Nimrod Lighters
The Nimrod lighters were manufactured in two original versions: The Pipe Lighter and the Commander/Admiral.
Historical overview
Ashley F. Ward, Inc. was founded in 1908 as a screw product manufacturer. Over the years, the company had changed it's name on various occasions, and presumably involving company reorganization. Several of it's incarnations included Ward Manufacturing Co., Ward-Nimrod Company, and it's current existence as Ashley Ward, Inc.
In 1946, Ashley Ward filed the original patent for the Nimrod Pipe Lighter, the patent eventually being awarded in 1947. Perhaps taking inspiration from their screw products, the Pipe Lighter began life resembling a nut in the middle of a bolt.
At some point, Ashley Ward produced the Commander model. The patent number stamped into the case was identical to that of the Pipe Lighter, making actual creation dates impossible to follow.
In 1957, Ashley Ward purchased a patent for a pop-up camper. This became it's predominant item manufactured, and the division was eventually sold to to Fuqua Industries.
In the 1960's, Nimrod lighters were selling at a rate of 1,000,000 per year.
No serial numbers or production markings make it possible to tell when each lighter was actually made, unlike the coding used on the bottom of Zippo lighter cases.