Aluminum Block Lighters

After the end of World War 2 'strategic materials' (e.g. copper, brass) were still in very limited supply. Aluminum, however, was plentiful - it had been produced in large quantities for aircraft production which came to an abrupt end with the end of the war.

Many companies got into manufacturing 'aluminum block lighters'. These were primarily machined from a solid aluminum block shaping it and drilling holes as necessary. They were typically comprised of very few parts and all pretty simple and made of aluminum - except the striker wheel, springs, and screws for holding the wheel and flint in place.

Many have company names - most do not. Some have been machined with patterns on them - most are very plain. There is a wide variety of types and styles; there were literally hundreds of models made in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Most were manufactured in the 1940s with only a few still being manufactured by the mid-1950s and very few after that.

See the article: Metal Mania - The Lord Oxford

Vintage Cigarette Lighters