New EDC Lighter, 100 Years Old?

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Being that we are celebrating the centennial of World War I, the ‘War to end all wars,” I thought it would be interesting to take a look at one piece of gear that soldiers of that time carried: the trench art lighter.

Now, before you drift off, let me get your attention: I’m pretty sure that these old lighters would do very well as current day EDC. Why would you want to do that? These lighters are:

1. Durable (hey, they’ve already lasted 100 years).

2. Functional (they use a proven ignition system).

3. Historical (yep, they’ve ‘been there and done that’).

4. Reasonably priced (the range would be from $30 on up to $150).

5. Cool Factor (interesting graphics and well-executed, too).

There are many varieties: bullet style, shrapnel-formed, round, unique shapes, etc. Here’s an example:

Most often you’ll find these made of brass, be about 1.5 inches in diameter, and have a different design on each side (this one has the U.S. Shield on the reverse).

Note the two protrusions at the top. The one on the left is a cap that screws down over the wick, while the one on the right is the striker wheel. And, a clarification: although these are known as “trench lighters” the reality is that these were most probably made in a rear area or by civilians, not actually in the trenches. So, used in the trenches, but not made in the trenches.

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