A Good Smoke

With the 4th of July holiday upon us, I feel it appropriate to ponder the design of incinerating devices. For without them, millions of people would be left indoors watching tv on this fine holiday, missing out on family picnics, hot dogs and blowing off the tips of their fingers with ill timed fireworks.

I'll leave the subject of matches to pyromaniacs and wayward Boy Scouts. I'm more interested in cigarette lighters. Cigarette lighter designs seems to have fallen by the wayside over the generations. Not surprising. These sometimes complex fetish objects evoke a time when smoking seemed harmless and made social climbing effortless.



Down here in the Basement, we enjoy a good smoke. And I ain't talking about that wacky-tobaccy stuff either. What do you think we are, a bunch of reckless tea-heads? Nope to dope and ugh to drugs. We prefer the harsh chemical and pesticide laden products of Chesterfields and filterless Camels. Here's the Basement's own vintage cigarette lighter.

I acquired this gem at the Pierce College Swap Meet in Winnetka, CA around 1991. It works beautifully despite the heavily worn finish. It has a cast copper housing with a chrome plated finish. The blue is a translucent finish applied over the chrome plating. The inscription is for Barney L. Phillips' "Bowl-A-Rama" in Studio City.


I've tried to come up with a ballpark for the age of this thing and the best I can summarize is that it's friggin' old. Take a look at the phone # in the inscription, "Po 2-4700". I don't know about you, but that number sounds about as old as the invention of the telephone itself. Consider too that I've spent most of my life living within a 5 mile radius of Studio City and have never heard of or seen Mr Phillips' fine establishment.

I'd like to think that this lighter has had some good times and interesting stories in its past. In the book "A Stiff Drink and a Close Shave - the Lost Art of Manliness" authors Bob Sloan and Steven Guarnaccia have this to say about the art of lighting a woman's cigarette:

"You must start early, readying your lighter when she's first fumbling through her purse for her pack. But don't reveal it too soon. Stay suave. Wait until she's removing the cigarette from the pack. Keep your arm loose and don't crowd her. Ignite the lighter away from her face and let her hand guide it in. If she's swayed, her eyes will linger on yours. If not, just close the lid, tip your hat, and move on."

Wow!