Colibri-monopol 6p5h1v

STORY OF A BEAUTIFUL HUMMING BIRD

COLIBRI—CONSTANTLY AHEAD by Jacques Cole It seems quite probable that the gaslighter was invented over 160 years ago, but it was not until the Misch metal flint was produced in Austria at the beginning of this century that it became possible to see the 'birth' of the modern pocket lighter. Initially, it was an article without fuel but with a long thick wick that was ignited by showering sparks on it that could be kept smouldering by blowing on it. They were well established by about 1910 and became a favourite lighting instrument in the trenches during the Great War. Nonetheless, a more recognisable lighter appeared in 1912/13 which was fuelled by petrol. We have even traced a model 'for the smoking room' that could be ignited by two batteries. This model is missing from catalogues just before the war and may not have been a good 'seller'. FASCINATION Now, Julius Lowenthal, the 'father' of Colibri lighters, was not the inventor of the modern instrument. However, the 1910 period was significant in that it was the time, at the age of 18, that he ed a firm specialising in smokers' requisites and gift items in . Being therefore involved with lighters almost at their introduction, it is hardly surprising that as a young man he should have been fascinated by a relatively new product. An aspect that 'worried' him was the fact that the thumb had to be in direct with the wheel. Soon after the war, he formed a company with his brother Benno, under the name J & B Lowenthal which soon evolved into Ibelo. By 1927, Julius had perfected his idea and 1928 saw the introduction of the Colibri Original which was a model with a 'sidelcick' action lever. After early technical problems had been solved, it became highly successfuLproduction lasting until 1949. The name Colibri was chosen after the name of the tiny beautiful humming bird with its international intonation, common in most languages. By the 1930s, Julius' thoughts were already ahead and the company obtained a patent for a fully automatic lighter which would work every time. This was to be the Colibri Monopol, made in Switzerland, as was the Original, the basic principle being that it should be stroked rather than pressed. TOBACCO

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That principle, originally applied to petrol lighters, was nonetheless carried over into the gas era and was still predominant in the late seventies. The Monopol was on the market by 1934, but the previous year, Julius Lowenthal decided to move to London, where he established Colibri Lighters Ltd, while his brother Benno, who had gone to Switzerland, also followed him to England where he formed his own company. Their sister, Meta, stayed in to manage Ibelo Co. Shortly after arriving in England. Julius had a version of the Original produced in Redditch. This was the first Colibri lighter to be made in England. It is worth noting that in the 1931 Oppenheimer Pipes catalogue, the Colibri Ladies Size shown is quoted at 7/6 (37*/2p) retail while the Gents Size (enamel) is 10/- (50p). The price list proclaims 'a wide variety from 4/4 (22p). During the last war, making Colibri was not essential war work, but a 'utility' model was brought out in 1942 (a simple cylindrical shape) and the Stormguard, made in Birmingham, in 1943. By that time, it had been realised by the 'powers that be', that a lighter had its uses even in the Forces. Large quantities went to the Allied Armies and your writer re having an 'issue lighter' with the Airborne Divisions, but alas, it was not a Colibri. By 1945, Colibri in London was able to renew s with Ibelo in . Since the mid thirties, H Zahn, at first a mechanic and then model maker, had worked his way up in the German 'branch' and due to the restrictions imposed by the government, became the 'official' holder of the Ibelo shares. As none of the Lowenthals wanted to return to , H Zahn eventually acquired the company. For some years, a working relationship was maintained, but as the companies grew they gradually went each their own way. Early after the war the Colibri Development Dept was firmly established and this has been growing in importance ever since. We shall see how important this has been by tracing the progress of Colibri lighters and other articles. One extremely important step was

taken in the lighter industry when, in 1947, Mr Quercia of Flaminaire made the butane gas lighter a practical realisation. By the mid-1950s, very few countries wanted to see petrol models anymore. Colibri appreciated the situation so that by 1955, the first Colibri Gaz was introduced in . By coming to with Flaminaire, who by then had the most advanced plant in the world, the company was able to obtain certain component parts, such as tanks, and was able to introduce, in 1958, the now famous Colibri Monogas. Both the Gaz and Monogas were designed to take the Monopol mechanism which as it turned out was to be the 'backbone' of the lighter for some 45 years. VISIBLE REFILL The Development Department was busy. In the same year, 1958, Colibri devised the first visible multiple gas refill and had also patented an inlet valve that ensured that the lighter could not be overfilled. Colibri also took note of what would appear to be minor details, such as the flint and its duration. A first 'long flint' came into use in 1963, but something more compact was required. The

The Duo-Flame, launched in August 1983, has proved to be a bestseller. At under£20, it is the ideal lighter for both pipe and cigarette smokers. There are three jewellery finishes, each in a solid brass case. 31

Colibri claim this 4mm Soiree lighter is the slimmest luxury lighter on the market. However its designers managed to achieve a strong lid hinge and good gas capacity.

result was the Autoflint, which could last up to a year. This miniature hydraulic system ensured that the pressure remained almost constant with a 'loss' of only 10 per cent pressure towards the end of the life of the flint. Colibri could see that the 'door to developments' was wide open and alternative methods of ignition were studied, resulting in the invention of the Piezo electric lighter. This, however, took time to perfect. It took from 1961 to 1963 to produce a model of reasonable function and a further four years to put an acceptable lighter on the market. This was the Colibri Molectric 80, itself to be replaced by a more advanced version, the Molectric 88, in 1969. During this same period, Colibri wanted to tackle a problem which had hitherto seemed impossible, namely a totally smooth automatic lighter in appearance. The outcome of this development was the Colibri Tetra and Monomatic, which came out in 1970. They were however soon followed and replaced by the L'Ambassadeur, Envoy and Supertronic. The latter was a luxury battery model, but all anticipated the longer and slimmer models in vogue today. MORE ADVANTAGES It is worth pausing and noting that with the Supertronic, we have the first mention of a battery operated lighter in the Colibri range. The company believes that the Piezo System offers many more advantages. Battery lighters are quieter and require less pressure, but advances in piezo will diminish the differences. The life of a battery (9-12v) is an unknown factor and Colibri have only had limited involvement in that system. Nonetheless, with the new integrated circuit, battery lighters, using a 1.5 battery, are now far more reliable. By 1978, Colibri was celebrating 50 years in the lighter business and by that time had introduced the 32

Sensatron which could be ignited with a simple touch. It is still in the range, much slimmer and justifying the use of solid state ignition with a 1.5 battery. The 'traditional' types, in particular the roller/flint so popular now, were not ignored, witnessed by the John Sterling range of the late 60s and 70s. These roller lighters are still with us under the Castle, Corinth and City brands, reflecting the present day trend towards slimness. Development is still progressing on the Piezo System, but a couple of breakthroughs of note should not be missed. With the Colibri Jetric, the problem of an automatic swing-away lid over the flame was solved. Indeed with later models, the lid will now return automatically to its closed position. Then, of course, the Colibri Lasatron was a sensation when it came out two and a half years ago. The integrated circuit needs a special 3v battery, but the simple breaking of a short beam will cause ignition. We wanted to know from Colibri whether there was a way of eliminating the recess necessary to place the thumb or finger on the side of the lighter, to 'clean it up', as it were. The answer was non committal, but we had the feeling that they 'were working on it'! While developments on the Piezo System are continually being carried out, the design department, backed by the technical knowledge of the company, is constantly working on new models, albeit with proven ignition systems. Two latest arrivals are first the Colibri Forum,! a Molectric lighter which is only 5 /2mm thick, thus solving the problem of slimness with this ignition system — the previous model, 'Soiree Ultra Slim is lit by an 'old fashioned' flint wheel, which must be said to be against the purpose of the 'Original'! Secondly, the Colibri Focus which is the starting point for a range of *New-Look' lighters. But we need to return to 'before 1978' when the company judged rightly that diversification in smokers'

and gift articles was necessary, ready, a pipe had been designed an3 reduced, although perhaps not uge success. It had some technic shortcomings which the pipemake_ who made it should have helped to^ rectify. However, it had, as they say$! 'its moment'. Other articles included! ashtrays, cigar cutters and a Colibri" watch, all designed by the company. This development has taken more and more importance, so that today Colibri is able to offer a full range of leather goods: wallets, keyrings, memo pads, spectacle cases, card cases, etc — designed with not only the tobacconist, but also the gift and jewellery trade in mind. No sign of a tobacco pouch yet, but that may well be on the drawing board! Known as the Verona Collection, the quality of the leather is about as high as you can

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g°From the tentative pre-1978 efforts, there has emerged a range of modern watches using the latest techniques in watch engineering. The St Moritz Quartz Collection is a fine example. Pens have captured the imagination of a number of firms in the 'smoking business' and Colibri were not slow off the mark, particularly in the thin models, the latest being the Sorrento Collection with others in the planning stage. FAMILY AFFAIR The firm has remained very much a family affair. Julius Lowenthal died in 1970 and H Jack Lowenthal is now managing director and very much in the 'saddle'. There is a company in and Switzerland — the American Co was sold in 1967 — and a main manufacturing operation in Dublin. A Colibri success was its development for the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun: a highly ingenious golden gun assembled from a Colibri 88, a cigarette case, cuff-links and a fountain pen. How is the future seen at Colibri? It is believed that the Piezo and InteCircuit Systems will continue to §rated e developed, taking advantage of all advances in miniature ignition methods. It is also believed that Colibri should, as was done in the ast, seek in the world the areas aving the most advanced methods of production. As we have seen, the development department seeks to be constantly ahead not only in technique, but also in design. It will also continue in the field of quality accessories and gift items. This seems to us to be the great strength of Colibri, since all items are initially designed by the firm, even though in some cases top quality outside manufacturers may be needed for their production. Today, Colibri is one of the top names in Great Britain and possibly in the world. The story is not yet ended.

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