Smoking hot paper work

[Mark K]

I have been going through some boxes of Canadian/British P37 webbing and equipment and came upon these interesting papers I thought I would share them with you all they were manufactured in the good old USA during the war years and exported to Canada as best I can tell from my research they bare the import tax stamp to that time period.
As I am currently working on putting together a WWII Canadian soldier display and knowing that many many soldiers of the time smoked as back then it was an acceptable habit in society and it was one of the small personal satisfactions that they had in the field or theater of operations I thought it important enough to include in the Haversack I am putting together I do have a small pipe tobacco tin as well that I recently acquired and I am now on the hunt for a small cigarette tobacco pouch as well.

Regards Mark K

[Mark K]

Just a couple of little add on's I found yesterday to add to my display a nice box of Eddie lights with the excise tax stamp on them and a new pipe tobacco tin.
Thanks for looking

Regards Mark K

[AIF]

Great and often overlooked items of kit you have there!! I also collect WW2 Australian personal items like this, most of the time you can pick them up quite cheap as most collectors aren't interested.

[Mark K]

Thanks for the reply and I agree not a very interesting subject to most collectors but IMO my kit display would be incomplete with out them .
And as to cost you are correct for the most part fairly cheap to collect but I did notice a packet of vogue (Canadian company war time produced) rolling papers sold on ebay a couple of weeks back for $67.00 cdn so there must be some interest out there for such items.

Regards Mark K

[KradSpam]

I have an old wartime pouch of tobacco and rizla papers knocking around somewhere. Also interestingly, I have an identical brass lighter to the one you are showing there mate, do you know anything about it?

[Mark K]

Morning Andy thanks for the comments as to the lighter I have had it for many years and did research it at one time they were manufactured in the Eastern United States If I remember correctly and they were war time produced I will see if I can find the information again and post it here in a link.

Regards Mark K

[CBH]

I had the same lighter , years ago . I heard them referred to as trench lighters . Mine was WWI patten dated and made of a heavy brass . They now reproduce them from a cheaper brass minus the dates . I've been looking for an original for some time , as I lost mine in school many years ago .
Cheers Chris

[Mark K]

Morning Chris thanks for the reply I have seen a few variations over the years as well I did not know they were making repos of these now as well by chance do you remember was the one you owned manufactured in Hartford Connecticut .

Regards Mark K

[Mark K]

I have an old wartime pouch of tobacco and rizla papers knocking around somewhere. Also interestingly, I have an identical brass lighter to the one you are showing there mate, do you know anything about it?

Hey Andy as per your question on the lighter there were quite a few manufacturers starting to put these out during the first and second wars I never ever gave it much thought until Chris mentioned it sadly I am not feeling so warm and fuzzy about my lighter once really comparing to known original's that if factory produced almost are always marked and or numbered mine is not!! (watching 3 now on Ebay a Bower,and two MEB brand ones to replace it)
Beyond that here is a small list of major manufactures of the era there are a few more smaller companies and I will add them here as I find them.

IMCO... first started producing lighters in 1918/1919 and the first patent was issued in 1922 #89538 / Different patent IMCO (Rolf) automatic storm proof (circa 1927) #105107

MEB... (circa 1920) manufacture and will have the word MEB and or (Tornado) brand engraved on it.

Bower...(circa 1920) Kalamazoo Michigan (Surefire)

FLA...(circa 1920) Austria

Unknown manufacture from Hungary (circa 1920) no markings other than made in (Hungary)

Dunhill... service lighters which were a little different in design mind you but still a very good lighter.

My newest addition I picked up today is a nice John Players Navy Cut Mild tin which still bares the excise stamp on the back this will be a nice addition to my little collection this tin was manufactured after 1940 and was a garage sale find today it is a little grubby and needs a wipe like so many of these they were used for storage for years my dad kept his fishing flies in his .
I have but two or three more items to find and then it is off to collect food ration tins and other personal items.

Regards Mark K

[CBH]

Mark , not sure who produced the lighter . But I do remember it was WWI dated , 1917 I think . It been many years since I last saw it . I've see reproductions being sold for maybe 15/20 years now , I have one somewhere . But they aren't dated , like an original .
You might want to try Turtle wax on your player tin . I've heard it brings back painted tin very well . An old dealers trick on old lunch boxes . I have an old tobacco bag kicking around here somewhere , I think it was filled with .32 rimfire ammo . If your still looking .
Cheers Chris