasure
Trench lighters have such a marvel of intrigue & character. They definitely distinguish themselves from all the other lighters. You have a GEM! =)
Thank you tom61375 for reading and nice comment. But, as a cigarette lighter collector I have to reply and I hope you would not mind.
There is a never ending discussion between collectors on what should be and what must not be called Trench Art. Some of them consider it is (1) only a lighter/item produced during The Great War (WWI) aka "The Trench War". Other think that (2) every lighter/item made during some war or conflict deserves that name. But all of them agree that it is a lighter/item made by hand or in improvised conditions in very small number or unique. This lighter, as well as all lighters/items with factory name, patent and other details specific for mass production, is not Trench Art and must not be considered as such. Most of brass lighters from early 1900's are called Trench Art but whether I belong to category (1) or (2) I have to react and point that any lighter produced by IMCO or in any other factory by any other brand is not a Trench Art lighter.
I know that this was posted three years ago, but I consider some of the TRENCH ART information to be inaccurate.
First there is a big difference between a "Trench Lighter" and a "Trench ART Lighter".
In collecting circles, this style of lighter with the wind/ flame guard is often referred to as a trench lighter. The name would appear to be a misnomer as research has shown that these were not patented until after WW1 and therefore did not see use in the trenches.
TRENCH ART is the group of utilitarian and decorative items made out of war debris. According to most collectors, there is no requirement that the item was actually made in a trench or by a soldier. The name trench art is applied to objects made before and after WW1 (The TRENCH WAR). Additionally, some trench art pieces were actual production pieces and made in large numbers in factories.
scott