Restoring a WW2 Petrol Lighter: The German Version of a "Zippo"

[@Primus54]

Wow… Perfectly restored, perfect video recording, perfect editing, and extremely creative production. I really liked how you dumped the old cotton into a medical instrument tray… clever! Thanks for a very entertaining video! 👍👍👍 ~John in Ohio

[@isaacnguyen6944]

Primus was (is?) the name of a beer from Congo (ex belge)!

[@JasperJanssen]

Perfectly restored is off-brand given the channel title.

[@Primus54]

@@JasperJanssen You make an excellent point. Time for a name change! 😉

[@MrCreativeEZ]

I've been doing this kind of stuff for many years now, but this guy is truly fantastic

[@SimeonCogswell]

I love this. Old lighters are so interesting and well designed. I hate that everything now is just a piece of disposable plastic.

[@marcdewilde518]

Well done! There also is an Austrian version of this trench lighter. The brand name is IMCO and they still make them today. Retail price is less than 20€. I personally think both lighters are by design superior to Zippo. Greetings from Belgium.

[@dermaurer9767]

Imco was bought from chinese people in 2012. Since then they are made in china with worse quality. I bought 2 original austrian made ones and use one every day since over 1 year and i love it. Greetings from germany

[@youbobmaster]

Imco doesnt exist anymore. Only knockoffs, i own originals as well as rip offs and thers a major quality difference

[@TokyoAzzA]

I have a China knockoff and it works, but it seems to constantly run out of fuel no matter how much I dose the reload … interested to now find an original …

[@KarinExMachina]

@@dermaurer9767 Original IMCO lighters are indeed extremely difficult to beat. good seal with the snuffer cap, no parts to lose when replacing flint. a strong spark with the... i assume its dual cut grinding wheel. compare that to the poor quality of fake imcos.

[@harisyoung4110]

@@TokyoAzzA how many day of usage you need to refuel ?

[@davidbrewer7937]

Now there is a blast from the past. My dad is Welsh (uk) where I was born & my mum was Austrian, having come to Wsles just after the war ended for work where they met. My dad had 3 of these lighters & I remember them well... they were excellent.

[@misterpatina]

I watched this with Mister P. Junior. We both think you did a pretty sweet job here, beardy man. ❤

[@NTRprojects]

I still haven't met the junior to this day and it's really bugging me by now. I miss out on so many important things 👀

[@martyjehovah]

I have to say I LOVE the beer ratings. On KZbin there are a handful of really excellent restorers who all show great care and attention to detail on every project, and you are most definitely on this list. BUT because you had the great idea to do something simple and extra like tasting and rating 1 different beer with each restoration, you unmistakably stand out from your peers. There are maybe a couple dozen other really great restoration channels on your level, but there is only 1 Dr. Beer! I have no doubts that so long as you are willing to keep going you will find ever greater success with your channel and it is well deserved, cheers!

[@DrHutOfHandcraft]

Perfect job, especially the plating. I know how hard that can be but you really did a beautiful job my friend!

[@NTRprojects]

Thank you very much my friend!

[@misterpatina]

@@NTRprojects I guess you’re friends now

[@NTRprojects]

@@misterpatina at least he's not moving away from me to another town 😭

[@jc5c515]

Agree! Why not a video about the plating process? I'm really interested on it

[@jwrappuhn71]

Excellent.

[@vickiefowler1429]

I’ve always liked Grolsch beer. Nice to see it scored so well. Very nice restoration, too!

[@santauxia]

Every man had one of those when I grew up in 70's rural Spain!!!! so many memories...

[@walmartdog1142]

Of all the beer you have reviewed, this is the first one that I have had myself.

[@nickbremner6274]

A nice restoration Dr. Beer. We had many items for sale in this country called 'Ideal' many of which were most definitely not during this period but were sometimes all that was available and I have a lighter that my grandfather owned that is very similar to yours. He fought in WW1 and bore no grudge, he employed an au pair from Austria in the 1930s. My father lived through WW2 and had a German pen pal from the 1960s who I still correspond with. NO TO WAR.

[@markxl]

That looks very much like an Imco which was as Austrian company. Very nice restoration - thanks.

[@mftmachining]

Erstklassige Arbeit. TOP.

[@Kevin-po4hy]

It is nice to see a True Craftsman at work 👍👍

[@alexdeleon7135]

This restoration was so relaxing to watch. As I see it, a proper restoration of a lighter requires exactly the discipline you possess. I agree that the parts should be kept as intact as possible. The plating was the ultimate demonstration of skill, and patience. After assembly, the lighter looked as if it was made yesterday! I cannot thank you enough for resurrecting these machines from the past. It gives the young people watching a glimpse into the methods, and design engineering from the early 40s. More importantly, it will inspire some to learn a trade that involves using tools, sandpaper, and chemical processes, instead of spending hours playing video games. Grolsch is one of my favorite beers. It is unpasteurized because the Dutch believe that this treatment changes the character of the finished brew. I want to try Grolsch Dark, if I can find a reputable vendor who carries it. Thank you once again for this incredible posting. I look forward to the next. Stay safe during this modern-day pestilence.

[@bryanscars]

Parts tumbler is slick

[@alfredneumann4692]

In the 70s i had such one. Good work!

[@jsidorable]

Glad to see you are still around Mr. Neumann 😁😁

[@jkurl15]

Awesome job. Love the added beer tasting and comparison you do.

[@NTRprojects]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ferd.6779]

Sehr fachmännisch restoriert mit schönes Endresultat, ich hatte damals im mitte 60tiger so eine 'lookalike' Doppelgänger von Marke IMCO war auch sehr gut!

[@troynewly]

Waited with bated breath for the lighting at the end, forcing myself not to peek at the conclusion. Glad I watched through your talented skills, beautifying a relic with an inspiring note against war. Grolsch is an old favorite, I've not bought for years. You've encouraged me to view another of your videos AND buy a six pack of Grolsch. Thanks again.

[@killerroach8210]

The detail put into this is an art. beautiful.

[@maxcambiaso]

I love this kind of lighters, I have a collection of them. Here in Argentina they are known as "Carusita" and most of them are from the Imco brand

[@troyboy4345]

My fav so far ... so nice to watch ... now for my Beer ... 👌

[@binface9]

Quite incredible how you cleaned up the body of the lighter using just simple sanding techniques

[@denvid321]

Nicely done! I especially like the copper/chrome contrast. The patina is good as it displays it's history. Very nice!

[@MadMathMike]

Loved the pyrotechnics at the end! 🔥😁👍 Great restoration!

[@beatems4124]

Grandios ,hervorragende Feinarbeit ,du bist ein Spezialist ..Gratulation Herr Bier

[@claymore440]

Really enjoyed the plating process.

[@joelboutier1736]

Beautiful job. The plating turned out very well.

[@seanhobin6235]

Beautiful work

[@zoisbasis7791]

Admirable work!!! Unique outcome!!! Thank you🙏🙏🙏

[@madoo852007]

Best restoration ever

[@vinceianni4026]

Hello mister beautiful restoration professionally restored well done

[@willieckaslike]

Fantastic ! First time with these tapes have I seen real CHROME plating. As a young'un, I had the Austrian version of this, (called I think IMCO) the most reliable lighter ever. Sadly it was lost. All credit to you Sir, for an excellent restoration, (and beer tasting) Thank you !

[@general5104]

You have more patience in your little finger than I do for tiny work like that. GOOD SHOW

[@pfadiva]

That plating job is nice! I always liked Grolsch mostly for their bottles. Great for salad dressing.

[@pascaljeske7307]

Very Love about this perfect Restauration thx ❤️🌹❤️👍

[@gremlin0781]

Wonderful work

[@netrhyda8761]

Quality can always be restored! Well done!

[@phailynrowan7976]

Seriously cool lighter and amazing outcome too! If you dip the cardboard insert in wax on both sides it will last a long time and that's how they used to be done as waterproofing too.

[@patrix5614]

BRILLIANT !!! Excellent work.

[@peterpiper2719]

Love it, great skills.

[@NTRprojects]

Thank you!

[@jamesmoe9188]

Another lovely job on a beautiful piece of history. A simple yet elegant design, refreshed and elevated by your unique touch. Thank you for sharing, my friend.

[@blazko9367]

What a nice job, I loved the process, and that's the first time that I see a complete chroming process ! The result is stunning, love it

[@daddyfrost42]

Absolutely marvelous, my friend! Thank you and keep it up!

[@Lon3wolf18]

thank you for the captions!

[@lecobra418]

I liked the four steps of electroplating! This will come in handy too!

[@jsidorable]

What an odd little lighter and what a wonderful restoration. I appreciate the looooong hours it takes to accomplish this. I would love to see a video that showed the real time it took for each step....2 hours of sandblasting, 24 hours of soaking in solution, 3 hours of polishing, or 2 week wait for a part that had to be ordered ...lol. Love your videos and respect your talent.

[@georgegordonbrown9522]

What's oder about it?

[@RJGrayo90]

Because it was wick and paraffin lighting as opposed to gas, getting that bit wet on the front line would render it useless. Matches were hard to come by with supply chains going down or workshops making bombs instead. Hence the mechanism and lid.

[@amazoniancustodian]

3:28 beautiful history of use represented by all that gobbledygook cleaned out. You are noble for noticing it’s legacy, catching it before it flickered out completely.

[@channelsixtysix066]

Beautiful restoration.

[@edwardbroyles9738]

I don't smoke but that is beautify restored. It would make an awesome conversation piece to have on your coffee table.

[@kendrahoffman7949]

I didn't think anything could top the Goliath restoration, but this one was even more compelling. So excited to see the Patreon list getting longer, too!

[@NTRprojects]

I didn't know the goliath was your favorite so far Kendra 😊

[@kendrahoffman7949]

@@NTRprojects Yep! I just re-watched it a few nights ago, in fact. 🙂

[@paulorth2251]

This was really unique, I have seen several knock-offs of this style of lighter, but you have a real one. Super cool and great craftsmanship and patience considering the size of the object you are working with. 💪👍😁🇺🇸

[@nurmaybooba]

As always it came out perfect. I am so glad I found your channel.

[@tedschmaltz4346]

Another nice beer rating... oh and the lighter restoration was okay, too. The chrome plating was a nice touch. Looking forward to the next one... beer, that is...

[@Nate65Dawg]

You did a great job on this restoration!

[@NTRprojects]

Glad you liked it!

[@pigsydney]

A great restoration,I always enjoy your work.

[@robertcolfack26]

Looks almost brand new great job it turned out better then I thought it would.....

[@NTRprojects]

Glad to hear that you liked it so much Robert Colfack

[@andrewgrace4410]

Impressive metal work 😊

[@scottcates]

Wow! Your chrome plating was outstanding! It's not every day we get to see that. Very difficult to plate chrome. Very nice work.

[@nettneo]

Love the Beer. Did it have the Porcelain top or a plastic one?

[@NTRprojects]

It had the porcelain

[@deborahsimpson1626]

I use zippo lighters and like the unusual ones, nice little lighter, good restoration.

[@TheTeddiiStream]

maaan my Grandpa had one of those, and it was his fidged toy and everything, idk i cant think of my granddad and not having this thing in my head, sadly it disapeard after his death, wish i had one of those, as a reminder, such an beautiful thing, i didnt even knew we had something like an Zippo Version all the love, feel hugged!

[@MrCreativeEZ]

I've been doing this kind of stuff for many years now, but this guy is truly fantastic

[@mattbannan637]

BEAUTIFUL RESULTS!!!

[@CM-sm6rs]

Whenever l watch your videos, l can't help but imagine who used the particular item being restored. If we could see into the past and see the people, their lives, and their interaction with the item, well, how epic that would be! My imagination runs wild!

[@charliejames1981]

That is an awesome job on the lighter. I like how it turned out.

[@duaneho555]

Loved this video. I collect vintage lighters. Really nicely done. 👍🏻.

[@Starbean89]

The things and places this lighter must have seen is something I love thinking about! So much history in one small object.

[@HannuPulli]

Just think how many of those lighters were manufactured back then in the same time it took to restore this one... Great job in any case, it looks really great!

[@NTRprojects]

Great point!

[@davidlewis492]

Fantastic work pal.

[@bobjoncas2814]

LOOKIN' GOOD, NICE RESTO, KEEP SAFE

[@henryhuijbers3158]

I’ve seen these lighters a lot when I was a child.

[@renem.3413]

Your seem to be a master of e-chemistry: respect! I like to see you to show us you are happy with you your work by having a 0,5l beer. I prefer to have it from a "Stein"... .

[@HistoricGentleman]

You mean a “Krug” or a Maß, as stein is just the material it’s made of (stoneware). Always amazing how thru adaptation language usage can be corrupted, no?

[@MegaRAMBAUD]

Très belle restauration, merci pour les solution 👍👍💤

[@DAVE43072]

Outstanding restoration!

[@NTRprojects]

Many thanks!

[@TheVirgilio77]

Very nice, kudos. Grabby Grabson is a good friend, never replace him 😛 Thank you for sharing

[@robertbeer2584]

Greetings from your Canadian brother, hope all is well over your way during these tought times. Another great project under your belt, well done.

[@mikedelta9590]

Great job. Masterpeace of craftmanship. And the IDEAL Lighter looks pretty.

[@Pawl1957]

Thank you for this sir.

[@Alliejay-C]

This video was very pleasant to watch. My husband likes the beer review in the middle of the video ❤

[@andypowell7983]

1 of the best restorations I've ever seen. Very nicely done 👍👍👍👍

[@xchaix]

nice doc

[@minatonamikaze9393]

omg the WW2 petrol lighter is so practical looking compare to lighters now. its a lighter and feels like a torch at the same time and doesn't even look like a smokers lighter they need to keep selling its a good fire source tool.

[@colleenshook6407]

Wow, such nice, well groomed, hands!

[@Dylan-ug6jp]

It's so beautiful, it was a perfect restoration and I love that you kept some patina on it, great work as always!

[@NTRprojects]

Thank you very much!

[@michaelszabo3071]

Man, beautiful work and outcome. 👏👏👏

[@slimboyde]

Great restoration. Love especially the galvanic part en het biertje. These lighters were sold in germany until early 70ties for about 6 DM. 2,50 DM was a $. äöüß.

[@butthedd0233]

Stunning work.

[@perry92964]

very cool lighter, its totally over engineered like many german things but it looks like something that feels good in your hand and refilling it makes you look cool in front of your friends

[@tristangold2772]

*austrian 😂 my opa is austrian and his #1 rule is never call an austrian or austrian items german

[@perry92964]

@@tristangold2772 my family came from austria and they have no issues being german but that was pre ww1

[@tristangold2772]

@@perry92964 my opa is from Austria and Germans came into his home, killed his parents and then he was forced to work for them until he was 20. Then he fled to australia

[@oknsrtcn]

you did a good job .lighter was like new.

[@LaGrandeBayou]

Well that was an appropriate and IDEAL restoration

[@judewilliams9345]

Superb job 👌

[@hitmydaytoday]

Nice and shiny. Nothing more to say. Good Job.

[@rebeccac2867]

I enjoyed this one a lot!

[@raikbusse7697]

Totally awesome construction, super restored, I would think this is better than Zippo.

[@tristangold2772]

Considering zippo is based off these lighters 😂

[@ОлекЛис]

The Germans had slightly different lighters. Not ribbed but round in shape with grooves. When I was little, we often went to broken German positions and looked for weapons and ammunition there. Lighters like yours were mostly among immigrants from Austria, I still remember the Germans had zinc posthumous tokens, and the Austrians had brass or copper. And the Austrians were richer than the Germans in terms of little things in their pockets, gold rings, chains, watches, Swiss penknives, finding the remains of an Austrian was a great success. All Germans, even officers, were like beggars with empty pockets.

[@tomrailton9201]

Hi mate I live in the UK and watched nearly all of your videos and they are great. I have quite a few old hand tools in my shed. You are more than welcome to them if you want. When it gets a bit warmer I will sort them out for you and ship them. You can restore them at your leisure and sell them on. I don't want anything I just like watching your videos when I am not fishing. Take care and stay safe mate. Tom.

[@NTRprojects]

Hey Tom, although I have a lot of projects lining up I'm always intrigued by such an offer. Take your time and whenever you sorted them you can send me pictures via Instagram or mail. You will find links in the channel description. Thank you a lot for your in general very generous support

[@a-ls6333]

Absolutely loved that! You're a talented man! ✊