S.T. Dupont
Established 1872Founded in 1872 by Simon Tissot Dupont, the firm initially created unique handmade travel cases for French aristocracy and nobility, such as Napoleon III and his wife Eugénie. The exceptional quality and design built Dupont’s reputation worldwide to the point that he was called ‘Malletier of the Kings’. The first petrol lighters were made in early 30s. In war times, when quality material was hard to achieve, Dupont lighters were made of aluminium, From 1958-1963 all lighters were constructed of 18k solid gold with 3% brass.
The first gas lighter made by ST Dupont, the D57, was introduced in 1953. The BS (Briquet Simple) following in 1959 was a bit wider than the D57, and is comparable with today’s Ligne 1. In 1965 Dupont’s most successful lighter was introduced, the BR (Briquet Reglable), with adjustable flame and automatic stop of the gas flow during the flint change: today’s Ligne 2 (as pictured above).
The most unique characteristic of a Dupont lighter is the ‘ping’, which is heard when lifting the cap of the lighter. This sound was incidental, caused by excess friction, but customers loved it and Dupont left this mistake in place.
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