I’m not sure where or when I found this lighter; it had to be several decades ago. And, not being a smoker, I’ve never used it myself. But for some reason I kept it, intrigued by its curious appearance and wondering what sort of history lay behind its dents, scrapes, and grimy looks. I finally decided to try photographing the lighter, playing with different settings and filters.

Champ-ette, Austria. I found other vintage lighters of this brand on eBay — but none looked like this one