What is this thing? Old metal lighter?

[payyourtoll]

thanks

[Kevomac]

Looks like it could be a novelty lighter to me. Might be worth something. Where'd it come from?

[payyourtoll]

It was found in an old box of postcards, just never seen anything like it.

[onereefnotenuf]

Looks like something worthless to me. I will take it off your hands and I will even throw in the shipping costs.

[dc]

What a guy.

[drauka99]

Ask Nina she's old too



Love ya Neeneers

[dc]

LOL, my first thought was that is was a steam release valve of some type.

[Muttling]

It doesn't look like a steam release valve to me. There's no place for the base to screw onto the steam system or radiant heather except for that side port which really doesn't make sense to me for a release valve. In short, why would you need the base container and the tube for a release valve? They were typically a vertical mechanism that rose from the connection point.



It appears to me that the base is meant to contain some type of liquid solution. A flamable is the most likely given the upper parts of the device.


It COULD be a lighter, but that would require a striker assembly in addition to the base that contains the flamable. (Think of a modern day lighter. Base containing a flamable liquid and top with a striker next to a pilot burner.)


If it doesn't have a steel/ flint holder near the beak of the bird, I suspect that it's some form of lamp which is meant to be lit by a lighter.

[seapug]

Old timey crack torch.

[rlee81indy]

my grandfather used to collect odd lighters.
when he died he left them to me because of how much I liked them. This is a very interesting lighter. You should look it up and see if it has any value. If its not valuable, and you dont want it Ill buy it from you. Just let me know iif you want to sell it and for how much so I can add it to my grampas collection. I would keep it though if I were you. Its pretty neat

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by dc
LOL, my first thought was that is was a steam release valve of some type.

Have one like that on your first car?

[dinoman]

Is there anywhere near you that does like antique appraisals and stuff? Some of those can be AMAZING telling you everything you ever wished to know about the strangest old stuff.

[Nina51]

Originally posted by drauka99
Ask Nina she's old too



Love ya Neeneers

well, i was gonna show these pictures to gary because he used to deal in antiques with his specialty being pottery and collectible zippo lighters and such but since you said what you said, i'm not gonna do it now and you'll just have to wonder what the expert would have said had i shown it to him.

[Sk8r]

There have also been calliope-type devices cranked and using air to create a whistle or chirp in mechanical birds---a rich man's toy, generally European, and it's vaguely possible this is part of such a device.

[dc]

Originally posted by The Grim Reefer
Have one like that on your first car?

LOL, I was thinking on a much smaller scale, like a whistling tea kettle type thing.

[The Grim Reefer]

Originally posted by Sk8r
There have also been calliope-type devices cranked and using air to create a whistle or chirp in mechanical birds---a rich man's toy, generally European, and it's vaguely possible this is part of such a device.

I think SK8r hit on something here

I just saw a show about those kind of gadgets being made back like even a couple thousand years ago. If you blow air or steam though water and out a small hole it does sound like a bird chirping.

[dc]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-MECHANIC...QQcmdZViewItem

[Muttling]

That's totally cool!!!!!!!!


If you look at this picture you can see the notch for the whistle just below the port.

[drauka99]

thats neat

[drauka99]

Originally posted by Nina51
well, i was gonna show these pictures to gary because he used to deal in antiques with his specialty being pottery and collectible zippo lighters and such but since you said what you said, i'm not gonna do it now and you'll just have to wonder what the expert would have said had i shown it to him.

so was it the old remark of the love ya remark that kept you from showing it to him :P

[Aliie]

That is way cool. I think I should bid on the one up on E-bay. I'm sure I need one.

[shouldabenacowboy]

very cool find for sure

SBC

[Kevomac]

Now I feel silly. I'm a fan of history shows and I've seen stuff like that before, so I should have figured that one out. They had stuff like that in Rene Descartes day. That's where he got the idea that animals were really machines, and as such had no feelings. He used to do vivisections and believed that the animals cries were nothing more than the "click and whirr" of tiny gears! He was one sick dude!

"Cogito ergo sum" - I think therefore I am.
Rene Descartes

"Cogito ergo spud" - I think therefore I yam.
Some silly person in my college Latin class

[2fishy]

Originally posted by Nina51
well, i was gonna show these pictures to gary because he used to deal in antiques with his specialty being pottery and collectible zippo lighters and such but since you said what you said, i'm not gonna do it now and you'll just have to wonder what the expert would have said had i shown it to him.

Boy, could I show you some pictures of things that came from my mom's house, but I guess I missed out!

And let me go on record that I would never ever say anything about anyone's age!

[BigSkyBart]

with the assist: