Antique Collectable Imco IFA "Trench Lighter"

Collectable Imco IFA Slide Sleeve Lighter or "trench lighter". This one is c 1927. 90 years old as of this year.
The inscription is in script font = IFA (not "YFA" or "TFA") and it stands for "Imco Feuerzeuge Austria" ('Feuerzeuge' fire machine)
IMCO started in 1907 as a button factory in Austria. They made their first wind-resistant trench lighters in 1918 from WWI scrap artillery shell casings.
They were owned by Julius Meister & Company Vienna Austria.
The company manufactured over 500,000,000 cigarette lighters.
IMCO had the first wheel / flint cigarette lighter.
In 1913 Ronson had a lighter that used a match-like striker.
As of June 2012, IMCO went out of business.

[@Beery1962]

The patent for this lighter dates to 1925, so although it was based on a design from "trench art" lighters made by soldiers during WW1, this particular design was not actually used in WW1. It was a very popular lighter in its day, especially among those who valued the trench art aesthetic, and may have been used in the Spanish Civil War.

[@anthonywilliams379]

looking it up it was claimed that during the war the company did make ones from shells returning from the front (presumably ones that didn't pass inspection for reloading) but i have no idea how true that is.

[@Beery1962]

​@@anthonywilliams379 It makers for a nice story, but suspect it's a myth. No IMCO lighters made from shell casings have ever been found. IMCO did re-tool as a lighter manufacturer in 1918 as orders for their stock-in-trade military buttons fizzled out towards the end of WW1, but as far as I can tell, they never used bullet/shell casings and their first lighter didn't appear until 1920. Back in the '70s, makers of repro 1920s lighters pushed a myth of the "WW1 trench lighter" in order to sell their products, and the idea caught on in the public imagination. However, as far as I can tell, actual WW1 trench lighters were rare, and were made only as one-offs by individuals, not companies.

[@Beery1962]

@@masonldeluxe They may have had the patent in 1912, but my research indicates they didn't actually make any lighters (at least not on any scale) until 1918. Also, the patent is not for a lighter made from a shell casing (which is what I was talking about before). There is very little information to be found, but as I understand it, the company was swamped with orders for military buttons until 1918. The idea that IMCO made lighters from shell casings during WWI is, it seems, a myth. In fact I suspect they never used shell casings to make their lighters. They made lighters that looked similar to shell casings, but I suspect that was just to cash in on the soldier aesthetic that was popular in 1919.

[@Beery1962]

@@masonldeluxe I get it. I've seen the 1912 marked IMCO lighters. I'm just disputing that these, or any of what are popularly called "trench lighters" were made by any companies (including IMCO) and distributed on any scale during WWI. Before, maybe, after, certainly, but during? I doubt it. I've been studying WWI trench warfare for over 40 years (which is what got me collecting lighters in the first place), and I have yet to see any mass produced lighters that have any clear connection to the war. No soldiers' effects sales ever show such a thing. All I ever see is one-off trench art lighters. It's quite a different matter in WW2 - IMCO definitely did mass produce lighters during that war. The famous IMCO Triplex seems to have been officially issued to German troops (and so many of them were taken off dead Germans by the Russians that the Russians gave them a nickname - "Vdovushka" (the little widow).

[@tacit46mikhail]

Интересный экземпляр !... А у меня в серед 60-х гг.были 2 "Имко"(1-прямоуголная,2-ая --прямоуг.-цилиндрическая)--безотказные!! 3-тья--япон."пистолет"-зажигалка(из дула лампочка),таких встречал лишь--2 !Все подарил,когда бросил курить,в т.ч."Зиппо" и "Эйфелева башня"(с подсветкой, газовая)...Спасибо за хорошее видео!..-и за мои воспоминания о студенчестве...

[@tsbrownie]

"An interesting specimen! ... And in the mid-60s I had 2 "Imko" (1-rectangular, the second - rectangular-cylindrical) - trouble-free !! 3rd - Japanese "pistol" -lighter (from the muzzle of a light bulb), I met only 2 of them! I gave everything when I quit smoking, including "Zippo" and "Eiffel Tower" ) ... Thanks for the good video! ..- and for my memories of the student body ..." Thank you for visiting.

[@masonldeluxe]

I do believe you have one of the rarer variants. The rounded snuffer cap is slightly rarer but the flint spring lever on your model is super rare, I don’t know why they switched to spherical as this one is much easier to pull down to load the flint.

[@3urkej4mes]

I have had one for most of my life. Always used it one handed.

[@thornwarbler]

That's an absolute gem..........thanks for showing it

[@mtrltoolman]

Looks good,thanks for sharing.

[@chok2345]

Great video, Thanks!

[@deavyhick6803]

It easily one hand operated if you hold the lighter like your losing your grip on a pull up bar, and push down on the spark wheel with your thumb.

[@anthonywilliams379]

just bought one of these, wick looked unfired and it took to lighter fluid without issues like some older ones have that have used petrol (hence research to determine if it was real or repro), bought as a user however so wasn't bothered if it was real or fake, only issue with it is the split ring braize has broken but I'm hoping it's just solder I can re-melt with my soldering iron, looking forward to using it, I did cut down a piece of bike innertube to serve was a washer on the fuel cap though to cut down on evaporation as that's the main plus I had from my cheap repro one was how long the fuel kept for.

[@davidcooper6704]

Production of these commenced in the early 1920s and are certainly not "Trench lighters" although often erroniously reffered to as such. Great item but never used in the trenches during WW1.

[@marcoramirez2703]

I’ld have watched this video before I bought my zippo, this look cool and more handy (keychain)

[@wiifiisucks]

I’ve recently been handed down a light just like this. Do you know anywhere I can refurb it?

[@tsbrownie]

That is a good question. I've always bought things that are refurbed or don't need it, so I don't have any sources. Friends who have it done always look for local people based on reputation. You might try asking at flea markets, antique dealers, etc.

[@MRrwmac]

Very Very nice and interesting lighter! How and where did you ever find it? Might you want to sell it?

[@tsbrownie]

Thank you. A friend of mine game this to me a long time ago, so it has sentimental value. I think you can find them pretty cheap on e-bay. I just looked one up on ebay for $53.

[@MRrwmac]

tsbrownie Those are fakes or DIY. I know you're honest and therefore yours is the real thing. But I understand you keeping it. I have a couple things like that from my military time. A French coin found while digging with my intrenching tool in Southeast Asia. A winter set of Mickey Mouse boots I wore on cold sub zero nights on guard duty on the DMZ.

[@tsbrownie]

I'm sure there are lots of fakes. I've seen some 192x ones that look brand new. These might be, but they look like they've been used.

[@shahancheong9792]

It is possible to operate this with one hand. Wrap first and middle finger around windshield. Grip firmly. With thumb, press down on flint-wheel. This pushes the lighter down, and the shield up. Then flick the wheel with thumb to light.

[@Igaratravkov]

Класс 🔥🔥🔥👍🔥🔥🔥

[@alexanderolekenakela2646]

My ones patent is : 89538 . You know anything about that ? Looks similar to yours just cap not coming automatically down

[@masonldeluxe]

That is an earlier one from around 1919.

[@Gary-Seven-and-Isis-in-1968]

"From approximately WW1 era" ? I agree it is an IMCO from 1927 , Don't you realize that WW1 ended in 1918?

[@tsbrownie]

Yes, but production on this MODEL was started around WWI and continued after. THIS particular UNIT was from 1927.

[@Gary-Seven-and-Isis-in-1968]

Exactly my point. The earlier models were slightly different in design. You have a Model 1927, by the way, it is a fine example and far superior to the many Chinese copies being fobbed off as genuine here on KZbin. This might be of some use, it's the best information that I've so far found on dating IMCO production. www.vintage-evans-and-classic-cigarette-lighters.com/imco.php

[@michaeldavidmontalvo2402]

@@Gary-Seven-and-Isis-in-1968 no one likes a smart ass

[@nic-hol-assgrain6574]

Where do I get me one a them?

[@tsbrownie]

You have to be careful, most you can find are re-makes being sold as antiques. Check ebay, Amazon, antique dealers... A guy in New Zealand offered to sell some, but his comment's gone now. Just know what you are buying and how much it's actually worth. Lot of fakes out there.

[@nic-hol-assgrain6574]

tsbrownie thanks brosky

[@blp006]

How much is it worth.

[@tsbrownie]

No idea. Don't want to sell it.

[@ashoksolanki6618]

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