A solid eighteen carat gold pocket petrol lighter. The lighter is exceptional quality and ery substantial Hence where the name derived. The body of this piece has vertically striped engine turned along the front and back, with the edges passing horizontally. It is easy to use, and simple to refill making this not only a handsome and inconspicuous piece to carry, but also a great piece to use.

The piece was made by and retailed by Kurt Weiss. Operating in London from the late 1940s through the 1970s, Kurt Weiss Ltd. was a small but distinguished maker of fine jewellery and gold objects. Their work captures the restrained glamour of post-war British luxury, pieces that were less about ostentation and more about craftsmanship, weight, and finish.

The firm’s maker’s mark “KW” appears on a range of 18-carat gold pieces, most notably powder boxes, vanity cases, and occasional jewellery commissions. Each bears London hallmarks that trace neatly to mid-century production dates. Surviving examples show an attention to detail comparable to larger houses of the period, refined hinges, crisp engraving, and often the addition of sapphires or diamonds as subtle accents.

Though never a household name, Kurt Weiss occupied that interesting middle ground between the great London jewellers and the independent master craftsmen who quietly supplied them. Their pieces now surface infrequently at auction, where collectors value the combination of quality, provenance, and that unmistakably mid-century sense of proportion and elegance.

There are full English assay control marks for Kurt Weiss and '750' eighteen carat on every removable piece of the lighter, as is the law under the English Assay Office. Each removable piece is tested and stamped to ensure nothing is added that is not consistent with the overall metal statement. It was made in London, England, in 1950. A finer solid high carat gold lighter could not be found.