Bidspirit auction | Three Antique Brass and Steel

Three Antique Brass and Steel Trench Style Pocket Lighters including Bowers Mfg Co - This lot contains three antique pocket lighters featuring trench-style mechanical designs. The collection is primarily constructed from brass and steel. One lighter features a sliding wind guard sleeve embossed with a shield design containing a single star and diagonal stripes (photo 7). The flint arm of this lighter is impressed with characters reading BOWERS MFG CO. and KALAMAZOO MICH. (photo 8, 9). A second lighter has a perforated brass chimney and a separate external flint wheel assembly (photo 4). The base of the third lighter, which has a darkened finish, features a scalloped edge and is stamped with characters reading SERVICE LIGHTER, TRADE MARK, PAT. PEND., and MADE IN U.S.A. (photo 10). Each lighter is equipped with a suspension ring at the base for attachment to a chain or fob. Length of lighters ranges from approximately 2 1/4 inches to 3 1/4 inches. These items are antique and exhibit significant signs of age and historical use. There is heavy surface oxidation and rust present on the steel sleeve of the Bowers lighter (photo 6). The brass components on all three lighters show a deep aged patina with areas of surface pitting and dark tarnish (photo 2). The finish on the silver-toned lighter is significantly worn, showing extensive loss of the original plating and exposure of the base metal (photo 1). Mechanical functionality has not been tested, and the presence of wicks or internal packing is not confirmed.