WW1 Shrapnel Shell Lighter Restoration

WW1 lighter restoration. This is an old World War I trench lighter in the shape of a shrapnel shell. I like these lighters and decided to restore this old lighter. I removed the rust and polished the lighter. I hope you liked my restoration.
#Restoration #Lighter #restore #rextorer

[@jphillips2471]

I started getting into tinkering and restorations a few yrs ago, after starting metal detecting and finding alotta cool stuff. Restorations have been a learning experience. I'm a 22 yr retired combat vet, and having found several items I can imagine have been on an another vet during some heavy operations, in various regions, there's alotta history in them. Every dent, deep scratch, patina, has a story behind it, and it's previous owner, which to over sand and polish to me, does feel like I'm grinding away that history. With a piece like a WW1 trench lighter, which most were handmade by soldiers, keeping busy in the trenches, the most I'd feel comfortable with doing, is a simple surface dirt and grime clean up, and try to use authentic, time period wick and packing material. Maybe everybody has their own ideas of what restoring is. I don't have a problem with making something that's not really of historical significance like brand new. Some things though, restoring is just the process of making it a functional item again, but preserving it's history.

[@meowjakx3]

Agreed!

[@davedoughty1213]

Thanks for sharing your skills to refurbish that lighter. Smoking in combat is a dangerous habit…it is an actual case where second hand smoke can kill you if you’re too close to the smoker!!! Great job though… When I was in the military I was given 12 cigarettes a day with C rations. I didn’t smoke so I sold them. I made enough money to buy a car when I returned which I still have today! I served in 1971! Cigarettes helped me!! Another terrific job even with the people who feel the need to disparage your work. Thanks again sir!!

[@DGillyy]

I remember seeing those! Also in the mci's. You'd think they were candy cigarettes by the box,I think you'd get 5 in a box.

[@duaneho555]

Great job. As a collector of vintage lighters I love these videos.

[@knife_knut]

Perfection! Nice touch using the original bandage & a clever repair for the flint striker wheel mounting arms! Love it! 👍😎👍

[@bigboy9706]

Very cool lighter. You did a fantastic job on the restoration

[@condar419]

Excellent job. I'm glad you used the original bandage.

[@ReXtorer]

thanks!

[@shedmanx3640]

A beautiful piece and a fantastic restoration. Great work buddy

[@michaelkeller5008]

Nice piece... Another great restoration!

[@AandB1998]

First and foremost, outstanding job on that restoration! I am always at odds with how far to take a restoration. I may have done something different with this myself but I am in no way saying you did it wrong. At the end of the day it does look amazing and reusing that bandage put a smile on my face.

[@raziel3726]

Amazing Restoration 👍🏻👍🏽👍🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@robertmanley7556]

Very very nice job !! It looks amazing !! 👍👍

[@ReXtorer]

thank you!

[@max.m.8873]

👍🙋 Супер! Самая красивая зажигалка в уходящем году. С наступающим новым годом!

[@oneshotme]

It looks like it's new again and you did a wonderful job restoring it as well!!!! I enjoyed your video so I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@vinceianni4026]

Beautiful restoration mister good job well done

[@user-rx6ky9is1d]

Як завжди Чудова робота!

[@GeneralFerdinandFoch]

Interesting Keep up the good work❤️

[@rudybriskar5267]

Beautiful lighter!

[@mulepowerforge]

have you tried using brass wire brushes on the softer metals? itd probably be better for the original surface texturing than steel brushes/wire wheels

[@Simonsimon-fy3hq]

And as a bonus the brass brush will leave tiny particles of brass on the object, adding to the shine/lustre.

[@razorboyXVII]

Fantastic restoration!

[@ReXtorer]

thanks!

[@j.l.emerson592]

Let us do a little critical thinking here... This lighter has 2 perfect sets of threads. Can you explain that? No, it wasn't made in a trench. No it wasn't made 'at home', either. That is a post war item, made in a machine shop. Yes, somebody probably went to a battle ground & collected the shells to make lighters to sell to the public.

[@stevenbrown8857]

Well most of his restorations he's found with a metal detector. So I'll go with what he says not you sherlock 😂😂😂

[@user-hq6ou2je6n]

@@stevenbrown8857. I’m an historian and I have studied these. “Trench lighters” with threads, even if found in trenches, does not mean they were actually made in the trenches. The few I have seen that were actually “trench art” are simply shell casings packed with a wick and some sort of fabric. The strikers were brazed on the side and usually some sort of cap was shaped to fit over the neck of the casing. However, this does not mean this is not an authentic trench lighter. They were issued in some cases and built in civilian machine shops in others. What most people think of when it comes to trench lighters were IMCO manufactured in Austria in 1923. Then, a decade later Bowers started manufacturing them. These led to Zippo in 1933. But the trench style were widely used in WWII as Zippos were still a bit pricey. WWI trench lighters actually made in the trenches were kind of amazing given the utter lack of tooling. But they did certainly inspire the more complicated versions with threads. And those did find their ways into WWI trenches.

[@HistoricGentleman]

@@user-hq6ou2je6nthere was actually a whole industry set up by the French government to train an employ wounded veterans to make lighters such as these as well as many more items that are now apported to be “trench art” ashtrays, lamps, match box covers, lighters and so forth. Namely to be sold to the tourist trade

[@user-dz8dg6ey8g]

Убойная реставрация снаряда зажигалки. Спасибо лайк и с Новым годом.

[@Altrove155]

Un buon restauro, peccato che con questi accorgimenti abbia perso tutto il suo fascino, la sua storia, i segni del tempo 😢

[@saltynlit]

Cool beautiful lighter!

[@AndreaMerchak]

Awesome! Great job!

[@ccbphoto]

Great job and beautiful item!

[@johnkeviljr9625]

Beautiful!

[@luckyks3223]

Гарна робота 👍

[@GT_Racer347]

These are awesome!

[@ShortCircuitRu]

1. под нижнюю пробку просится уплотнительное резиновое кольцо, чтобы бензин не подтекал. 2. отполированная латунь, конечно, выглядит отлично. Но она быстро потемнеет и окислится. Неплохо бы какое-нибудь защитное покрытие. а так, отличная работа!

[@MASI_forging]

It looks real good after renovation ☺☺

[@user-kl9mp8gk6y]

Congratulations you turned a beautifully detailed military shell into a sanded smooth Suppository. Yours to do as you please with but shiny does not always mean restored.

[@marklammas2465]

Your re-use of the bandage might put a wry smile on the face of the soldier's ghost! 😊

[@jmg-sw5xr]

Wasn't working...now works... your comment is a bit on the negative side, really lol I would still say it is restored

[@marklammas2465]

​@@jmg-sw5xrSoldiers have limited time to worry about aesthetics. He probably just wanted a working lighter. Making his own gave him a much needed boost.

[@kurthansen570]

I think it’s right to bring back the shine. The soldier who first made this would be happy to see it this way. I keep wondering if and how they did the threading. That puzzles me.

[@marklammas2465]

​@@kurthansen570In WW1, and doubtless in WW2 as well, equipment items such ss binoculars, which feature extensive threading, were often repaired in field repair shops (probably just a tent with appropriate tools and benches). The soldier likely just went there during a slack moment and borrowed the appropriate threading equipment, or someone there did it for him as a favour.

[@user-gf1uq5eg8z]

Добре проведена праця! Окопна творчість? Та з Новим роком!

[@ReXtorer]

Дякую! Не зовсім траншейна)

[@calnebun2867]

Foarte frumoasă restaurare.Imi place cum lucrezi. Recunoștință pentru cei ce luptă pentru libertate!Slava Ukraina! Kozakam Slava!🇺🇦🇹🇩🇺🇦🇹🇩🇺🇦👍🐎👍

[@ReXtorer]

Thank you for your support! This is very important for us!

[@kusumbehura53]

Bhut sunder 👌😊

[@shaikrahemathbee325]

Wonderful ❤

[@jakekay5588]

Very nice restoration as always! Do you ever sell your restored items?

[@davepomerleau7250]

Why did you go so excessive on the wire wheel there was no need to use it at all. You lost all of the original fine detail that was embossed on the out side of the lighter. As it's brass you could have simply polished it or lightly sanded with a 1500 or 2000 grit and then polished it keeping the original detail. I do like your fix for the striker wheel.

[@ReXtorer]

The brass lay underground for 100 years and small details disappeared with corrosion. I would lose the fine details either way.

[@Andy-Anthony]

Чудово!

[@JollyRoger2408]

Happy New Year @all! 🍀🎆

[@timtaylor8406]

Where do you find so many old lighters? They're all different and this one didn't seem to come from the ground. I think you bought a lot from a collection?

[@mihailaguzarov9918]

Its bolter round?))

[@fighter3120]

👌

[@kylettamiller6769]

WOW!! ‼

[@neidabatista4245]

A minha mãe tinha um esqueiro desse

[@user-qc8du6vy2q]

Чудова запальничка,як ви гадаєте вона саморобна ,чи ні?

[@ReXtorer]

Дякую! Це не заводська запальничка, але зроблена на станку

[@user-dc8do7fo4u]

👍

[@altbeetle1998]

можна було зробити накатку (насічки) для того щоб легше відкручувати, звісно для цього потрібно мати відповідний інструмент

[@zlyj]

Насічка була, її з'їв наждачний папір.

[@altbeetle1998]

@@zlyj я помітив

[@ReXtorer]

насічки "зʼілись" ще до шліфувального паперу корозією)

[@ReXtorer]

на жаль немає станка, щоб зробити накатку( можливо в майбутньому

[@user-pi7ic9ge2w]

надо бы поставить уплотнительную шайбу на гайку резервуара куда наливается топливо

[@meowjakx3]

It’s too shiny and the designs were lost. Now it could easily be mistaken for a pocket rocket. 😂

[@user-so6zv6ew2d]

Шлифовкой сняли все насечки типа от нарезов. И канавки на колпачке имитирующие взрыватель. Лучше бы в патине оставили. Вещь только испортили. Теперь она выглядит как новодел.

[@andersfalt]

Where do you find the WW1 trench lighters?

[@night_city_7]

Probably dug up in the forest

[@ReXtorer]

I'm seaching with a metal detector youtube.com/@ArtifactDigger

[@lit_for_20]

shame the details on the cap got lost

[@night_city_7]

Шо за мідне золото

[@bittedanke4990]

Graben Kunst 🤔

[@danjensen386]

Go ahead and sand off the knurling, sure...

[@night_city_7]

Оууу ютуб ввів переклад на українську в коментарях

[@user-dq4dv3rw2w]

На колпаке были насечки для открывания, Вы их стёрли..