Found in the Field
Ronson Mastercase Combination Lighter & Cigarette Case — Chrome, Engine-Turned Interior — Field Find
Ronson Mastercase Combination Lighter & Cigarette Case — Chrome, Engine-Turned Interior — Field Find
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THE FIND
A vintage Ronson Mastercase — the combination cigarette case and lighter that defined mid-century pocket elegance. Chrome exterior, engine-turned interior pattern, spring-arm cigarette retention, integrated lighter mechanism at the top. Found in good vintage condition with a solid clicker action.
WHAT WE KNOW
The Ronson Mastercase was produced by the Ronson Art Metal Works, the American company that pioneered the automatic lighter and dominated the premium lighter market through the mid-20th century. The Mastercase combined a full cigarette case with an integrated lighter in a single slim profile — a feat of compact engineering that made it one of Ronson's most sought-after designs. This example features a chrome finish with the characteristic engine-turned (guilloché) pattern on the interior, and the original spring arms for holding cigarettes in place. Lighter mechanism present; flint and fluid status unknown — sold as-is. Chrome shows age-appropriate wear.
THE STORY
The Ronson Mastercase was the kind of object that appeared on boardroom desks and in dinner jacket pockets — a signal of taste and practicality in equal measure. At a time when smoking was a social ritual, the case you carried mattered. Ronson understood this and built accordingly.
WHY WE CHOSE IT
The Mastercase is one of the more collectible Ronson formats — the combination design is harder to find intact than a standalone lighter, and the engine-turned interior detail rewards a closer look. A complete piece of mid-century tobacciana with real character.
ABOUT THIS PIECE
Maker: Ronson Art Metal Works
Model: Mastercase
Finish: Chrome with engine-turned interior
Condition: Good vintage condition — chrome wear consistent with age, lighter mechanism present, flint/fluid untested, sold as-is.
Dimensions: [DIMENSIONS]
Weight: [WEIGHT]
Quantity: 1 — one of a kind.
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Field Notes
Recovered and preserved as discovered.
Marks, textures, and imperfections remain untouched.