posted 03-11-2003 10:25 AM            

Please help identify this cigarette lighter.
It is very small and exactly like one that is now appearing at auction that is marked Tiffany and Co., except that this lighter is not plain sterling silver (smooth) however it is decorative in that back, front, and sides are all a basket-weave (looks to be actually woven-not engraved).

The possible makers mark perhaps is the ang letters inside what looks like a sideways L. So, we assume "Lang". The ANG is sitting inside the L from the top down. The word sterling appears just above the L ANG.

The pattern is identical to the Tiffany and Co. lighter that is marked and on auction today, March, 11, 2003.

Could a maker called Lang have copied this Tiffany lighter style yet embellished the silver work, to be fancy and not plain like the Tiffany marked one?

Thanks so much for trying to help.

posted 03-13-2003 08:49 AM            

Thank you for posting the pictures of this lighter.

After looking at a in-Japanese website with similar lighters, it appears this lighter case is shown with a Zippo insert as well as a Tiffany insert and LANG insert. The case with the Zippo insert does not have the basket weave on the very top edge of the lighter and Tiffany & Co. appears on this edge. These basket weave sterling lighters look strikingly similar.

Perhaps LANG was the silversmith or company that licensed the case to Zippo or Tiffany. If so, perhaps someone has info on the Tiffany documents regarding this basket-weave case origin, silversmith, etc.