9ct Gold lighter from the 60's but who is the daddy? Dunhill??

This looks exactly like a Dunhill rollagas lighter shown in an auction I found on the bay site. I've identified the year as 1962 and this is 9ct gold but nothing else. I cannot make out the initials seen at the beginning other than possibly a W at the end.

This sparks when turned but I assume it needs gas in order to give a flame. Does anyone know anything about lighters? Were all Dunhills marked? Is this a very good knockoff? What have I got here, please? Sorry if this is the wrong area to post but I did not know where else to post it. Thank you for any help

 

along the lines of a Dunhill....but I see nothing to suggest it's not a knock off...

 

any markings on the guts of the mechanism ..?

 

So they do make fakes or knockoffs of the Dunhills? Aye, yay, yay

 

That same patent number One number I could not make out but I see it on your pic now looking it up, it says it's a Dunhill patent

 

so those marks are on yours too ??
I can't see the area on your photo...

 

@komokwa

 

hummmm ?

 

"
Jan. 24,1928. 3 1,657,352

' l. FLORMAN PORTABLE LIGHTERAND METHOD OF MAKING THE Filed May 21, 1927 art vendor,

Jew/v6 FLOEMJM Patented Jan. 24, 1928.

IRVING FLORMAN.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PORTABLE LIGHTER AND METHOD MAKING- THE SAME."

"The interior of the lighter is filled with any suitable absorbent material, but I prefer to use the material known as crapewadding, a highly absorbent wood pulp product which enables the lighter to hold more fuel than where a less absorbent material is used.-"

The patent no. alone does not make it Dunhill

 

thank you. I kind of figured I could not contribute it to being a Dunhill. I listed it as a gold lighter with Dunhill patent. Thank you all for the help

 

1,857,352 ..the number on the lighter from post #3......is the usa patent for a pump.....
thus I can only surmise your lighter is a fake dunhill..

I'm no expert....but the ducks do seem to be in a row..!

 

Thank you. I could have never imagined that they would fake a lighter. Mercy!

 

I'm not sure fake is quite the right word....
the rollagas was very popular..... so maybe copy would be more appropriate ...
after all, no one tried to fake the bottom signature markings...& the gold marks include a makers mark.

 

1,657,352 is the number. Ronson took over the patent rights in 1963. Butane would not have been used at the original patent time.

 

the number in my post sure looks like an 8....

& the one with the 6 , as you've shown is for a fluid and wick lighter.....so why it would be stamped on a butane lighter is unknown to me..

 

so r u saying that indeed someone was trying to fake a Ronson using that pat'd number as being from them??

 

The patent is for 'method of making', not the design. The crux of it was a cheap cast zinc insert. The only place I find the patent associated with a British company is in selling ads. Apparently one ad made the claim to sell their Ronson and the rest saw it on the innerwebs and used it in their ads. And now here is another post with the other name associated with that patent number.

 

The present invention relates to portable cigar lighters of the type wherein a frictional sparking device is employed. i The object of the invention is to slmplify the construction of such lighters, and to materially reduce the cost of makmg them. This result is brought about by so designing the lighter as to eliminate certain of the members usually found in lighters of this type and, so far as possible, casting the parts of the lighter so as to eliminate more expensive operations.

A further object of the invention 18 to provide a lighter of improved design and appearance and easier to operate than those heretofore in use.

Further objects will be apparent from the description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention.



Oh, I think the design......is highly linked to the patent !

 

a preferred embodiment of the invention

 

Hi,
Not a fake, but it is an aftermarket gold jacket.

AD had production at various times in the UK where the company was based, Switzerland, France, Japan and I believe china.
Rollagas went through various incarnations with "cross over" models in between some revisions, and differences in tooling between different prodction sites, and then different markings for different intended markets over their 70 odd years of production.

Throw in local repairs, and to expect every unit to be a twin, when their 50 years old, would be ambitious.

At different times AD made Gold Jacket - 9k, 14k and 18k - and sold gold versions. For small run high end items, use of outsourced goldsmiths wasn't uncommon. - Cig cases by German, French or even Austrian artizans did happen.

Was normal for Jewellers to also under their own steam - make jacketed versions - as they were not produced by AD they didn't carry the Dunhill stampings.

Far Eastern fakes did get made (Korea is the normal source) - but why a British Jeweller (with enough skill to make a beautiful jacket that survives close to 60 years) would build it around a copy, would be beyond common sense.

Some of the most beautiful Dunhills are after market Jackets, and the Italians seem to habitually clad their GP Cartiers in woven wire 18ct gold sleeves.

Anyway - I discovered your post / pictures when i was on a similar mission - have a sister to your lighter. same pattern after market jacket in 9ct.
Not quite (or close to) as pristine as yours in honesty - but inherited and with original Dunhill box etc. - Mine date stamps to 1960.
The makers mark is also the least legible of the stamps - but I'm hoping that between your pics and mine I've got a chance of working out its letters. - will post some pics later.

Link for model variations (PIA as most of the identifiers they give are related to the bottom of the lighter - which in your case is under a mm or so of gold and unseen.

http://gordonbyastdunhills.weebly.com/