Tinder Lighter

A flint and steel were the most common method of lighting a candle in the late-18th, early 19th-century. The flint was struck sharply against a piece of metal to create sparks, lighting a small piece of tinder. This pistol-shaped flint-lock tinder lighter is modeled after a flint-lock pistol, but instead of a barrel, it has a small tinder box and candle holder. A luxury item, this style of tinder lighter would have been in wealthy homes.

Collection ID: TP.1957.054.001