THE GREAT MULLARD MAGIC BLOG — px4

When posing this title question, I was reminded of an event that happened a few years ago at the NVCF.  I was attempting to sell for a good friend and BVWS committee member both an AVO VCM163 valve tester and a globe Osram PX4. A potential Italian customer sidled up to the stall, going into raptures about both items - his eyes were bulging and there was a sheen sweat on his top upper lip as he recited the valve pin settings for a PX4, well we all know 8423000000 don't we?  Certainly it resulted in the owner of these items...

Well, in over 25 years of collecting vintage radio items, I have never seen another of these so I thought.... there's a nice blog entry. What we have  for your delectation is a miniature flint and wick petrol cigarette lighter,made  of nickel plated or painted brass standing just about two inches in height. Separate the two halves of this lilliputian marvel and you see a strike wheel flint mechanism and wick in the bulb part. The mechanism was manufactured by Benay of London and you can see their cartouche stamped by the thumb wheel. The ultimate cachet has to be the bulb...