A mate just bought this out of curiosity for a couple of quid. What on earth might it be? If he got it where I imagine he did, it's a rather fine and rural car boot. The sort of place that would maybe imply genuine 'grandad junk' rather than overt fakery, and maybe too dull/obscure an item to fake... I wondered at a weapon bolt of some sort? (A mere shot in the dark. No real clue.) With apologies for the pic quality, he probably took them with a pinhole camera or something. Not sure sharp imaging has reached his part of the world. Will ask for a sharper shot of the eagle if possible - might be a serial # there. The writing is: Afrika 1941 & 2Pz. AK 33
Whatever it is, it's obviously far better designed, manufactured, doctrinally-employed, lethal and stylish than the British equivalent. We just had more of them...
Yet over-engineered, using unique parts, and available only in very limited numbers too late in the war to save the motherland from defeat.
Unit-wise, isn't it 2 Kompanie, Panzer Aufklarungs [?] 33? I'm not familiar with the DAK orbat so perhaps someone else will confirm...
Hammered & revisiting the thingy at its keeper's house. Zoomed into a manufacturer's name we'd not noticed. It's a lighter! FRENCH TRANSFO B.SGDG FLAMELESS POCKET LIGHTER Doubtless more noodling to follow, when we can see properly, but we at least know what it is now.
So when was it made ? An old eBay sale suggests a 1952 patent. Vintage Unusual Crank Mechanism TRANSFO Pocket Cigarette Lighter MIB MCM | eBay
Absolutely 50s as far as I can yet tell, though there's patents for the same type of thing a smidge earlier. Faked or nostalgia.
In 1945 the UN, as a punitive measure, voided a range of German international patents. The most visible of these were a range of Leica patents but there were others. The result was a plethora of copies and patenting of German designs by other countries. This could have been such as case but it is speculation on my part.
Did find some drawings that look like patent jobs via this remarkable site. All Lighters Couldn't crack it open under the penny slot to access the (probably) pyrite-y end, so last left with a bit of WD40 hopefully loosening a thread. Think the 'flint' is a polo shaped thing, which if it's worn away looks like it's going to be exceptionally hard to replace.