Vintage Petrol Lighters, Ashtrays, Tobacciana and Other Useful Mechanisms.
(A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 7: End Of The Line is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
Elston had been dreading this day for years. Not in the same way he dreaded work or was apprehensive about other responsibilities he’d neglected, just a glitch in his head that whispered a foreboding, melancholy song of the
unknown as he rolled the file wheel on his Cygnus lighter, igniting Continue reading “A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 7: End Of The Line”
(A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 6: Searching In The Wild is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
Elston had been about as patient as he could imagine any man being in his current situation. The late morning sun was beating down through the windshield and the Jeep’s air conditioning was having a terrible time
catching up. He’d been on the road this morning since well before the sun Continue reading “A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 6: Searching In The Wild”
(A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 5: The Place To Be is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
The sun broke in splintered array through the wooded background of the still lake that stretched out before him. This was the stuff, the place that Elston longed to be were it not for the overwhelming
responsibilities that demanded his time. A little better planning and this could’ve been his life.
Instead his days were filled with the whirring of machinery: laithes and mills, saws and drills. Coolant soaked boots traipsing through curly metal Continue reading “A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 5: The Place To Be”
(A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 4: Coursing Through The Night is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
The night was no stranger to Elston, in fact it might be his oldest friend or perhaps companion was a better term. Through long sleepless nights when the dark haze enveloped though slumber had betrayed him to his own
frivolous frolicking through the dusking hinterlands the music played between his ears like some searching, grasping Simon & Garfunkel tune.
The night used to be the playground of his demons, the sort of companion his parents would’ve said was a bad influence for sure. There were sounds of Continue reading “A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 4: Coursing Through The Night”
(A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 3: The Morning We Get is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
Shawn had been staring out that window for days. He thought about feeling sorry for himself once but then thought better of it. The rain just kept
falling, gathering at spots in the top of the frame and running in currents down the side like tiny, rushing rivers, bending, flowing, being blown to Continue reading “A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 3: The Morning We Get”
(A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 2: Making Sense Of Old Habitsis a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
The hand moves toward an illegitimate task even when the mind remains steadfast, resolute in the formation of new habits but knowing for certain
that old ones are forever broken. We like to remain in the dark when we can, heads buried and Elston was no different but these were not those kind of Continue reading “A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story Volume 2: Making Sense Of Old Habits”
(Degrees Of Legality: A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story is a work of fiction presented by DependableFlame.com)
“Hey, man, that’s illegal you know! You can’t do that here.” Elston had heard this all before but things were supposed to be different now. We had voted on it, there had been an election after all.
Great hope accompanied the signature petition drives that were central to the movement and forefront in most of our minds as this new reality took shape. You could feel the tide changing but
experience told me to be wary as the rug had been snatched from beneath us more than once in the past. Little did we realize it would Continue reading “Degrees Of Legality: A Vintage Petrol Lighter Story”
(A Pyrophoric Poem from DependableFlame)
I reached and patted my left chest pocket repeatedly with the palm of my right hand, fingers fondling but finding no purchase on, nor
shape thereof a light. Blindly agitated as I surveyed them all, each in the pants, the other chest, the many pockets empty in my coat.
Can I please get my lighter back? The sort of oversight that had me questioning not only my morning routine but every decision that Continue reading “Can I Please Get My Lighter Back?”
Vintage petrol lighter enthusiasts are always on the lookout for their next big haul of forgotten gems. Finding old lighters may at times seem like searching the proverbial haystack for a needle but those with experience
know a trick or two that make the haystacks a little smaller. The question is asked of me constantly from the comments of YouTube videos and articles at DependableFlame.com to emails and posts in the DependableFlame.com Facebook Group, “where do you buy vintage cigarette lighters and the parts to repair them?” In this article we will highlight some of the smaller stacks from which vintage petrol lighters are often discovered.
It may seem like the Wild West some times but Facebook Marketplace can be an excellent source for buying vintage cigarette lighters. Experience tells me you need to be ready to act when confronted with a group of lighters for Continue reading “Where Do You Buy Vintage Cigarette Lighters? The Top Places To Buy Old Petrol Lighters And The Parts To Repair Them”
Some might be surprised to find such selfless cooperation among individuals who seemingly covet the same prize. Oh, there are childish antics at play for certain but overshadowed by a spirit of camaraderie among like-minded enthusiasts of vintage cigarette lighters. There is plenty of room for goodwill and brotherly encouragement in the pursuit of the tiny little fire making machines that mean so much to us all. The existence of opportunity for such fellowship still never ceases to amaze as to see it in action exceeds the wildest expectations I could have considered before my own entry into the vintage cigarette lighter hobby.
The first avenue most of us stroll down in the world of vintage lighters is dating or identification information for a specific lighter for which such details may not seem readily available. Sometimes that’s true, sometimes not and responses by experienced collectors and “experts” will vary widely.
I was helped on multiple occasions via Facebook Messenger by a very prominent Zippo collector and dealer who boasts a collection that is second Continue reading “Vintage Cigarette Lighter Hobby: A Spirit Of Camaraderie Among Like-Minded Enthusiasts(Well, At Least Most Of The Time!)”