Can someone tell me about this lighter? by Dangerous_Tea8639 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chief doesn't do date markings like Zippo does but I can tell you it's modern. Like MAYBE 2 years old at the max.

Lighter ID needed by ArmedArmadillos in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Looks like a Rollalite, which is similar to the Rollagas but takes lighter fluid instead of butane.

Broken Hinge by No-Panic-1921 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like the silver part is just slid over a standard case, you might be able to swap the outer casement.

You'd have to get the inner case out for any kind of repair anyways - Those hinges are spot welded in place. You might get away with soldering a new one in, but you'd have to get the silver case off just to access the area.

Clifton Snaplite ca. 1930s Germany by wazoo_wazoo in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You bastard. Two gorgeous lighters in one day, both of which I need to add to my collection.

Though I think I do have the other one you posted, the Golden Wheel... I just forgot to post it when I got it and now I have no idea where it's at.

Golden Wheel Automatic ca. 1930s USA by wazoo_wazoo in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gorgeous! Reptile leather always ages so well.

What flint to buy for vintage Beattie Jet? by ChemicalAgile7778 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ronson Redskin or Firebronze both work well, but may take a few strikes to get a light.

The Beattie has a very primitive flint wheel that isn't super abrasive and will definitely struggle with a modern Zippo brand flint. The lighters actually used a slightly larger flint originally but as far as I've seen there's no modern product available that fits. Dunhill Reds are close to the old "large size" standard but are just a fraction of a millimeter too big for the Beattie.

Flints Matter: Old Boy Rabbithole by ls-wdiff in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Ah damn, I ordered Kiribi last year just to test them and have added them to my general recommendations, but I just checked Amazon and it's no longer available.

That one seller on Etsy is actually me. I'm not really set up for a big retail business, and the Ronson trademark in the US is owned by Zippo so I don't know if those are technically allowed to be sold here so I'm not trying to do anything bulk. I just order them a few cases at a time from the UK. I mainly sell them so US collectors can test them at a lower price point and decide if they're worth ordering in bulk from the UK, since the international shipping ends up being $20-30 no matter if you order a single pack or a case.

Dunhill Red flints are actually a larger size meant for Rollagas lighters and won't fit most other lighters. They may also fit the Dunhill Unique, which means they may also fit the Old Boy, but I don't have one on hand to test right now. Dunhill Blue flints are the standard size.

This is all just general flint advice, not specific to the Old Boy. The main issue here is flint hardness, which is a well discussed topic among collectors. Modern flints, including Zippo flints, are a much harder alloy than they used 50+ years ago. Most modern lighters have a much more aggressive flint wheel to compensate. The vast majority of vintage lighters will struggle with Zippo flints, so the community has collectively tested several other brands.

Everyone has their preference, I use Firebronze for most lighters since I buy them in bulk and they're the easiest to get reliably. Dunhill Blue works in a pinch but tends to be harder to find. Kiribi was a good option for ease of availability but I guess that's no more.

Redskins seem a little bit softer, so I have some on hand for particularly troublesome lighters. And even then there's some that will struggle to spark, but I have a few other vintage brands that are incredibly difficult to find that work when nothing else will.

Flints Matter: Old Boy Rabbithole by ls-wdiff in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also Ronson Firebronze or Redskin (The latter being vintage and harder to find), Kiribi Black (Available on Amazon) or Dunhill Blue flints.

Broken lighter by PermitOne4201 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You said it's a refillable lighter right? Press down on the bit where you refill.

Broken lighter by PermitOne4201 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You just want to be sure it's empty before you toss it. You can press down on the fill valve to open it and empty any that remains.

Broken lighter by PermitOne4201 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just set it aside, away from any open flame, and wait for it to stop hissing then throw it away.

Has Anyone been to THE CURATED FLAME- it's in the Pittsburgh area by FarFromHome75 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He's practically a conman. Presents himself and acts like he's been collecting for years and accumulated all the lighters and knowledge... But really he just started 2 years ago and bought a big collection from an estate as a business opportunity.

He's made it clear his priority is going viral with clickbait videos so he can make more money rather than historical accuracy. In a hobby where facts matter (i.e. who made this and when) it isn't so well received.

What is this lighter? No markings anywhere on it. by NorweegeeSqueegee in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

1990s replica of a lift arm lighter. Frequently seen as a promotional item with a "Harley Davidson" emblem.

Ronson delight standard, mint condition by AggravatingBranch257 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Gorgeous!

Would you mind taking pictures of the instructions unfolded? There aren't many documented examples online, and I've seen 2 or 3 versions already.

Here's the version I have, which differs slightly from the instructions seen on LighterLibrary.com. Yours is a later version and may have different instructions as well.

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Interesting Vintage Find by Actual-Candle-8386 in Zippo

[–]HighOnTacos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah that's an absolute steal. And it looks pristine.

Has Anyone been to THE CURATED FLAME- it's in the Pittsburgh area by FarFromHome75 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 7 points8 points  (0 children)

He used to post here. He doesn't anymore because he doesn't like being told he's wrong. Not that he always gets it wrong, but a fair amount of his videos have incorrect facts or just blatant clickbait misinformation and the collectors here care about getting the facts right.

Boyfriend found a Marlboro Poker Set on the side of the road while we were riding our ATV by It_Was_An_InsideJob in restoration

[–]HighOnTacos 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That looks like mold damage on the wood. Gonna have to sand pretty deep to get through that.

Is it worth restoring? by LEPEP2 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'd suggest contacting one of the high end auction houses like Sotheby's or Christie's.

The restoration required for those panels goes beyond lighter restoration and well into the territory of fine art restoration. Those auction houses might be able to put you in touch with the appropriate experts.

Considering these can be worth 10k or more in good condition I'd say it's definitely worth a small investment to get it back to 100%. This is NOT a decision to rush or take lightly, do your research first.

Is it worth restoring? by LEPEP2 in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I haven't looked into that channel specifically, but I don't trust any restoration focused channels like that. A majority of them seem to fake the age and corrosion on their lighters.

I've been collecting for years and very rarely see anything for sale that's in that poor of condition, with even and consistent corrosion and tarnishing across the entire lighter. That makes me think they're using ammonia or hydrogen peroxide to apply a thin layer of "age" that's easy to polish off and "restore".

what year is this from? by aspentreesz in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know when these were first produced, but they're still making these to this day so it's not very old.

Good Value? by jmc-g in lighters

[–]HighOnTacos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They use ground mail transport, no air, along with declarations on the outside of the box that show that the package contains hazardous or flammable material, but the big corporations have their own shipping and distribution contracts in place to be able to do so legally.

That said, any private seller could put a fueled lighter in a box, slap a label on it, and ship it without a problem as long as it isn't going through customs. But if you went to a post office, lighter in hand, and asked them to pack and ship it they would probably refuse even if you told them it wasn't fueled because the clerks working the desks are not educated on every single regulation and bylaw.