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When I became part of the vintage lighter community roughly a decade ago, petrol lighters constructed from solid aluminum block(a/b) material were firmly situated in their own category of the hobby. More rumors and hearsay than cold hard fact, what was known was nebulous yet firmly entrenched even if fraught with inaccuracies and falsehoods.

There has been a new movement though in the world of these supposed old, trench art lighters that at once happens to explain many fallacies while threatening to light the very hobby on fire at the same time. Arguments and debates within the hobby as well as the name frequently being referenced in Ebay listings and elsewhere beg the question, who is Alberto Polimeni and how did he take over the vintage lighter hobby?

Origins Of The Discussion

When I hear the name Alberto Polimeni my mind immediately goes to this aluminum block petrol lighter I once owned with what appeared to be World War II related engravings. I wasn’t exactly a green newbie at the time but still as today had plenty left to learn about the world of petrol lighters in general and more specifically to this article some of the nuances, fallacies and misconceptions existing around aluminum block petrol lighters and especially those of a WWII motif.

Now, I should probably stop here for some clarifications because there are going to be plenty of things to clarify during and about this conversation we are having.

The discussion about Polimeni lighters has grown now to include many and varying designs and mechanisms outside what I really understood the scope to be at its onset which I believe came about in middle to late 2023. Larry Tolkin, known on various social media outlets including Facebook and Instagram as Larry Lighter, began posting, showing off many different groups of similarly fashioned or designed aluminum block lighters.

The manufacture of these lighters was attributed in the posts to Alberto Polimeni, apparently based solely on the appearance of a box which was purchased off Ebay containing a similar lighter to many that Larry already had and had begun to analyze and group together accordingly.

Cooler Heads

I think the discussion has also evolved to the point of hyperbolic language being used which is not helpful. Saying things like “Polimeni…world

renowned maker of every unmarked aluminum block example” only heighten the claims to those not understanding the language being used and result in misrepresentations of the claims actually being made.

To my knowledge, Larry Lighter has never made the claim that Polimeni made every unmarked a/b lighter. Not only that but he told me personally that he has never made that claim and only posited that most unmarked aluminum block with perspex lighters along with brass, wood, ivory and other odd materials to be manufactured by Polimeni at his plant in Asmara, Eritrea as indicated on the box.

He makes the same claims for most WWII African theater related trench art engraved type a/b lighters. Larry is eager to dispel the common notion among collectors that these were made by soldiers in their spare time during the war.

Trench Art

During my research into this subject I discovered an old forum post which seemed to back up some details of Larry’s claim from a website called Trippy where an individual is seeking, “information about Eritrean based Albero(sic) Polimeni, his workshop, or his sales infrastructure.” The poster continues, “He was active in, World War Two and the early 50’s, and he sold cigarettes lighters, cases, ashtrays, and airplane brooches to soldiers in North Africa. The only information I have is from an empty box. He was a prominent designer in the Art Deco style that is prevalent in the regions architecture especially in Asmara, the Art Deco capital of Eritrea, on the Red Sea, His pieces were not signed but some had an inscription, Patent Pending.”

The Trippy post then goes on to list the particulars that are printed on the box, which we will talk about in a moment while also adding, ” I have seen some empty boxes that appear to be containers of manufactured “Trench Art” lighters.” I remember Larry making the claim that none of these supposed “trench art” lighters were actually done in the trenches before I remember hearing the name Polimeni.

There are multitudes and differences, similarities and enigmas when it comes to hunting down the source of unmarked aluminum block petrol lighters. When I first came into the hobby(and it’s still an answer I see often today) many collectors claimed unmarked aluminum block lighters as DIY, at home, beer guzzling in the garage type projects that had apparently just happened spontaneously all across the country. Most were actually “shop” manufactured and some in the U.S. were actually well marked.

Upon Further Review

These are not the lighters that Larry claims to be Polimenis. His claims are much less broad in scope. In fact, he claims that most American and UK manufactured a/b lighters from the 1940s that are marked are actually copies of Polimeni designs.

Larry told me that he discovered the lighter in the Polimeni box on Ebay and purchased it in the yr 2000. The trippy post where the user is asking for info about Polimeni’s factory in Asmara based on boxes that had been seen is dated 2006.

The text printed on the box that the Trippy post references reads thus,

“GEST. ZOCCOLI- TIP. CICERO

TIP A TYPE

ALBERO(sic) POLIMENI

FABBRICA ACCENDISIGARI

CIGARETTE-LIGHTERS FACTORY

FABRIQUE DE BRIQUETS

ASMARA

Via Baldassarre

Orero”

This is basically the same information that appears on the box in Larry Lighter’s photo which has circulated among the lighter groups on Facebook and also been published here.

The box in the photo provided in the Vintage Lighters and Matches Facebook group by Eldon Baldwin of the Lighter Library was taken from an angle not seen in Larry’s photo and there is printing that reads “EXCHANGE OFFICER Asmara Barracks Exchange” then the third line starts “ASMARA…” and then is obscured in the photo by the lighter.

Again, this would seem to back up Larry’s claims that these lighters were sold to soldiers stationed in the area through the BX or other typical outlets.

How Did We Get Here?

This is all coming to the forefront in this moment by a confluence of events which include my own curiousity finally getting the better of me and an expert collector named Tom O’Key making multiple Facebook posts labeling

the whole supposed Polimeni saga as a hoax. I started asking questions last week after seeing Mr. O’Key’s latest post and to be honest, I was firmly planted on his side of the argument and believed that at the very least we were dealing with a gross embellishment of what Alberto Polimeni had actually accomplished.

You can’t ignore the boxes and since beginning to write this article and publishing the YouTube video on this subject, I have learned that Larry also says he has a Polimeni table lighter which is boxed but deep out of reach in storage somewhere. So, Larry Lighter apparently has two boxes, Eldon Baldwin of the Lighter Library 1 and then we have the boxes referred to in the Trippy post from 2006.

I just learned over the weekend of another box owned by our friend Nicholas Barth who posted photos from several angles to the DependableFlame.com Facebook group.

But those boxes prove nothing of the lighters that came in them nor do they actually prove that lighters were ever produced by this Polimeni to put in the box. When I first interacted with Mr. O’Key about this issue he gave me the impression(basically by reading the words that he’d typed) that because there is no Alberto Polimeni listed in the registries of business conducted in Eritrea during the British occupation there that he gave no credence to the boxes whatsoever.

After speaking with him at length on the phone I know that isn’t the case. Tom acknowledges the boxes and their authenticity and might even grant that at least for some of the lighters that have been discovered in those boxes it would be an acceptable term to call them “Polimeni lighters”.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Tom is eager to protect new collectors who may be naive of such claims, not only being made but being stated with an authority that seems to demand deference. This is just my impression but I think if Larry had been talking about Polimeni in the public square of vintage lighter discussion all along the topic might be viewed much differently but as it was Larry only mentioned Polimeni publicly for the first time in 2023, after spending 23 yrs amassing these lighters.

I’m not sure that I can go so far as to agree with Larry on all that he claims to be relics of Polimeni’s Eritrean workshop but looking at the photo of the tray of aluminum block/brass/perspex lighters he sent as an example and reading his explanation of how analyzing these lighters in hand over the course of many yrs enables him to see a connection that others do not see, I can’t call him crazy and I can’t call it a hoax, even if I still would not describe one of these lighters for sale on Ebay as being a Polimeni. Larry offered an invitation to come see all these lighters personally and feel them myself but we’ll see if I’m able to make that happen.

I am afraid that personal, emotional ambition on both sides of this argument may prevent the whole truth and its fantastical reality from ever actually coming to light in a fashion that can be appreciated by the entire hobby. This is a great-big hobby that existed long before I walked in the door and many of its participants have track records of yrs of helpful camaraderie while others spent the time screwing each other over. There is literally no figuring what happened to cause such deep seated resentments, though it does seem they all see each other to be some form of crook at the very least.

The Author Of Polimeni’s Tale

For my part, I’m still not going to be listing these type lighters as Polimenis in my Ebay store anytime soon. I will keep looking and be eager to receive any new documentation that comes to light though because as I see it, Larry Lighter’s stories of Alberto Polimeni and his Asmara factory, while far from being proven, are definitely not a hoax. A hoax would be Larry having printed the box himself and then telling the story to support it.

The evidence for Larry’s claim of Polimeni’s factory being the author of this diverse convergence of lighters obviously rests on much more than him simply finding a box. I believe the box and the name it provided only gave Larry a label by which to categorize a group of lighters he already believed to be related. He has mentioned other factors to me as well including certain markings on some sub-groups of lighters that he attributes to Polimeni as well.

As it is, I believe Larry found a box(as have a few others) and has done the best he could to make sense of it. Thus we have the claim of Alberto Polimeni, his factory in Asmara, Eritrea and his lighters.

Stay tuned…✌️

We’ve All Seen It Before

We’ve all seen historical period movies and television shows where every detail has been painstakingly recreated to match the depicted era—including soda cans, cigarette packaging, and cereal boxes. Taylor Sheridan has said that, as a writer, words are important to him. As an executive producer and storyteller, though, are fine details—such as whether a historically accurate lighter is being used—really important?

Is Hollywood Getting in the Way?

Sheridan recently mentioned the constraints and endless meetings and discussion groups that can accompany a Hollywood production on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. He praised the team he has used ever since his first film, Wind River, and has continued working with through Yellowstone, Landman, and many of his other numerous hits.

He used his production company’s selection of which lighter to use as an example of his efficient, streamlined approach, which he believes allows him to avoid the redundancy of meetings and idle busywork that he sees as a Hollywood trap. Sheridan definitely sees himself as an outsider.

No one would begrudge him for running his productions however he sees fit in order to produce the high-quality entertainment the public has grown to expect. But after hearing his recent comments—and having already noticed a sloppy lighter prop choice in one of his productions—one has to ask: Does Taylor Sheridan care about the historical accuracy of a lighter?

Does It Really Matter?

When Sheridan tackles difficult subject matter in his westerns, I don’t think anyone would argue against the historical importance of accurately portraying the treatment and atrocities that many Native Americans suffered. To depict those events inaccurately would be to distort the truth.

The historical accuracy of a lighter, however, may not seem nearly as important. At least not until you’re completely engrossed in a typical Taylor Sheridan drama, swept up head over heels along for the ride in a 1920s-era epic, when suddenly a mid-1950s Ronson lighter appears.

Not only does it appear, but it materializes as the miracle that helps carry the Dutton family line forward, without which we never would have known the world of John, Beth, and Kayce. If you know anything at all about vintage lighters, that moment leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It would be akin to a film set in the 1960s showing widespread cellular phone use decades before it existed.

How Can This Happen?

There are plenty of unknowns surrounding the vintage lighter hobby, but there are also some hard lines that can be drawn at specific points in time. Many lighters are marked with patent numbers that preclude them from existing before a certain date.

Ferrocerium was invented by Carl Auer von Welsbach in 1903, so any portrayal of a “flint”-sparked lighter before that year would be an anachronism. Butane-fueled lighters didn’t exist until the late 1940s and didn’t become common or practical until the end of the following decade.

The Ronson Whirlwind Imperial automatic petrol lighter wasn’t introduced until the mid-1950s. Yet somehow, in that pivotal moment in Sheridan’s outstanding 1923 saga, when Alexandra Dutton needs a miracle retrieved from a companion’s frozen dead body, the Whirlwind Imperial saves the day!

Having Some Fun

During that conversation on The Joe Rogan Experience, it became obvious that Sheridan dislikes many of the clerical, organizational, and bureaucratic practices that exist in Hollywood. He jokes about choosing one Bic lighter and using it in every movie so he never has to choose another Bic lighter ever again.

But there are so many better choices than a Bic lighter, and I’m a bit disappointed that someone who clearly appreciates craftsmanship, quality, and a strong work ethic would default so quickly to a cheap piece of plastic.

Throughout his westerns, Sheridan portrays cowboys doing work that many people didn’t even realize still existed in our instant-internet culture. He has demonstrated that authentic American traditions remain vital, vibrant, and worth preserving. I’d love to see one of his characters light up with a Penguin Cygnus or a Dunhill Rollalite.

There’s value in routine over convenience, and the portrayal of carrying and maintaining a petrol lighter would benefit from greater exposure through popular television series like Yellowstone. How cool would it be to see Beth Dutton pick up an anodized pink Cygnus from her bedside table, remove the fuel screw, add lighter fluid, and strike the roller to light her first cigarette of the day?

Prop Departments & Experts

I’ve sold working vintage petrol lighters to the prop departments of television productions over the years. I never sold a lighter to a production where I thought, Hmm, that lighter would be anachronistic for this show.

I’ve always assumed that the people responsible for props also bore the responsibility of ensuring that those props were consistent with the period in which the story takes place.

Now, I know Taylor Sheridan didn’t literally decide to use the same Bic lighter in every production where a lighter appears on screen. His comment was certainly an exaggeration. We also know that different lighters have, in fact, been selected, because the Ronson Whirlwind Imperial somehow found its way into 1923.

I think Sheridan should hire a lighter expert, and I’ll go ahead and make it known that I’m available on a consulting basis. With the success he’s had with all the shows he’s written, I doubt he’s sweating it too much but serious topics require sober reflection. Sloppiness in a place seen as unimportant could allow it to breed in another.

Sheridan has produced some of the finest western films and television series of my lifetime and that doesn’t even begin to account for the many other genres in which he has written and excelled. He is free artistically to portray his characters lighting up their smokes by whatever means suits his fancy but man, it sure would be cool to see him throw in a vintage petrol lighter every now and then!

Perhaps these minute details simply aren’t important to him. Whether they’re important to Taylor Sheridan or not, you can bet that every vintage lighter enthusiast is taking notes.

You can connect with us in the comments or join in the discussion in the DependableFlame.com Facebook group.

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I’ve been a proponent of vintage petrol lighters since my entry into the hobby, especially for those who use them. Everyone who has ever held one

of these bygone beauties however, will tell you, you always have to baby them. Those with the most fantastic finishes require the most attention in use so you don’t accidentally scratch or drop or some otherwise ruin the finish on. Still other mechanisms are so rare in their original production as to require a premium for purchase that many may be unable to justify or afford.

I think the Zorro Z666 copy of the vintage Penguin Cygnus roller petrol lighter may be the perfect answer for these and other circumstances as the affordable price, quality and innovative construction and nostalgic mechanism and style make it appealing not only to those who are looking for a reliable petrol Continue reading “Zorro Z666 Copy Of The Vintage Penguin Cygnus Lighter: A Modern Petrol Lighter Review”

It’s a sentiment I have heard often in the Facebook lighter groups in regard to the current state of affairs where the purchase of vintage Zippo lighters is concerned. “Before the appearance of Chinese buyers,” one might say wistfully or, “I used to be able to get those Zippos a lot cheaper before the Asian collectors showed up and ruined everything!” another will chime in.

Where We Are

I have heard these sentiments so often that I have been forced to ask myself, “are Asian buyers ruining the market for vintage Zippo lighters?” I personally don’t believe that it’s possible in the slightest for any particular set of collectors to actually ruin the hobby for everyone else but we are going to look at a few circumstances that may have led others conclude otherwise while at the same time we examine the motivations of those making these claims.

Just because you as a collector can no longer acquire lighters at will without shelling out fair market value doesn’t necessarily mean that you have Continue reading “Are Asian Buyers Ruining The Market For Vintage Zippo Lighters?”

When a person first becomes acquainted with Zippo Windproof Lighters, they may initially be enamored with the requisites necessary to their proper function or devote all their attention to gathering examples that fit a certain theme by which Zippo lighters have been embellished via a number of

methods and processes but eventually(and usually sooner rather than later) their questions come around to determining the actual age of the Zippos in their collection. This article will delineate the most useful resources(and especially charts that include photos for comparison) that I have discovered on the web for dating a Zippo lighter.

What About The Charts At Zippo.com?

It seems to me that for anyone asking the question, “How to date a Zippo lighter?” that sound reason would dictate the expectation that the clearest source of such information would be the website Continue reading “How To Date A Zippo Lighter”

While my number one goal when entering the hobby was to make money from buying, repairing and selling old petrol lighters, that doesn’t mean I did so in a heartless manner. I can’t recall every instance that I have simply given away parts that I wasn’t in dire need of at the moment so someone else could repair their lighter nor do I remember every lighter that I have given away because someone contacted me privately about their personal connection to the ship portrayed on a particular Zippo or company advertised on a Bowers Storm Master. What I didn’t foresee, though, was how the kindness of others would abound toward me as shared interest and camaraderie result in priceless additions to my vintage cigarette lighter collection.

“JDH” Initial Engraved Zippo-Gavin Lannan

The first lighter I remember receiving as a gift from someone I met in the hobby was a 1995 Brushed Chrome Zippo with the initials “JDH” arranged in a stair-step pattern which arrived in the mail in the fall of 2021. My buddy Gavin Lannan and I were communicating via email when he informed Continue reading “Shared Interest And Camaraderie Result In Priceless Additions To My Vintage Cigarette Lighter Collection”

I am a huge proponent of petrol lighters. I have devoted a large chunk of my time and livelihood to these fantastic little fire making machines. I am also a Zippo fan and appreciate the historical significance and elementary nature of their petrol heritage but does using a Zippo Butane Insert make me an impostor or Zippo apostate? In this article, I will make my case for the legitimacy of taking advantage of advances in butane technology(or any other tech for that matter) while still appreciating and honoring Zippo’s petrol legacy.

Making My Case

All the way back in the 1930s, Zippo made the “fan test” famous by demonstrating that the windscreen design of their lighters made them difficult for the wind to extinguish. I have performed this test myself and found that the petrol flame of a Zippo is indeed somewhat impervious to actually being extinguished regardless of the strength or power of the wind experienced.

The fact that a flame is resilient to the wind, however, does not necessarily mean that it also retains its usefulness when trying to ignite certain Continue reading “Does Using A Zippo Butane Insert Make Me An Impostor Or Zippo Apostate?”

Today we are going to discuss the appeal of getting together with other lighter enthusiasts at conventions such as this weekend’s fourth installment of Lighter Palooza, the validity of using modern inserts in Zippo lighters and touch on some of the plans we have at DependableFlame as summer arrives in earnest.

Lighter-Palooza 3

One good thing about frequenting the various Facebook Lighter Groups is to stay up to date on events happening within the vintage cigarette lighter hobby. I personally have never attended any of the in-person events that I have seen promoted but can clearly see the value in these lighter conventions and hope to be able to attend sometime soon.

This coming weekend, July 14 & 15, will be I believe the fourth iteration of an event put on by Riley’s 66 and Widowmakers Lighters in Bradford Continue reading “Vintage Lighter Diaries Vol. 10: Lighter-Palooza 3, Zippo Butane Inserts & Summer Activities”

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

I do not repair butane fueled cigarette lighters but I use them rather extensively. So, while I’m no expert at fixing them, I have plenty of experience with pumping them full of gas and have noticed a thing or two that may make a difference to you the next time your’s runs out and it’s time to purchase a new can of butane.

Does It Make A Difference Which Butane Fuel I Use?

I will start by making a general statement which I believe to be true in regard to whether it makes any difference which butane lighter fuel you use to fill or refill your favorite butane lighter: Any of the compressed butane lighter fuels that you find for sale on Amazon or at your local retailer will typically work in your favorite butane lighter but the performance may vary.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t differences, as there are definitely nuances in the fashion that some refill canisters are employed and also in Continue reading “Is There A Superior Butane Lighter Fuel For Zippo Inserts And Torches?”