FourteenNinetyTwo.com, our official online retailer, is proud to have become an authorized retailer of the prestigious French brand, S.T. Dupont. We are proud to carry their entire line. From their classic lighters, their iconic pens and their high-quality leather goods. You can find every S.T. Dupont item in our shop. As we were digging through the old catalogs, we found that the 148-year-old French brand had a very interesting history. Here is the story of the brand that all of us, either as cigar aficionados, or simply admirers of finer things, have no doubt come across.
Going into any cigar lounge, one may find an S.T Dupont lighter adorning a table. Such an “objet d’art” has become an unofficial demarcation of a true aficionado of refined taste. Far from just a lighter, S.T Dupont pieces have gained a strong cult following in cigar communities all over the world, representing the pinnacle of elegance and prestige.
I distinctly remember the excitement of clients, whenever someone would enter the store with a vintage Ligne 1 lighter. I wondered about the mythical object, that allowed complete strangers to approach one another, and chat as if they’ve known each other for years. The answer lies in being familiar with the impeccable craftmanship, and unique savoir-faire behind each S.T Dupont product. Whether they are the contemporary sleek designs of the Maxi/Mini jet, or the timeless Ligne 2, each model is distinctive of Dupont’s designs; as elegantly understated as they are incredibly luxurious. S.T Dupont constructed its legendary legacy quietly. Outfitting the world’s political and cultural elite for the past 148 years, the brand allowed the products to speak for themselves by virtue of their physical longevity, and the timeless design of the pieces. Designs that distinctly and effortlessly blend classicism with modernity.
Long before introducing the world’s first luxury lighter in 1941, the story of S.T Dupont began in 1872. The founder, Simon Tissot Dupont found inspiration for the company, acting as the personal photographer to Napoleon III, where he used an acute perceptiveness of form, style and beauty in imagining personalized travel luggage and trunks for high society. The man’s pursuit of aesthetic perfection from his work in France’s Imperial court, informs a philosophy of joie de vivre, or excellence in the everyday that remains essential to the brand’s identity. Simon recognized that the most ordinary essentials, whether it be leather goods, bags, pens or lighters, were conducive to life’s simplest and most subtle pleasures. All these items were the perfect candidates in Dupont’s mythology of rendering the ordinary, extraordinary; beauty for the sake of beauty, an idea that was never foreign to his clientele.
The mission for S.T Dupont remained the same since day one, to outfit the world’s elites with the most exceptional products, from the finest materials and most tried and true manufacturing processes. His son Lucien would carry on his father’s mantra into the 20th century “Make it beautiful, make it expensive, and make it innovative!”. It is no wonder that amongst the first customers of the personalized travel trunks were Napoleon III and empress Eugenie starting a trend that swept Europe, placing Dupont as the unofficial Malletier of royalty. Other royalty with personalised Dupont luggage included the Duchess of Windsor, and Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1924, Shortly after the company was taken over by Simon’s sons (the trading name being changed to Les fils de S.T Dupont) the original Paris based atelier was moved to the family’s ancestral region in Haute Savoie to keep up with the increasing demand of orders. Remarkably production today remains in these original workshops at the Swiss border. Immune to the trends of outsourcing and the inevitable drops in quality, the company has seen multiple generations of goldsmiths, silversmiths, woodworkers and lacquerers pass down their skills, ensuring that S.T Dupont remains 100% handcrafted in France.
Following the direction of the founder, the workshop in the family’s ancestral town of Faverges called upon the finest tradesmen combining 17 artisanal crafts such as leather making, varnishing, gilding, plating, tailoring, glassmaking and polishing. Leathers were selected exclusively from France, Italy and Spain (a tradition that remains to this day) having to comply with the highest standards of suppleness, evenness, and finesse. Fulfilling the promise of the natural beauty of Lake Annecy that surrounds the Dupont ateliers, the leather bags produced became synonymous with adventure and world travel amongst the highest echelons of society. Humphrey Bogart, and Audrey Hepburn are just some of the pop culture icons that were avid devotees of their personalized luggage.
Protected by patents, the company maintains industry secrets that have made its products inimitable. Much of the company’s unique savoir faire lies with their goldsmiths and jewelers, the artisanal workers credited with turning metals into precious metals. An irreplaceable ingredient of S.T Dupont pieces are the iconic diamond head, gadroon and cable motifs. The iconic patterns are engraved into the precious metals with surgical precision using centuries old guilloche methods.
S.T. Dupont’s master craftsmen carry on a lacquering tradition that can be traced back to ancient Chinese and Japanese techniques. The exquisite feel and texture of natural lacquer imparts an elegance to Dupont lighters, pens and humidors unseen amongst competitors. The authentication of natural lacquer on a product is found with an engraved lacquer leaf. Dupont craftsmen painstakingly apply up to 6 layers of the material to reach the desired shine and depth, resistant to scratches and the elements. According to legend the company’s embrace of this natural material was a serendipitous accident, owed to a typing error. Simon Tissot Dupont sent out an advert in the company’s infancy seeking a metalwork plater, the French title being “plaqueur”. With the p omitted by mistake upon the word “laqueur” was published instead. As fate would have it, a craftsman specializing in lacquer paintings responded to the ad. With Simon impressed by his art, the man saw decorative potential in the pristine pearl-like shimmer of the material, to serve as a lightweight alternative for the overreliance on heavy glass and crystal for ornamentation. The craftsman perhaps unbeknownst to him inspired an artistic impulse within the company. This impulse would manifest in Dupont’s many artist series and collaborations, paying homage to Shakespeare, Monet, Warhol, Picasso, and Karl Lagerfeld.
Since 1872, Dupont has become emblematic symbol of the French nation as a whole. Winning the hearts of political elites for some time, Dupont has often been the nation’s choice for diplomatic gifts, the brand embodying French ingenuity, heritage, and know how. For these efforts producing the world’s most coveted products, preserving millennia old artisanal traditions and demonstrating the feasibility of quality and domestic production in a globalized world; the brand was awarded the “Entreprise du patrimonie vivant” in 2013.
ICONIC SERIES
The Iconic Duffle bag series was released on the occasion of the brand’s 145th anniversary, demarcating S.T Dupont’s most versatile travel bag, equally chic as it is elegant. Each item of the collection harmoniously combines an oil cotton canvas with a contrasting leather, imparting a vintage flair reminiscent of the company’s roots. The iconic French tricolor band completes the look of this classic lightweight bag, bearing striking similarity to the one adorned by Humphrey Bogart in the late 1940’s.
SHOP THE ICONIC LINE & LEATHER GOODS HERE
SOFT FLAME LIGHTERS
S.T. Dupont is credited with creating the world’s first luxury lighter in 1941, a solid gold beauty given to the Maharaja of Patiala to accompany a large order of bags made for his harem. Suitably the term “Fit for a Maharaja” would be a very apt term to describe the legacy of all lighters from the house of Dupont.
LIGNE 2
With the contemporary evolution of the brand, and it’s adoption by the cigar community, the lighter has become the quintessential Dupont item. Anyone who has held one in their hands, can attest to the fact that it’s mere tactility and weight inspire life-long confidence. Fashioned from a piece of brass, the lighter undergoes a 5-month transformation. No less than 600 operations are undergone to coordinate the 70 components of a Ligne 2, assured by 300 quality control tests, before the silver, palladium or lacquer adorned item is produced. The finished product comprises of a full sensory experience, with devotees picking out their cherished object on the basis of the unique “cling” of the ligne 2’s base lid. Two powerful flames at 90-degree angles elegantly burn the circumference of any gauge cigar foot, making the Ligne 2 the choice for the distinguished aficionado. Like each soft flame Dupont before it, the Ligne 2 comes in timeless designs, destined to be an heirloom passed down between generations.
See the S.T. Dupont Line 2 and soft flame lighters here
MINIJET & MAXIJET & DEFI XTREME Torch Lighters
With the Mini and Maxi jet line, Dupont presents a bold vision for the future of jet lighters. A daring embrace of the 21st century the ergonomic rounded shape, fitted trigger complete with the iconic signature, is highly utilitarian without sacrificing style. The mini and Maxi jets have been the perfect conduit for Dupont’s daring forays in striking designs and vibrant color appealing to a newer generation with a heightened sense of individuality. The highly powerful torch flame, resistant to the elements makes this line a more versatile and affordable alternative to the soft flame counterparts. The Defi Extreme line takes both the Mini and Maxi Jet to a more modern level.
SLIM 7
Dupont’s Slim 7, demonstrates the company’s reputation as a torchbearer for innovation, while effortlessly marrying classic sensibilities with to contemporary design. The Slim 7 is the world’s slimmest luxury lighter at only 7mm thick, producing a unique “half-moon” jet flame that can withstand the strongest gusts of wind. A masterclass in elegance, the Slim 7 demonstrates that style and functionality are not mutually exclusive.
WRITING INSTRUMENTS
Developed by the very best master goldsmiths and master lacquerers, S.T. Dupont pens set a high standard and stands atop as one of the most respected and durable pens on the market. As with the lighters and leather products, great care is taken when selecting the precious nature of their materials. The accuracy instilled by their weight, and the suppleness of their handling, makes the users of these writing instruments take great pride in using them on a daily basis. Fashioned from metal to give superior strength, their pens take shape in over 150 separate processes. They have been part of the French brands’ history since it’s founding in 1872.
