It was the first world war that helped to bring the lighter into general use. '' Old Bill'' over in France pinned his faith to the match, but matches were scarce and, besides, lost many a soldier his life to a watchful sniper. Hence the new-fangled lighter was given its first chance. Bruce Bairnsfather immortalised it in his humorous drawings of the British soldier in the field. The lighter that Old Bill used had no petrol; it was a tube with a striker wheel at the top and a length of tinder which could be made to glow. It shouldered though it did not flare; but it sufficed for the trenches, and it surely saved many a fighting man his life.

One of the earliest "Kaiser's war" lighters, petrol-less but with tinder wick, cerium flint and wheel, which preceded the petrol lighter.

Maurice Davis and Heaps of Birmingham—now Mosda—produced one of them, although who was the first manufacturer here it is hard to determine. The late James Adler of Oppenheimers about this time designed an elaborate and ingenious lighter somewhat resembling a miniature miner's lamp which served the dual purpose of lighter and hand-warmer, at the same time shielding its light from the enemy. It served its purpose, but was too elaborate for modern use.
The end of the war brought a flood of cheap lighters from the Continent; they were quite a bargain at twopence or threepence each.

One of the earliest petrol lighters, a development of the flint-and-tinder-wick lighter

Maurice Davis and Heaps of Birmingham—now Mosda—produced one of them, although who was the first manufacturer here it is hard to determine. The late James Adler of Oppenheimers about this time designed an elaborate and ingenious lighter somewhat resembling a miniature miner's lamp which served the dual purpose of lighter and hand-warmer, at the same time shielding its light from the enemy. It served its purpose, but was too elaborate for modern use.
The end of the war brought a flood of cheap lighters from the Continent; they were quite a bargain at twopence or threepence each.


The idea of the lighter was now firmly established, and the music hall jokes of the period helped to bring them more and more to public attention. Leading importers at this time were Oppenheimer, Orlik and Bernhardt. A little later Beney came in with a cigarette box fitted with an electrical device that provided a light automatically as the box opened but the batteries proved the disadvantage with this idea. About this time, 1922-3, a semi-automatic lighter by Thorens of Switzerland was marketed by Oppenheimers and remained popular for some years. A number of British manufacturers were now experimenting with semi-automatic types of lighters.

The first fully automatic Ronson lighter, the "Banjo" made in U.S.A., 1926

The American-made " Ronson Delight," the first lighter to have a simple thumb-lever action, was an early gold mine. ; It was perhaps Beney and Dunhill who really lifted the trade out of the rut. Their models were expensive—as much as 12s. 6d. to 25s.—and they attracted notable people, who set a fashion. It is an interesting theory that the trade might still have flagged but for a significant action of the Baldwin Government of 1924-29. Chancellor Churchill imposed a tax of 6d. on British lighters and 1s. on imported varieties.

A 1914-18 War "Safety" lighter, imitating miner's lamp: by James Adler, of Oppenheimer's

Beney entered the lists with their own mechanical lighter about 1919. Dunhill in 1922. At that time excise duty was 1s., but the smoker still had a selection of lighters at 4s. 6d. In 1932 mosda sold a "Ray" lighter at 2s. 6d. which proved to be a popular half-crowns worth; and Ronson produced their first "Made in England" lighter in 1945. So the race went on.

This is claimed to be the first British automatic lighter, by Mosda

The latest newcomer was the butane gas lighter. The first of these to marketed in the UK was of French make, the flamminaire, imported by Civic in 1950. Next in the field came the C.F.I. British-made gas lighter by the Bedford Metal Company, followed in 1952 by the Silver Match gas lighter manufactured by the British Butanic Lighter Co. Ronson. And there ends our little history into the lighting forces behind our tobacco. I'm sure the race will go on to find the ultimate lighting instrument for our tobacco. How much less complicated it was for our fore fathers, when all was needed was a burning ember plucked from the fire. Mind you I wouldn't like to carry it in my pocket, money burns holes in my pockets as it is, let alone adding a burning ember!
The End, or is it???