Colibri

After the First World War, he and his brother Benno founded the company J. & B. Lowenthal (JBELO). Later, in 1927, Julius came up with the idea of a lighter that would prevent the thumbs from coming into direct contact with the flint wheel. Thus was born the lighter known as the COLIBRI ORIGINAL. As is often the case with lighters, technical difficulties arose, but the lighter was a huge success, and some COLIBRI ORIGINALs still function properly. In the 1930s, the company obtains a patent for a fully automatic lighter that guarantees ignition every time - the ORIGINAL is the first lighter to be manufactured in Switzerland. Around this time (1933), Julius Lowenthal moves from Germany to London, where he establishes Colibri Briquets Ltd. His brother Benno, who had already moved to Switzerland, followed him to London to set up his own BENLOW lighter factory. Their sister Meta remained at the head of the German company (IBELO). London's Colibri and Germany's IBELO worked together again in 1945. In the post-war years, Colibri has its own development department and begins a series of technical developments that continue to produce new lighter models. 1955 sees the first Colibri gas lighter. It was produced in France, where the know-how existed, and combined French advances in butane gas tanks with the precision mechanism of the COLIBRI MONOPOL. The result is the Colibri Monogas in a variety of finishes and a number of functional improvements. 1958 also saw Colibri's first multi-gas refill, and 1963 saw the introduction of the Colibri Autoflint to ensure even pressure. In 1961, Colibri invented the piezoelectric lighter, but it took many years to perfect the system, marketed in 1967 as the COLIBRI MOLECTRIC 80, itself replaced two years later by the COLIBRI MOLETRIC 88, which remains one of the most reliable, practical and elegant lighters. For those with a passion for these stories, it's worth noting that in the James Bond film «The Man with the Golden Gun», it was Colibri who designed the ingenious Golden Gun, assembled from a Colibri 88, a cigarette case, cufflinks and a pen. Other developments followed. It has always been difficult, for example, to produce a fully automatic model that is totally smooth in appearance. Colibri solved the problem, and in 1967, the first COLIBRI MONOMATIC and COLIBRI TETRA models were launched. These two versions were replaced by the COLIBRI L'AMBASSADEUR and the COLIBRI ENVOY, as well as the COLIBRI SUPERTRONIC, a luxury model with battery, paving the way for the long, slim lighters so popular today. The next step was to produce a lighter that required no moving parts for ignition. The answer came in 1977 with the COLIBRI SENSATRON, which operated with a simple touch. In 1982, two new models were introduced in a double «presentation», as Colibri revealed at the same time that it had signed an agreement with COMOYs/Orlik for the distribution of Colibri lighters in the UK. The first is the COLIBRI JETRIC 10, which represents a completely new and practical way of achieving a closed-lid lighter. Instead of having to lift the lid with the thumb and move it to operate the servomotor, the Jetric system releases the lid, which swings open from the top of the lighter. This is a beautiful lighter available in a number of attractive finishes. Colibri describes the other model, the COLIBRI LASATRON, as the first true «space-age lighter». In this, the contact is further simplified: after opening the lid, the beam is sent through a recess to a sensitive photoelectric cell. To light the lighter, simply run your finger along the beam. This device is very much in line with microchip technology. It is available in the highest jewelry finishing standards. Looking at the Colibri range, we discover at least 20 different models, some in six finishes, representing over 100 «combinations». While most models are suitable for pipe lighting, pipe smokers are not overlooked. Of two models, the PIPEMAN and the PIPER, the PIPEMAN seems the more interesting. With a side-wheel action, it has a «traditional» design made of solid brass, is durable and has a good-capacity reservoir. The flame emerges sideways and can be easily controlled. The lighter fits comfortably in one hand and is easy to handle. It comes in four finishes, including a very attractive woodgrain at excellent value, and judging by the way they're made, will offer a good life We've already mentioned the COMOY /ORLIK distribution agreement with Colibri. The directors of both companies are confident that this is an essential step in enabling Colibri to become the leading brand in the UK.