It took a while for human ingenuity to make available to Homo sapiens in the form of a lighter what flint and fire drills were to early hominids. The first modern lighters were created at the beginning of the 19th century, and the pocket lighter was developed at the beginning of the 20th century. What they all have in common is that they constructively combine all the stuff with which fire is made: Fuel (gasoline and cotton wick or gas), spark initiator (flint or piezoelectric crystal) and the spark initiating mechanism (friction wheel or striking iron). Tsubota Pearl, a metalworking company in Tokyo, has been dedicated to the needs of the ambitious smoker since 1952 - and does so with high standards and high-quality results. In addition to lighters, cigarette cases and ashtrays, Tsubota Pearl has also been producing items that fulfill their function for non-smokers for several years.