WW1 Trench Art Lighter

[DoggyDaddy]

While browsing ebay looking for gun parts, I happened to click on a seller's "other items" that was a piece of WWI trench art (it happened to be an empty rifle cartridge upon which someone had created a replica of the Notre Dame cathedral Reims in bas relief). That got me interested in seeing what else was out there, and in my search I came across this lighter. It was probably made around 1916 and commemorates the Fleury-Thiaumont campaign. There are some really cool pieces on ebay, mostly made from various types of artillery shell casings, bullets, shrapnel, etc.. If you are interested in such things, put "WWI Trench Art" in their search engine and take a look. I will probably be buying more in the future.

Here is a little bit of info about the Fleury-Thiaumont campaign: http://www.kaiserscross.com/40047/124001.html

Anyhow, here is the lighter. It still works, but I don't plan on carrying it. I'll probably just display it on my desk and maybe use it occasionally here at home.

 

[indiucky]

That is cool...Bring it down next trip and I will light one up with it!!!!! I love Trench art....And folk Art....

 

[romad7]

That is really cool, I like it. Not sure if I should check ebay though, it'll probably cost me;-)

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Used to carry one like a cylinder when I smoked. It was great against the Chicago weather.

 

[Ericpwp]

I found a trench art ring when we were tearing up the carpet in the house we were buying (We got the keys early). It said 1945 Manila. We gave it to the son at closing.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

That is cool...Bring it down next trip and I will light one up with it!!!!! I love Trench art....And folk Art....

I can definitely do that. And you know, being from France, it compliments the Manurhin.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

This was the first piece that I was looking at.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Here is a pair of vases made from German shell casings.

 

[indiucky]

Used to carry one like a cylinder when I smoked. It was great against the Chicago weather.

Somehow that seems like you would.....I remember sportsman guide used to sell replica's...Let me guess Kirk...Yours was the real deal???

A buddy of mine works at Ford's and carries his cigarettes in an original Nazi Eastern Front cigarette case...When anybody gives him any crap he points out the Eastern Front engraving and says, "It came off of a dead Nazi...You don't like Nazi's do ya?"

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Used to carry one like a cylinder when I smoked. It was great against the Chicago weather.

Was it anything like this one?

 

[DoggyDaddy]

This one came today. WWII era, made from a 50 caliber round on a heavy brass base.

 

[david890]

Did a fair amount of trench art trading during my eBay days. Most folks selling didn't know what the things were ("odd brass flower vases"), not understanding the codes stamped on the bottom of the shells.

Best vase I had was made by 2 guys of a WWI African-American Company. I was able to trace their movements from CONUS through Europe, but could never find a personnel listing of the unit (initials of both men stamped on vase). The fact that it came from a black unit gave it an unusually high price at the end of bidding (IIRC, an African-American vet organization bought it).

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Did a fair amount of trench art trading during my eBay days. Most folks selling didn't know what the things were ("odd brass flower vases"), not understanding the codes stamped on the bottom of the shells.

Best vase I had was made by 2 guys of a WWI African-American Company. I was able to trace their movements from CONUS through Europe, but could never find a personnel listing of the unit (initials of both men stamped on vase). The fact that it came from a black unit gave it an unusually high price at the end of bidding (IIRC, an African-American vet organization bought it).

There is a lot of really neat stuff out there. I'm glad I happened to stumble on it by accident!

 

[david890]

There is a lot of really neat stuff out there. I'm glad I happened to stumble on it by accident!

Amazing what the ordinary soldier can do in the middle of Hell. OTOH, given that over 1 billion shells were fired during WWI, and much of the fighting was from static trenches, those guys probably had a lot of free time in which to make such things. You don't see as much from WWII (50 BMG art seems the most prominent) or Vietnam.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Here's my latest. Actually came a few weeks ago but I just got around to taking pics. It's a Fokker airplane made from an 8mm Mauser round for the fuselage.





These two are to show an 8mm round for comparison.