Featured Dunhill 'Unique Sports' Lift-Arm Lighter (Ca. 1925)

I will try my best to bear up under the criticism. If it's that offensive, you're welcome to have the thread deleted.

 

are you certain the question I asked was criticism ?

 

Absolutely.

 

geez, I hope this won't be deleted, you did a very wonderful job of bringing the lighter back to life. There was no intention to criticize , just a comment that I/we think it was a shame to remove the initials (sorry komokwa, don't mean to speak for you)

to me, a history buff while restoring, would keep as much of the original piece as possible, but you are the new owner, you can do what you like to it. To me it is sad that whoever AR was, they are now gone from the history of this piece.
You posted on a forum so you should expect to get comments that you might not like. No need to want the post deleted.
Again, it looks wonderful with the new plating

 

Again, it looks wonderful with the new plating

Yah, like it was never out of it's original box !!!!!!..

 

You haven't met the people I've met, who went into a nuclear meltdown over a joke about a broken pen.

 

I've known loads of people who would have me scalped just for getting it replated because it "destroys the originality".

I can't stand it when people bleat on about leaving things "original". To me "original" means "what it looked like ORIGINALLY".

Originally, it didn't have engraving, originally it wasn't plain brass, originally, it worked, and functioned, and struck, and lit. When people talk about 'originality', to me it means returning it to its original condition.

 

I can't stand it when people bleat on about 'I'm a huge history-buff and antiques enthusiast'.......and then wipe away the history of an antique just to please their eye.

 

As you said - on that we will have to agree to disagree. Some people like restoring things to their original condition - that's me. You don't. That's you.

Nothing to, or can, be done about that.

If you think that makes me a hypocrite or something, then, so be it. I can live with it.

 

It is @Shangas's lighter. You don't ever have to look at it again. If he enjoys it like it is now then that is all that matters. If AR had been a relative or a close friend then I might feel different & I think he would also. However, as far as I can tell it was just a random piece he bought.

Some collectors think I should leave my perfume bottles as I get them rather than soaking then in alcohol or vinegar & sometimes dismantling them entirely. I disagree because even though I don't ever plan on using them I would rather get the perfume residue clean out of the bottle itself & removed from the hardware. Not to mention the dust & dirt buildup on top of the perfume residue.

JMHO

 

he did more than take it apart and clean it....that's something we all have done.

I don't see the similarity..

I was parroting his jibe at @cxgirl ..... "I can't stand it when people bleat on about leaving things "original"" ....... which you didn't seem to notice !

Of course it's his lighter.....he can sell it or stomp on it......but that's not relevant to the point being discussed here...... IMO !

 

All I did was ask an honest question......and agreed to disagree on part of the answer.

I'm allowed that here !

There was no criticism , until the OP insinuated...

 

I would have kept the initials too, however to each their own! I've got a vintage 1980's Black U Dot bowling ball with the original owner's initials. Made sure to keep them just so that people would ask questions lol. I tell people it was my pro bowler uncle's ball.

 

If it was a date, or a Christmas dedication, or a birthday present, or something else of significance, I would've left the inscription alone. But random initials just don't add anything to the piece, which is why I removed it. You can think differently and that's your privilege. As I said before - my aim was to return the lighter to its original condition, and originally - engraved initials were not part of its appearance. That's really all there is to it.