Collectible Lighters (Collectibles) Paperback – May 2, 2003

The photographs are superb. Each page features one lighter, and has a few lines describing that lighter. Sometimes the text provides interesting and useful information; other times it simply repeats what you can see by looking at the picture. The book gives you the museum experience--well-displayed objects, each with a small card of info.French lighters are heavily favored, but there are 40 or so pages of Zippos (40 or so lighters), two Ronsons, and no IMCOs at all.There is no info on how the lighters work (or whether they work). If you are interested in how things work, you will find this book frustrating. I kept asking myself "how do you put the fluid in this thing?"The writing seems odd at times. It is translated from the French, and the translations don't always work. Do nearly all the lighters in the book really work with "gasoline"? There are a few weapons-connected errors-- the copper driving bands on an artillery shell are not there to make it go faster, as the text states. And there are two mistakes on page 220, which shows "a butane lighter in the shape of a P38 revolver." The P.38 was not a revolver. It was a semi-auto. Also the lighter is not in the shape of a P.38. It looks more like a Mauser HSc.I think there are two mistakes about Zippos: On page 362, we read that the Zippo Slim is the "slenderest of the Zippo models." Maybe it should have been translated as "slenderer" of the models? On p. 368: "Here is a Slim model ..." but it is not.Finally, there was just way too much information about the French Tax Act of 28 December 1910. Way more than I wanted to know.

I PURCHASED THIS IN HOPES TO LOCATE A RARE FAMILY HEIRLOOM. IT IS A GENIE LATERN WHICH IS ALSO A CIGARETTE LIGHTER WHEN FILLED WITH LIGHTER FLUID. YOU LIGHT IT AND BRASS PRONGS YOU REMOVE TO LIGHT YOUR CIGARETTE. I ALSO PURCHASED ANOTHER BOOK AND IT WAS ALSO NOT HELPFUL. NEITHER HAD THIS RARE LIGHTER IN THEM, AND NEITHER BOOK HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. I DO KNOW SOMEONE WHO COLLECTS LIGHTERS, AND I PLAN ON GIVING BOTH BOOKS TO THEM IN HOPES THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM THE CONTENTS. BOTH ARE WELL ILLUSTRATED, BUT I DON'T FEEL EITHER AUTHOR HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE I NEED TO HELP ME FIND THE VALUE OF MY PERTICULAR LIGHTER. HOPEFULLY, THIS WILL BE OF HELP TO MY SPECIAL FRIEND IN LOCATUING SOME ITEMS HE HAS.

Excellent photography and some very detailed information on some lighters (especially liked the soldiers lighters section).As another reviewer stated a lot are French, but there's a good cross section of types.I really liked the introduction and learnt a lot about the history of lighters.Would be great if there were price ranges, but they don't stay current for long anyway.Index at rear makes it easy to find common lighter manufacturers.Enjoyable book I'll be revisiting regularly, and I now have even more lighters on my wish list!For the price, $5.50 used mint condition it was a steal.

Great for identifying the many makers and kinds

I learned a great deal not covered elsewhere. Superb, high quality, and plentiful photos.

helpful and exhaustive in it's information. pictures are well done and information is presented easy to understand. welcome addition to my resource library

Great info source.

Great book!

私はタバコを吸わないので ライターにまったく関心もありませんでしたしこの本を手に取るまで 装飾品としてのライターにコレクション性があるとは知りませんでした。 この本を見ると本当に様々な装飾の施された ライターが紹介されていて 見て楽しめる図鑑です。 版としては特殊で小さい本ですが 厚みはあります。こういう小さなアイテムに色々装飾をこだわるというのは何かこう日本人好みなところがあると思いました。英語の本ですが見て楽しむものなので大丈夫です。

small in size, but lots of pics, mostly from France, with the odd zippo. No prices, but gives a good overview of the Lighters available.

Being brought up with pounds shillings and pence means I still get caught out by metric dimensions so I was initially disappointed with this book. The format and size suggests it might have made six series of bubble gum cards but the depth of research by the author shown in the captions more than makes up for this. France seems to be the major invetor and innovator as far as lighters are concerned and the author has a fixation with lighters made by "les poilus" in the trenches during WW I as they are the largest group represented. The ubiquitous Zippo is a close second as far as numbers represented.The other large group of lighters are one of the most coveted brands, Dunhill. I have owned seventeen and wrecked nine so they have a large place in my affections. The author describes a Dunhill I have never heard of; the Achitect. Not shown but described alongside a ruler type Dunhill which is desirable enough, the Architect is marked in inches and centimeters and is one yard long. Fill that.The use of the word gasoline instead of benzene becomes tiring after repetition but that is a minor gripe alongside the fact there are only two Ronsons in the 350 examples shown in the book. This little item is not a bad start for those interested in lighters up to and including the butane disposable examples.

Not the most informative book on lighters (eg there are no valuations) , but certainly one of the more enjoyable to flick through. The lighters are split into Workaday, trench art, promotional and luxury. Its small, the photographs are well taken and its a pleasing book to read.

Christmas gift