This vintage Lil’ Joe barrel lighter was produced in the early and mid 1940's by Brown and Bigelow. The lighter’s dimensions are approximately 1.5 inches high with the cap off and 2 inches high with the cap on and is 1 inch in diameter.
The lighters were made up from part of the Mark 17 torpedo detonators Brown and Bigelow produced during World War 2. They were allowed by the U.S. Government to make the lighters out of spare detonator parts and rotate production between lighters and torpedo detonators, which was rare for this period because most metal in the U.S. was rationed for the war effort.
We have replaced the flints which disintegrated due to age. It has been stored in a smoke free, pet free, climate controlled warehouse. This Lil' Joe lighter has been in storage for over 60 years, is in new, never used condition and is another one of the hundreds of thousands of vintage items we have in stock.