Douglass Field-S Oil Lighter

Sharp & Fiery said:
I also used zippo/ronson oil.

I have lamp oil too...but it always burns dirty if the wick isn’t adjusted properly. I dont see an easy way to adjust the wick on the field lighter after filling.
Either way the lamp oil will burn dirtier, and i’m not sure if I want to light anything going into my lungs with it. Haha!!

I was curious to whether lamp oil would last longer...for outdoor fire lighting purposes. :)
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Cigarette lighter oil is naphtha. IMCO's original design was military and it burns almost anything, but you will get better results with zippo/ronson oil which is easier to buy in small quantities than naphtha. Zippo flints work, their wicks do not, but you can buy IMCO wicks dirt cheap on Ali Express.
 
Piso Mojado said:
The Douglass Field-S Lighter! We haven't heard about this one in four years. Thanks for posting!

It is of course a super deluxe version of the old IMCO Triplex Super 6700. IMCO designed a WW1 trench lighter for the Austro-Hungarian army and the 1936 Triplex Super 6700 was their final refinement on this old design: you could pull out the fuel tank and use it as a candle. It wasn't waterproof but it was pretty much windproof, and its cap that locked down over the wick pretty much stopped fuel evaporation. Great design! If you look, you'll see these in old European noir films and crime thrillers. It was their equivalent of the Zippo.

View attachment 1509920

I bought one from CountyComm for $4.95.

When IMCO went out of business in 2012, they had just finished moving production to China and their Chinese factory lived on. They used to sell a "Classics IMCO Triplex Super 6700" on Amazon and eBay. Long gone. But that factory is still in business, and you can buy their lighters on Ali Express dead cheap. They go through flints really fast, but they use Zippo flints which are easy to find.

And this isn't a problem now, but it will be in the future: do not take this or any other petrol lighter on a flight to or inside China. It sets off their bomb alarm, they have to do endless paperwork to document the incident, and the Chinese airport cops will make you wish you'd stayed at home!
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This is a DIAMOND post! Thank you so much for sharing this with us; it restores my faith in humanity.

Tom
 
Piso Mojado said:
Cigarette lighter oil is naphtha. IMCO's original design was military and it burns almost anything, but you will get better results with zippo/ronson oil which is easier to buy in small quantities than naphtha. Zippo flints work, their wicks do not, but you can buy IMCO wicks dirt cheap on Ali Express.
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:)

I have an IMCO as well. :) Great lighters. I enjoyed your post greatly. Thanks!
 
Piso Mojado said:
Cigarette lighter oil is naphtha. IMCO's original design was military and it burns almost anything, but you will get better results with zippo/ronson oil which is easier to buy in small quantities than naphtha. Zippo flints work, their wicks do not, but you can buy IMCO wicks dirt cheap on Ali Express.
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I run naphtha in my zippos and my zippo hand warmer. I buy it by the gallon from wal mart or lowes and it lasts for awhile. A lot cheaper than buying the small bottles.
 
Piso Mojado said:
The Douglass Field-S Lighter! We haven't heard about this one in four years. Thanks for posting!

It is of course a super deluxe version of the old IMCO Triplex Super 6700. IMCO designed a WW1 trench lighter for the Austro-Hungarian army and the 1936 Triplex Super 6700 was their final refinement on this old design: you could pull out the fuel tank and use it as a candle. It wasn't waterproof but it was pretty much windproof, and its cap that locked down over the wick pretty much stopped fuel evaporation. Great design! If you look, you'll see these in old European noir films and crime thrillers. It was their equivalent of the Zippo.

View attachment 1509920

I bought one from CountyComm for $4.95.

When IMCO went out of business in 2012, they had just finished moving production to China and their Chinese factory lived on. They used to sell a "Classics IMCO Triplex Super 6700" on Amazon and eBay. Long gone. But that factory is still in business, and you can buy their lighters on Ali Express dead cheap. They go through flints really fast, but they use Zippo flints which are easy to find.

And this isn't a problem now, but it will be in the future: do not take this or any other petrol lighter on a flight to or inside China. It sets off their bomb alarm, they have to do endless paperwork to document the incident, and the Chinese airport cops will make you wish you'd stayed at home!
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Is there any reason to try and source a old original one over a new chinese one if you simply want to use the thing rather than collect?
 
Pomsbz said:
Is there any reason to try and source a old original one over a new chinese one if you simply want to use the thing rather than collect?
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I haven't owned or handled a Chinese produced IMCO, so I can only guess no.

Produced in Austria, they were cheap lighters designed to be cheaply produced. After IMCO went out of business, their Chinese factory's "Classics IMCO Triplex Super 6700" was advertised on eBay and Amazon for $20. That was double or triple IMCO's price and those are long gone, so they must not have sold well. I assume that price was the problem. On Ali Express, their price plus shipping is what I would have paid for an Austrian IMCO ten years ago. If you're interested, buy one there and tell us what you think. If the merchant you pick sells IMCO wicks, add a pack of those for a dollar or two. I would not pay a collector's price for something like this.

Ali Express takes Paypal but they add a 20% surcharge. If one of your credit cards will give you a "virtual credit card" — a linked new number for transactions with a seller you're not sure about — use that and save yourself some worry and aggravation.

Ali Express is the retail branch of Alibaba, which is where most of the sellers on eBay and Amazon's Marketplace buy their cheap Chinese merchandize. That's where Jack Ma made his $50 billion. Alibaba is always cheaper than Ali Express, but you need to find a Chinese export agent to order for you, and I don't recommend trying for one item. If you want a pallet load, that's a different and they will ship directly to your warehouse!
 
Hating to spread bad information, I should add that IMCO's lighter could be called a military design but it was not military issue. Julius Meister started the company in 1907 with a contract to make brass uniform buttons for the Austro-Hungarian army. During WW1, he got the idea that a cheap cigarette lighter might be something his factory could make and sell to the army. Unfortunately he could not get the raw materials. He got a patent on his design in 1922 and that's probably when production began.
 
Pomsbz said:
Is there any reason to try and source a old original one over a new chinese one if you simply want to use the thing rather than collect?
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Not really. The Douglas ones so far are really well made. If its gonna be a user...no point in paying for an IMCO.
I find my Douglas L lighter keeps fuel for a long time. And I use mine. :D
 
Piso Mojado said:
I haven't owned or handled a Chinese produced IMCO, so I can only guess no.

Produced in Austria, they were cheap lighters designed to be cheaply produced. After IMCO went out of business, their Chinese factory's "Classics IMCO Triplex Super 6700" was advertised on eBay and Amazon for $20. That was double or triple IMCO's price and those are long gone, so they must not have sold well. I assume that price was the problem. On Ali Express, their price plus shipping is what I would have paid for an Austrian IMCO ten years ago. If you're interested, buy one there and tell us what you think. If the merchant you pick sells IMCO wicks, add a pack of those for a dollar or two. I would not pay a collector's price for something like this.

Ali Express takes Paypal but they add a 20% surcharge. If one of your credit cards will give you a "virtual credit card" — a linked new number for transactions with a seller you're not sure about — use that and save yourself some worry and aggravation.

Ali Express is the retail branch of Alibaba, which is where most of the sellers on eBay and Amazon's Marketplace buy their cheap Chinese merchandize. That's where Jack Ma made his $50 billion. Alibaba is always cheaper than Ali Express, but you need to find a Chinese export agent to order for you, and I don't recommend trying for one item. If you want a pallet load, that's a different and they will ship directly to your warehouse!
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I was going to buy one but got distracted on the aforementioned site by a bunch of other trench lighter types and bought 3 to test. They were cheap enough. :D
 
Pomsbz said:
I was going to buy one but got distracted on the aforementioned site by a bunch of other trench lighter types and bought 3 to test. They were cheap enough. :D
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If they look like IMCO lighter models, they're probably from the same factory in Guangdong. Ali Express is full of merchants selling the same thing for different prices.

IMCO's most popular models were the Triplex Super 6700 and the Streamline 6800. You could remove the fuel tanks and use them as candles, which was handy for reaching into places where the lighter wouldn't fit. This site has the most photographs I've seen in one place, with IMCO advertisements and advertising lighters.

http://www.vintage-evans-and-classic-cigarette-lighters.com/imco.php

The Austrian manufacturer was Julius Meister & Co., abbreviated as JMCO and finally as IMCO.
 
Piso Mojado said:
If they look like IMCO lighter models, they're probably from the same factory in Guangdong. Ali Express is full of merchants selling the same thing for different prices.

IMCO's most popular models were the Triplex Super 6700 and the Streamline 6800. You could remove the fuel tanks and use them as candles, which was handy for reaching into places where the lighter wouldn't fit. This site has the most photographs I've seen in one place, with IMCO advertisements and advertising lighters.

http://www.vintage-evans-and-classic-cigarette-lighters.com/imco.php

The Austrian manufacturer was Julius Meister & Co., abbreviated as JMCO and finally as IMCO.
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Nah, I got a few other types, I was particulary interested in a Chief lighter which opens up to reveal a hole top and bottom, for a pipe that would be perfect. I have and use zippo pipe lighters but half the time end up using my mini bic because the zippo's are empty. I'll probably end up with the Imco in any case, I like the portable candle design but it is rather bulky for the pocket so I'm trying out some more slender models first.
 
Pomsbz said:
Nah, I got a few other types, I was particulary interested in a Chief lighter which opens up to reveal a hole top and bottom, for a pipe that would be perfect. I have and use zippo pipe lighters but half the time end up using my mini bic because the zippo's are empty. I'll probably end up with the Imco in any case, I like the portable candle design but it is rather bulky for the pocket so I'm trying out some more slender models first.
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The Chief AKA Spark pipe lighter looks like a good one! Let us know how it works. IMCO's Streamline 6800 was a slim and more compact model with a removable fuel tank like the Triplex 6700. It held less fuel but its flat sides made it their popular advertising lighter.
 
I ordered a supposedly authentic IMCO 6700 NOS so will see what shows up. I will try the Magnetic trick to see if it is real.
I've been looking at the Douglass lineup for quite a while and it appears you need a bit of luck to find the one(s) you want in stock. I really like the S and L models and also the Neo III. I suppose I will pick the one that shows up in stock.
 
Just received an original NOS IMCO 6700 and ordered a Douglass Neo Model 1. I have no idea what I will do with them but I guess that's part of the fun.
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I've wanted to grab a Douglass Field-S for awhile now, but they always seem out of stock when I go to look for them.
 
Lee D said:
This thread got me thinking...while I keep a bunch of Bics in my packs, otherwise than a cheap Zippo that’s always dry, I don’t have a refillable lighter. I really like the classics you all are posting, but settled on something more modern. Ordered it last night, I hope I’m not disappointed...

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Exotac-titanLight-Waterproof--94677
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Let us know how it is, Lee! :)
unwisefool said:
I've wanted to grab a Douglass Field-S for awhile now, but they always seem out of stock when I go to look for them.
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After however many weeks now, can confirm that this lighter is everything I had hoped for, and maybe a bit more. :thumbsup:
 
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