• Home
  • IMCO Wicks
  • IMCO Lighter Blog
  • Lighter Maintenance
  • Contact & Shipping
IMCO Lighter

It's over for IMCO of Austria Lighter company.

4/6/2012

24 Comments

 
I am so sad to say the IMCO of Austria is closing its doors at the end of June. My favorite lighters are not being produced any longer - they stopped production already and are completely out of lighters for sale. 

The really bad news is that no warranty will be provided by them after June of 2012. I will not offer anything but exchanges of unused lighters purchased from me from now on. Sorry.

The only silver lining I can see is that all IMCO's are now very collectible. Take care of them my friends, because after a while all we will see is copies and fakes!

As you know, flints are not available any longer, so keep on using the Zippo® flints in your IMCO's.

However, the wick manufacturer is still in business and will be offering wicks indefinitely. Hurray! These fit in many different brands of lighters, so at least there is relief on that front.

Sorry to have to bring such sad news to you. My little business will suffer for it, obviously. If anyone knows of a company or person that might want to take over for IMCO, they have mentioned that the lighter making machinery is possibly for sale. Wouldn't it be nice to have "IMCO of the United States"?
 
24 Comments

IMCO Lighter fakes, copies and replicas over the years.

10/3/2011

77 Comments

 
A few times a year, I get questions about whether a lighter is an IMCO or not. Recently, I had a question about a "Patent bora extra Austria 901". Since its working parts look an awful lot like an IMCO, I asked IMCO for information. They said it is one of dozens of copies made over the years

What I'm looking for now is a compilation of all the IMCO replicas and fakes I can find. Anyone with information, photos, comments, please feel free to send them to me. This information is invaluable to collectors. Thanks for your help!
77 Comments

IMCO Flints in short supply

7/30/2011

0 Comments

 
The only source of flint material is in China and buyers are experiencing difficulty getting flints for a reasonable price. Exporters in China have basically tripled their prices. IMCO is out of stock of flints for re-sellers like me until this trade problem is resolved. Please read the following articles for more information.

Economic Newspaper .com July 30, 2011

Breaking Import Export News July 12, 2011

European Trade Commission July 5, 2011

Big Government February 6, 2012 - some new, positive predictions 

As of today, www.ThunderhawkCollectables.com and www.IMCOLighter.com have barely 50 sets of wicks to sell and WILL BE OUT OF STOCK very soon. I am hoping for a quick resolution to this problem so that I may order more stock from IMCO.
0 Comments

Vintage IMCO Gas Lighter Fuel

1/29/2011

40 Comments

 
I've had quite a few questions regarding what kind of fuel to use in a vintage IMCO Gas Lighter like the G-11. I'm pretty sure they all can handle regular old butane fuel like Ronson sells. There's a hole at the bottom of the fuel canisters where the pressurized fuel is pushed into.

To Keith, who just wrote me, I hope you read this because your email address failed when I tried to respond.

If anyone has any other information on this subject, please pass it on to me. Thanks!
40 Comments

IMCO Wicks and Flints can be used for lighters other than IMCO's.

10/7/2010

17 Comments

 
As far as I know, IMCO service packs, which include one wick with a metal threading needle and 10 flints, can be used on many different lighters.
 
For example, I've been told that the flints fit into Zippos, no problem. The wick is a standard size for Zippos and other lighters, but the needle sets it apart from other wicks. It helps the user get to the hard to reach holes, like with many table top lighters.

I'd love some more information about what these wicks and flints work with. It's hard for me to do since I'm an IMCO girl and own very few other brands of lighters.
17 Comments

What materials are IMCO Lighters made of?

9/22/2010

0 Comments

 
IMCO's are nickel plated steel. Very lightweight, but sturdy construction. Steel rusts, so the nickel plating helps prevent that. Unfortunately, I have put one of my IMCO's through the washing machine and didn't dry it thoroughly and it began to rust.

I did my research on steel and it supposedly takes 3 to 5 hours of exposure to water to start rusting. So, if you can get your IMCO dry quickly, it should be ok. It's those hard to reach places inside that'll get you if you're not careful.

The moral of the story - keep your IMCO Lighters dry or dry them fast if they do get wet.
0 Comments

IMCO Lighters with Bottle Openers are Discontinued

8/10/2010

1 Comment

 
I tried to order one of my favorite lighters from IMCO, the Super Triplex Engravable with bottle opener, and they are no longer producing the bottle opener feater at all any more. I do have to admit that I had a few returns on these lighters due to the bottle opener actually falling off.

I imagine they are not really strong enough for someone like a bartender to use, but they are great for a party or camping. Since I usually take cans on camping trips, I've only used mine at home.

In any case, say goodbye to the style all together. As far as I know, I have the only ones in the U.S. There aren't that many left, so get 'em while you can!
1 Comment

Prometheus and Firebird Lighters

7/28/2010

0 Comments

 
How can I break the news to you. Well, they were both manufactured by IMCO of Austria. I found this out by ordering a bunch of Super Triplex's and accidentally getting a smattering of both Prometheus and Firebirds mixed in with the IMCO brand.

So, what I'm trying to say is, don't fret if you have a Prometheus or Firebird that looks an awful lot like an IMCO. It actually is an IMCO. The only difference is the fuel canister cap at the bottom of the lighter. This is good news!
0 Comments

Stuff it. Cotton problem.

7/13/2010

0 Comments

 
Over the years, I've had a handful of people ask me what to do if their lighter fuel slowly evaporates from their IMCO Lighter. Sometimes, the cotton inside is stuffed too far up the canister, leaving a void at the bottom where the cap is. The cotton can be pulled out with some tweezers and resituated, or more cotton can be added. Just make sure it's genuine cotton. The less open space you have in your canister, the less evaporation will occur.

I hope you are enjoying your IMCO Lighters!
0 Comments

Welcome new visitors!

7/10/2010

14 Comments

 
Well, the first thing I did in my new blog was write some stuff, then lose it. Hmm. Since I have been selling IMCO Lighters, I have come accross lots of interesting info about them. I've been using them ever since I got my first order from IMCO.
 
I don't smoke any more since I have a little one, but I still rely on my IMCO's for my multiple camping trips every year. Colorado has been so dry this year, we have a fire ban, but some recent rain may change that.
 
If anyone wants to talk about anything at all relating to IMCO Lighters, please help me get started. By the way, this site is an extension of Thunderhawk Collectables. So for those that know me from that site, nice to see you here! Thanks! RockiesGirl
14 Comments

    RockiesGirl

    Mom of one little girl with Down Syndrome who loves the Rocky Mountains, IMCO Lighters are a staple in my camping gear.
    Sadly, since IMCO went out of business, I've moved on to different products, but try to keep up with IMCO news. I hope this information helps all who are looking!

    Archives

    April 2012
    October 2011
    July 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010

    Categories

    All
    Imco Closing Its Doors
    Imco Gas Lighter
    Imco History
    Imco Lighter
    Imco Maintenance
    Imco Wick And Flints
    Windproof Lighter

    RSS Feed

Welcome to the IMCO Lighter Website!
  • Home
  • IMCO Wicks
  • IMCO Lighter Blog
  • Lighter Maintenance
  • Contact & Shipping