The oldest lighter I have in my collection is a plastic dispoasable one I
received (Ok, "lifted")  from my father back in the summer of 1969 while on
leave from the army.  He was a custom molder of plastics and it was a
sample he received.  So they have been going into the archaeological record
for at least 34 years!

Smoke.


Smoke (Michael A.) Pfeiffer, RPA
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
605 West Main Street
Russellville, Arkansas 72801
(479) 968-2354  Ext. 233
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]

It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.




                      George Myers
                      <georgejmyersjr@H         To:      [log in to unmask]
                      OTMAIL.COM>               cc:
                      Sent by:                  Subject: Fw: Ball point pens
                      HISTORICAL
                      ARCHAEOLOGY
                      <[log in to unmask]
                      >


                      08/11/2003 01:51
                      PM
                      Please respond to
                      HISTORICAL
                      ARCHAEOLOGY






----- Original Message -----
From: "George Myers" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2003 2:50 PM
Subject: Re: Ball point pens


> There was a story in the Time-Life series books of science that the
inventor
> of the Xerox process first invented the ballpoint pen but failed to file
a
> patent for it. Mssr. "Bic" made quite a fortune with the pen and lighter
> business (seen first in Belgium according to a social anthropologist ca.
> 1973?) and challenged the Amerca Cup sailboat race in the late 1970's.
> ("Quest").
>
> George Myers, Jr.
>