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- Jun 19, 2009
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I'm curious to see if anyone else here collects and has an appreciation for lighters. I've built up a small but decent collection of them, with many being vintage models that are no longer produced.
For an example, the Thorens single claw. This was an interesting lighter made in Switzerland that featured a clever mechanism to open the top and light the flint. The top of the lighter is spring loaded, and pops open when the button on the side is pressed (the button can be screwed down to prevent accidental activation). When the top springs open, a claw connected to the lid jerks a peg on the flint wheel, which creates a spark that lights the wick. When the lid is closed, the spring becomes compressed again, and the claw moves on to the next peg.
Another interesting one is the Beattie Jet lighter. This lighter creates a jet flame that can be used to light pipes and thaw car locks (according to the materials that came with it), but is unique in that it's a jet lighter that uses lighter fluid instead of butane. It creates the jet flame by using two wicks: one of them is the primary wick that produces the main soft flame, the other is a wick housed inside a crimped tube with a pinhole in the end. When the lighter is tilted, the flame heats up the tube, vaporizing and pressurizing the lighter fluid held by the wick inside. This fluid then shoots out the pinhole, creating the jet flame.
For an example, the Thorens single claw. This was an interesting lighter made in Switzerland that featured a clever mechanism to open the top and light the flint. The top of the lighter is spring loaded, and pops open when the button on the side is pressed (the button can be screwed down to prevent accidental activation). When the top springs open, a claw connected to the lid jerks a peg on the flint wheel, which creates a spark that lights the wick. When the lid is closed, the spring becomes compressed again, and the claw moves on to the next peg.
Another interesting one is the Beattie Jet lighter. This lighter creates a jet flame that can be used to light pipes and thaw car locks (according to the materials that came with it), but is unique in that it's a jet lighter that uses lighter fluid instead of butane. It creates the jet flame by using two wicks: one of them is the primary wick that produces the main soft flame, the other is a wick housed inside a crimped tube with a pinhole in the end. When the lighter is tilted, the flame heats up the tube, vaporizing and pressurizing the lighter fluid held by the wick inside. This fluid then shoots out the pinhole, creating the jet flame.