
With prestigious materials and impeccable craftsmanship, S.T. Dupont’s reputation was forged as a leading luxury luggage maker with true pedigree. The company’s client book included royalty, world leaders, screen legends and style icons, living up to Lucien Dupont’s motto:
‘Make it more beautiful. Make it expensive. Make it innovative.’
Currently Available S. T. Dupont products
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S.T. Dupont Large Black Laque de Chine/Silver Palladium Trim Cigar Box Humidor
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S.T. Dupont Olympio Vertigo Red Laque de Chine/Gold Roller Ballpoint Pen w/COA
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S.T. Dupont Olympio Plac OR Godrons Fountain Pen 18ct 750 M Nib in Box 480203M
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S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 Gold Plated Diamond Head Motif Gas Lighter Working Condition
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S.T. Dupont Vintage Black Laque de Chine Gold Ligne 1 Large Lighter
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S.T. Dupont Slim Small Gold Plated Ligne 2 Line Rare Gas Lighter Open Engraver
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S.T. Dupont Early μ20 Gold Plated Diagonal Lines Motif Ligne 1 Gas Lighter
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S.T. Dupont Vintage Green Laque de Chine Gold 20µ Ligne 1 Large Lighter Working
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S.T. Dupont Paris Silver Plated Brushed motif Ligne 1 Small Gas Lighter
The Chinese Lacquer Process
The use of lacquer in China goes back traditionally to legendary times. It is made from the sap of the tree Rhus vernicifera a.k.a. Chinese lacquer tree which is indigenous to China and Korea.
The sap of the tree is white or grayish in colour and about the consistency of molasses. Once extracted, it turns yellow-brown and then black on exposure to air. It is strained through hempen cloth to remove physical impurities, after being pounded and stirred in shallow wooden tubs to give it uniform liquidity. It is then slightly heated over a slow fire or in hot sunshine, stirred again to evaporate excess moisture, and stored in airtight vessels.
Before applying onto a base material, the lacquer is heat-treated and coloured. Curing the applied sap requires “drying” it in a warm, humid chamber or closet for 12 to 24 hours where parts of it polymerizes to form a clear, hard, and waterproof surface.
Artistic application and decoration of lacquer can be a long process, requiring many hours or days of careful and repetitive layers and drying times. Products coated with lacquer are recognizable by an extremely durable and glossy finish.
The manufacture of the first S. T. Dupont lighter began in 1939. It was a gold lighter, integrated into the briefcase of Yadavindra-Singh, maharajah of Patiala, India.
S. T. Dupont Links
S. T. Dupont Official website.
Theo’s Vintage S. T. Dupont archive of product photos and advertisements.