Are tiki torches the best surving symbol of tiki (next to tikis themselves)?

May be the hula, but now the hula seems to be more of a marketing tool for tourism and, to a lesser extent, as well as a way of nuturing the Hawaiian heritage in halaus both in the Islands as well as here on the mainland.

However, tiki torches appear to be a direct link.

Fire torches were historically associated with the Goddess Pele and were considered to be a symbol of fertilization. (Beckwith, Hawaiian Mythology, pg. 41)

The fertilization symbolism nicely fits into the tiki as the first man and/or phallic symbol.

In Michner's Hawaii, Abner Hale is "drawn like a fish towards the torches," where a ceremony where the fertility ceremony, presided over by the Kane tiki statute, is underway.

Tiki torches were an integral part of tiki design, along wihth the A-frame, and at some on-going tiki bars, like Drift, or hotels, like Humphrey's Half Moon bay, remain an important part of the entrance.

The phrase "tiki" is now most commonly affiliated with tiki torches, far more than the reference to the tiki (or moai) symbol. The phrase tiki torch may even be more widely known by lay people than tiki cocktails, tiki mugs or tiki bars, although happily that is changing.

I agree about the Tiki torches, but I've been noticing tiki-style items hitting the mainstream. Not only the outdoor tiki/luau stuff, like at Biglots, but yesterday I saw dishes, bowls, salt & pepper shakers, etc.with tikis on them at Bed, Bath & Beyond. (I had to get a couple of things, couldn't help myself.)And let's not forget Party Supply stores, where a lot of us got our Tiki start. So what does this mean to people who aren't into Tiki? Is it a good thing?

Tiki Torches were the only product through which the term "Tiki" survived the period of Tiki devolution in the 80s, and 90s.

On 2006-03-20 10:53, bigbrotiki wrote:
Tiki Torches were the only product through which the term "Tiki" survived the period of Tiki devolution in the 80s, and 90s.

The ironic part of this statement is that the Tiki Torch company has changed hands multiple times ( as best as I can tell) during this time through cuurent times. The name and product survived, though.

zazz!

On 2006-03-20 10:40, Tikiwmn wrote:
yesterday I saw dishes, bowls, salt & pepper shakers, etc.with tikis on them at Bed, Bath & Beyond. (I had to get a couple of things, couldn't help myself.)

Aloha, Tikiwmn,

Which Bed,Bath&Beyond? Also, could you provide a reference # for online browsing. Mahalo.

On 2006-03-20 10:40, Tikiwmn wrote:

So what does this mean to people who aren't into Tiki? Is it a good thing?

Many responses on this same issue: "Should tiki remain underground or become mainstream?"

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=12729&forum=1

On 2006-03-20 10:53, bigbrotiki wrote:
Tiki Torches were the only product through which the term "Tiki" survived the period of Tiki devolution in the 80s, and 90s.

Thank Ku!

Great topic!

I agree about the seminal Tiki-ness of torches.

One of the 11 Pillars of Tiki is illumination by open flame.

May it ever be thus.

I could help but have an animated torch for my website logo.

http://www.tikiracer.com

I can watch fire for hours...

My favorite shape of tiki torches:

Sabu

I found this great forum while web searching about a year ago. I've been lurking for a while, but seeing this made me join up - I had to comment on this!

I'm a collector of many things, most unrelated to Tiki, but I do collect vintage torches. The photos above are of the great classic Durant-Irvine torches, the original Hawai'ian torches. These things are well-made and really pretty. They came in black, forest green, brass or polished copper, and there were goth natural gas and kerosene versions. The only place I've been ion Hawai'i is the Big Island, but these are everywhere in Kona, and a few are scattered around Hilo if you know where to look. Most of these are newer replicas, all of them weathered to a nice verdigris from all that tropical air, and all I've seen there are gas-fueled. Go poking around in the deeper reaches of the shopping center housing the Kona Inn and you'll find some really battered ones. They're also sold in twos and threes mounted on bases with a bottled gas container. The original Durant-Irvine torches were sold as Hawai'ian Luau Torches. Sadly, I don't yet own any of these, though I have my eye on one or two owned by some locals (who, knowing these guys, will put an impossibly high price on them).

"Tiki Torch" was a brand name, made by the Tiki Torch Corp. of Torrance, CA. Over the years, they produced a number of models and sizes. Their "basic" style was an inverted cone, wider at the top, with a shallow, conical lid which twist-locks into place and a raised central section holding the wick - all Tiki brand torches burn kerosene or torch fluid, they didn't do gas torches as far as I know. The Tiki model was one-quart, the Tonga was two-quart, and there were one or two other models. These came in copper (with copper poles) brass or black (with black poles). Poles came in multiple sections, made of metal. They have cylindrical black snuffer/rain caps, hung on short chains attached to the top surface of the lid. I believe they may have made enamel colors at one time, too. Tongas were sold in two-packs, both in closed boxes and open-front display boxes - Tikis were sold in singles or pairs. By the 80s, only the brass and black Tiki model was available. In the late 90s, a pair cost around $30. In the early days, Tiki also made Owl Lites: little black-finished aluminum owls, with a wick on top and six different facial expressions. These stood on a table, but ground stakes and tree or eave hooks were available. Their promo literature from the 60s also lists a small, tabletop carved wood tiki, noted as being the "Polynesian god Tiki Iti". Real Tiki Torch brand fuel was available, a petroleum-based liquid that smells like poison, and with its chartreuse color, looks just as deadly. I have a full (old) can, and once tried to follow its alternate-use directions and start my barbecue with it. The food cooked over said fire was inedible! The can boasts that it chases mosquitos, is windproof, and odorlessly and tastelessly starts barbecue charcoal. It does NOT claim to be smokeless, and the thick plumes of black, greasy smoke (like burning diesel) that it produces might just be what chases mosquitos. It would chase just about anyone.

Incidentally, as much as they're fine as inexpensive outdoor torches, I consider the bamboo torches now sold under the Tiki Torch name to be an insult to real metal Tiki Torches. I'm also not a fan of the many, many outdoor liquid-fuel torches-on-poles in contemporary designs sold now, though I don't hate them by any means - they're simply not the old-fashioned style I prefer for my own use.

Another style had a domed bottom with a "lip" at the top edge and a shallow conical top with chain and snuffer like a Tiki Torch. Tiki made a model shaped like this, but I can't remember the model name. Most of these were made in bare spun aluminum like Tiki brand, but unfinished silver. I've seen a few in chrome (marked White House, Raphael Weill & Co, SF, CA and stamped JAPAN) and others sold as Tahiti Torches by Belco Lites Corp. of New Jersey and as Luau Garden Torches and Tropic Torches (identical) by Patio Corp. These have black metal poles, except the White House torches which have eight-section black wood poles with screw-together aluminum band joints. I've also seen these in a harvest gold yellow enamel finish, with black poles and snuffers and silver top caps.

For the sake of completeness, I'll also mention the large, high-quality copper Tikiliter and scaled-down but otherwise identical Savanna, copper Durant-Irvine-shaped liquid-fuel torches made by Nightscaping, Inc. These incorporate a twelve-volt downlight hidden under the conical body. Expensive, but with Nightscaping you get exactly what you pay for.

I won't claim to be an expert on Tiki torches, I'm just a collector with a bit of information I like sharing. If anyone has any vintage Tiki, Tonga, Tropic, Durant-Irvine or other liquid-fuel torches they'd be willing to sell, let me know. Starting this June, I'll be back into buying, and I'll be seeking out any complete torches, with or without poles, as well as replacement Tiki brand wicks. I also have photos of some of these, including shots of some Durant-Irvine liquid-fuel torches and a few close-ups of gas-fueled ones in Kona, if anyone has any use of them, though I'm not sure they're much to look at for a non-collector.

My sig is from a Tiki Torch catalog I used to have. Oh... as for the torches shown below... I don't own these yellow enameled beauties. I really wish I did.

Hey Torchman, Thanks for the info!! If you tried to post pictures of that catalog they did not come out. Got me interested now so please get them on here so we can check them out!!

I was at Home Depot here the other day and their new Tiki Torches are in stock and guess what......they are no longer called Tiki Torches as they have been. They are now called Garden Torches right on the box. Kind of sucks as the box has a cool retro look to it. Now I know that is exactly what they are but it was cool to see Tiki Torches on the boxes.

I was watching one of those HGTV type shows--this one where the expert helps the sellers do a home makeover to make it more appealing to buyers.

This one couple had a beautiful home. They took the expert out back to scope out the yard, where there were several Tiki torches. He said, "those Tiki torches are going to have to go! You are after all trying to project an upscale image".

Tiki torches! There goes the neighborhood . . .

On 2008-04-25 09:39, ManFromT.I.K.I. wrote:
I was watching one of those HGTV type shows--this one where the expert helps the sellers do a home makeover to make it more appealing to buyers.

This one couple had a beautiful home. They took the expert out back to scope out the yard, where there were several Tiki torches. He said, "those Tiki torches are going to have to go! You are after all trying to project an upscale image".

Tiki torches! There goes the neighborhood . . .

GRRRRR....There's that frikken word again..."upscale"....the downfall of modern culture if you ask me.....the idea that everyone has to project an image of being as rich as Paris Hilton....even tho' they're leveraged to the nines and have $3 in the bank.....I guess they should put $2000 rims on their Hummer (that they also can't afford) too. SICK !

TIKI TORCHES...LIVE ON !

Torchguy, thank you for your informative post! We here at TC never judge collectors' obsessions, because we know that we ourselves might be judged by outsiders in this way:

You probably are talking about this item when you mention using the fuel for your B.B.Q.:

Did you know the John Charles Company also manufactured the Tiki-Bachi shown on the canister:

You can find this page in my "Book of Tiki", or also (both images) in its smaller, more affordable version called "Tiki Style"

Here is a display of both of the TIKI and TONGA models you mentioned:

The owls and the Tiki sound interesting, did you know about the TIKI FIRE FISH:

There were other manufacturers, too, like this example:

And for the Tiki collector, Tiki face torches are the pinnacle of the genre:

There was a concrete cast Tiki Head torch, too, but I cannot find the image right now. And of course, THE image to get the Tiki Torch collector all excited must be this ad:

I have no idea what market this was supposed to be published for, but I am not complaining! You can find this image in my new book "Tiki Modern", together with this page:

Having been a lurker here, you probably have seen these two threads already, but just in case:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=28097&forum=1

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=20797&forum=1

It is really easy to upload images on this site, I would love to see some scans of your paper ephemera, visuals really tell the story best.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2008-04-25 12:44 ]

BigBroTiki wrote :

"I have no idea what market this was supposed to be published for, but I am not complaining! "

Me neither, but I would hazard a guess that it was for some sort of convention for patio decor and such...Think about it...1960's...guy's in Fezzes dropping water balloons out of hotel windows....no women, because this was a "Business trip". Naked woman = great way to sell anything.

Actually, you have more ads than I do, by a long shot. And I'd forgotten that the Tongas were the smaller model! I bought a boxed set of copper Tiki models a few years ago at an estate sale, never opened - I'm betting they were a gift, i.e. "Ooh, honey, look! Tiki torches! Go put these in the back of the closet". The set contained a catalog, a yellow page printed on both sides. I'm sure it's in my boxes somewhere, but I have no idea where. If/when I find it, I'll scan and post it.

Aside from that, I could photograph the box, and my collection of torches, which is very small so far. I have one Owl Lite, on it's original display card - they were similar in construction to the fish lights you pictured, save that the metal container itself was decorated. I'd love to get my paws on one of those Tiki-bachis! And as for the fantastic hula girl ad, I see the gold anodized torch, but also a red anodized! I wonder just how many colors were available... At some point the company was actually Tiki Torch Corp.

Yes, that fuel can looks exactly like mine, minus a number of small rust spots. Mine was found in the basement of an abandoned house! Thanks for posting all the nifty ads and photos... Here are a few of my photos, most saved from eBay auctions.

A pair of yellow enameled torches in the bowl shape, with black poles and snuffer caps and silver fill caps. Unlike Tiki brand conical models wherein the entire top is the lid, these (both those made by Tiki and others) had a small fill cap as the wick holder.

Here are some spun aluminum torches of the same basic form, but not quite the same - Tahiti Torches by Belco Lites Corp. of New Jersey.

And out of the box. Two torches, fill caps, snuffer caps with chains, wicks, and two four-section poles.

Here's a group of the authentic Hawaiian Luau Torches by Durant-Irvine of Honolulu - the black model - in the box! I wish I had a few of these.

And a closeup of two torches, with a pack of Tiki Torch brand woven wicks at lower left.

Last, a detail shot of the label on the mounting cuff.

I'm planning to build a patio later this summer or over the winter. My collection of torches will figure in the design, and I plan to buy color flame oil and wicks to use in them. Tiki wicks are much, much thicker, so I'll be buying the small black oil canisters that are sold alongside the color oil, and the wicks that fit them, and fitting these inside the Tiki torch bodies. In my next post, I'll put up a shot of my small collection.

As my budget is currently zero, I can't afford these. And as craigslist ads don't last long, I figure I should pass on these and let another someone on here grab some for their own use. It's rare to see good torches on Craigslist.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/for/654757057.html
A pair of silver-finished Luau Torches, of the bowl style (may be Belco Lites product) in the box, in Montrose, CA for $5!

http://denver.craigslist.org/hsh/633658358.html
In Denver, a set of gold anodized Tiki brand torches, of the 1-quart Tonga size, dating to the 80s or 90s, in a nice red, black and white themed box, for $10. With wicks.

These can burn the standard citronella torch fuel sold in stores for the bamboo torches.

Hello all here’s my contribution sorry for the inferior picture quality but they’ll give you some idea of what was is still there to be found. Tiki torch still sealed in the box with the almost Witco influenced Tiki’s for the logo, we have one in a white also.

Also a gallon can of Tahiti torch fuel, cool full color graphics it was still capped when I found it at a yard sale. Since I didn’t want a gallon of combustible material sitting in the bar I used it in our torches last summer and I must say it burned way bigger and more colorful than the stuff you buy today.

Bosko

Droooooool... Is there any possibility I could beseech you to consider selling the green torches? I'd do almost anything for some colored ones. All I've ever seen personally are my silver, copper, black and brass anodized models. The red anodized, the yellow (and now green) enamel, I've seen in photos, and the red and white enamel I've only heard about. If I got hold of these, yes, I would open them and use them, but the box would be displayed, and the torches would be used gently (with inner canisters holding color flame oil) and would be brought indoors when not in use to remove them from the weather. Seattle is a wet place at times.

I see now, the green is a single torch. I'm still extremely interested, and possibly in the white too, though only if you're willing. I'll be able to afford purchases in late June or mid July.

Was the Tahiti Torch fuel also the color of green Chartreuse, smelled like a combination of kerosene and bug spray, and burned with big orange flare while producing huge volumes of black smoke? My Tiki fuel says "Approved by the US Dept. of Agriculture", though I wonder if Tiki got it approved as intended-to-be-diluted insecticide, as it's nasty stuff. As noted above, I started my BBQ (a generic hibachi, sadly not a John Charles Tiki-Bachi) with the stuff, using it like lighter fluid to start the charcoal, and the burgers I cooked tasted like the smoke smelled - like poison. I junked the whole batch and started over.

But it chases away insects! :)
Thanks for all those images, guys, here are two more from my own yard that I forgot:

These technically are not torches, because they hold candles, but the concept is so Poly Pop: Colored float glass balls with fishnet corks encased in rod iron poles. Gottem at an estate sale, have no idea of their vintage.

And how could I forget this fine new Marquesan Tiki torch, currently offered by Oceanic Arts! It's so new that I have not used it yet:

That concrete Tiki Head torch I mentioned earlier is on page 184 of the Book of Tiki. It came with a concrete China-man's hat to snuff it out. Maybe someone can scan it, I am out of time, leaving to Germany in a couple of hours, til then, Sven

Great thread guys. Brings back more tiki memories for me. These are the ones my dad always used. The combination of these torches and the different colored Malibu lights we had made our backyard look magical awesome. I’m going to have to scrounge around in my parents pool house and see if I can find any torches still there.

MrsHoptiki

Those glass chimneys with white netting over them are usually made as tabletop candles, such as are placed on tables in Italian restaurants, but I've not seen them used like this. As torches,. assembled as such, they're very cool!

Here's my collection, assembled for the shot. Not everything is shown.

-- Two large Tiki Torches, dating to the 60s or 70s, brass anodized with matching pole. They came in a beautiful box, have the snuff caps (but no chain) and have only the three sections of pole shown, one of them rusty.

-- Five Tonga Torches by Tiki - four black (three complete with snuffer caps and chains) and one gold torch with wick. These were bought new by me in the 90s. I have most of the pole sections for the black ones - four sections shown. Each torch had four sections.

-- One Owl Lite on its display card, unused, with wick. There were six different faces available: Mine is cross-eyed; the others were slanted eyes ("Oriental" I assume) plus-sign pupils (drunk?) half-closed (sleepy or crafty?) right-looking (shifty) and normal. Also available were ground stakes and tree or eave type hooks for these.

-- Two Tahiti Torch type units, one shown, in unfinished aluminum.

-- One woven Tiki size wick. It is HUGE, as you can see.

The two big brass Tiki sized torches, and possibly the Tahitis, will be outfitted with electric lights. The Tongas, and any other torches I can grab (green or white...?) will be retrofitted with small canisters with cotton wicks, for use with colored flame oil, thus not damaging the torches or getting them charred and blackened. PVC pipes will be sunk in concrete blocks at the proper slope, and when in use (and only then) the torches will be brought out and placed into the PVC bases. Mr. Owl Lite will simply sit on my picnic table and look pretty, possibly fitted with a flickering yellow LED tealight flame.

In June, I'll have a budget again, though very small, and I'll be seeking out complete torch heads, with or without chains and/or caps. I have these five... The black ones will be used in crossed pairs, and the brass (and, if the Tiki board member is open to selling the green and/or white Tongas) those as well will be singles. If I DO get white and green, I may hunt for a third colored enamel Tonga and do a trio grouping. I saw and loved the double and triple clusters of gas torches in Kona. I may also have a lead on a few more pairs of brass ones, not certain yet...

My garden isn't planned as a Poly place per se, though I would like to find (locally) a small wooden tiki to put in a corner, kind of hidden, for guests to "discover" as they wander. It'll be more of a Pacific Northwest/Pacific Rim 60s look: dark wood narrow vertical-pole screen fence, small Japanese maples (shrub sized) tiki torches, a small sculptural fountain, lots of little lights (I have one of the fiberglass rocks with a hole in one end to hide a spotlight that were big here in the 60s) etc.

Wow. This is great stuff! I had completely forgotten that when I grew up (as if) my folks always had about six of the Tahiti type torches. We kept kerosene around just for that purpose. We had a big front-side-and-back yard, so whenever a lot of company came over for a barbecue they'd all like to hang out outside until long after dark. We'd always whipped out these torches. I forget what the folks used to call them, but it was nothing exotic, maybe just "torches."

I swung by the local Wal-Mart today and - lo and behold! - the evil megastore stocks a full line of Tiki-brand torches. $15 will buy you a pretty nice-looking torch. I think I need to stock up before the summer drinkin' season commences.

I'll have to check that out. Last I saw their product line, the only torches Tiki was making that were metal were cylindrical or bullet-shaped metal canisters sitting in bent wire holders... Then of course they have bamboo ones, and the extremely expensive new ones which selling point is their huge flame. Huge flame? Bigger than the bamboo and little metal/wire ones with a tiny wick, yes, but not bigger than the metal conical ones available into the mid-90s.

Ehh, sorry for the rant. I'm just a bit spoiled on the older ones. The new designs aren't to my personal taste, but they work well enough. And the bamboo ones are often cheap, if you like a lot of torches.

Some Bali torches in blue...

Tiki torches in a square orange style...

Where on earth did you find those? Those are awesome! The conical Tiki brand types are still my favorites, but those are nifty too. Blue... by Noma?? And cubical torches?

Those silver Tahiti Torches were icons of my childhood. Many memories of them burning away on the grandparents' patio whilst Herb Albert roared in the background.

Great thread fellas! Love the images.

I love torches. I think I have at least a hundred torches. I have never had that many lit at one time but I have had enough going on a Saturday night to be accused by the neighbors of hosting "tribal council". I have all kinds of torches but the vast majority are the "bamboo" variety and the vast majority of those are Tiki brand torches. I get new ones every year and I love all the different styles.

The Clifton

The Crestview Palm

The Royal Polynesian

Close-up of the Royal Polynesian

The Montego Bay

The Emerald Isle

The South Seas

In recent years the Tiki brand has switched from the black metal canisters to clear plastic canisters. This is a fantastic improvement. The metal cans were always rusting and springing leaks. You could never see how much fuel was in them. On a night before a party I would be filling 20 or so canisters and my procedure was just to pour until I spilled fuel on my hands. I was always afraid I was going to light myself like a torch.

Well, I gotta hand it to Tiki brand - they've really spiffed up the bamboo torches! I would actually buy and like a number of those, even though my current garden will be all metal ones... The clear canisters sound like a good idea with these. Thanks for the photos. Now if only I can find a local store that stocks more than the basic, cheap ones.

On 2008-04-30 11:44, JackLord wrote:
Those silver Tahiti Torches were icons of my childhood. Many memories of them burning away on the grandparents' patio whilst Herb Albert roared in the background.

Great thread fellas! Love the images.

Now, THAT'S what I'm talkin about....except, Herb Alpert could never ever "roar".....way too smooth and mellow for that.

Man, it was good to be a kid in the 60's.

Picked these aluminum torches up a few years ago in Wichita, KS of all places.
They are so fab in turquoise and they are mint unused.
Marked: Patented-Tiki Torch Co. Made in Japan
Oh and I remember the dealer was having a 50% off moving sale so I said great, I'm moving them to K.C.

On 2008-05-04 19:42, khan_tiki_mon wrote:
I love torches. I think I have at least a hundred torches.

100 Tiki torches? Excellent!

I know what you mean about having to get new ones every year. The cheap bamboo torches they sell here rust out even before the outdoor drinking season is over. I have citronella stains under all my torches, but the citronella does keep the mossies down. Prolly the smoke. I like the idea of a plastic bottle tho, hmmm.

Ever since my first visit to Hawaii, I have been hurting for those conical torches. Even contemplated making some.

Love this thread.

The Gas Company utility here on Oahu Hawaii has a new logo:

A tiki torch - pretty cool, huh?

The image of the tiki torch has always been a favorite of mine. It's one of those mild, back-of-the-mind obsessions, of which I have many.

I picked up these torches from Oceanic Arts when I first bought my house. I thought I'd tiki up the back yard a bit. They've been sitting in my garage collecting dust for 7 years. I really need to do something with that yard.

These are some of my teeniest torches.

I found this material in Lennieguys' pile of fabrics, so now I have a custom Mokihana bikini with tiki torches. :D

I found this torch fuel years and years ago, but unfortunately it lived in the part of my house that was destroyed.

Nice score, Tiki-Kate.

On 2008-08-22 23:06, Koolau wrote:
The Gas Company utility here on Oahu Hawaii has a new logo:

A tiki torch - pretty cool, huh?

I love the Old Skool Tiki torch. A true symbol of Hawaii comes back to life!

Are tiki torches the best surving symbol of tiki (next to tikis themselves)?

I found this picture on the interwebs that says yes:

From a 1971 Pontiac brochure. Artwork by Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman.

Tiki Torches on Bobby Hill's Tiki Boat.

Found these in a shop the other day. The box says they were made by NOMA-WORLD WIDE, Inc., Forest Park, ILL (sic) 60130. Still in the unopened original packaging. They are a harvest gold color. The package says these cone shaped torches were available in silver, black and colored and that bowl shape in silver and colored.

Bumping this thread, got my eyes on a set of gold torches in the box. Might be a while before I can afford them. But it's good news. LOVE those Harvest Gold torches - so weird to see Noma on them. Noma was best known for Christmas lights and decorations.

amazing+beautiful advertisement:

On 2008-11-30 15:49, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
From a 1971 Pontiac brochure. Artwork by Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman.