For productions
Period lighters that actually light
Most vintage lighters on the market do not work. They photograph fine and then an actor strikes one on a take and nothing happens. Everything here has been stripped, rebuilt and flame tested before it was listed, which is a different proposition from a dressed prop.
Coverage
- Eras held
- 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s
- Makers
- Ronson, Colibri, Imco, Kincraft
- Typical stock
- About 30 at any time
How it works
- Send the brief - era, how many, whether they need to light on camera or only look right.
- Nick will say what he has now and what he can find. Sourcing and restoring to order takes a few weeks depending on the model.
- Bulk goes direct rather than through Etsy. Hire is possible for pieces too good to sell outright - ask.
- Everything ships dry. Fuel is your side of the production, not his, and there are rules about posting it.
Worth knowing
- Ronson Varaflames are the safest bet for anything set between the late fifties and the seventies, and they are most of the stock.
- For pre-war, petrol Ronsons are correct and gas is not - the Varaflame did not exist until 1957.
- A lighter that has to be struck repeatedly on a shoot day will want spare flints and a top-up. Say so and they will come with it.