Maybe these are common as ticks on a hound, but I've never seen one before.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Really-Neat-OLD-Original-NOBEL-Made-Sweden-OPTIMUS-Blow-Torch-/160971189202
New to me to, maybe Batz will know something about them.
Don't mix with Nobel's most famous invention!
QuoteAlfred Nobel was born on 21 October 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden, into a family of engineers. He was a chemist, engineer, and inventor. In 1894, Nobel purchased the Bofors iron and steel mill, which he made into a major armaments manufacturer. Nobel also invented ballistite, a precursor to many smokeless military explosives, especially the British smokeless powder cordite. Nobel was even involved in a patent infringement lawsuit over cordite. Nobel amassed a fortune during his lifetime, with most of his wealth from his 355 inventions, of which dynamite is the most famous.
Quite a common torch here in Australia and Europe, perhaps not so in the US.
It runs on kerosene rather than gas like most of your torches over there.
Batz
As long as it doesn't run on nitroglycerin ;P
I have never seen one around here....