They look great, they come from Japan and they do a very strange thing.
In 1923 Japanese inventor Niichi Matoba obtained a patent for applying the principle of an oxidation reaction to produce heat by means of platinum catalysis. [Ed: You got that?] He devoted himself to research and experiments over many subsequent years to make his idea for a pocket warmer suitable for practical use.
When he finally succeeded in manufacturing a prototype, he named it HAKUKIN-kairo (HAKKIN warmer), but branding the actual product as “PEACOCK”.
The PEACOCK pocket warmer burns lighter fluid without the presence of any flame. Once the unit is filled, you hold any heat source (match, cigarette lighter or electric cell) near the a glass fibre substrate “wick” that has been coated with platinum. Once the necessary temperature has been achieved, the platinum begin to catalyse. It feels like magic.
An oxidation reaction usually produces intense heat. But, when such a reaction is caused by platinum catalysis, heat at a much lower temperature can be obtained and lasts longer. Properly filled, a PEACOCK pocket warmer can burn for 24 hours; and it can be refilled as many times as you like.
HAKUKIN marketed the PEACOCK beyond the medical field into the leisure- and sports-related industries, providing people with on the go with a portable source of warmth. They have been used by golfers, lawn bowlers, hikers ... indeed anyone who needs or likes to be outside in the cold, but with warm pockets! They've even accompanied Australian expeditions to the Himalayas.
Although there are now disposable pocket warmers that use different technologies, the original PEACOCK Pocket Warmer is making a come back, as people become increasingly averse to disposability – and environmentally conscious.
In 2010 the US Zippo lighter company introduced its own version of a catalytic hand warmer, but not as nice nor as functional as the PEACOCK. Watch a 2016 field test comparison video by Finish YouTuber Helsinkipop HERE.
__________________________
References
hakkin.co.jp
wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_warmer
wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalytic_converter
Images
1. PEACOCK Pocket Warmer
2. Niichi Matoba, Japanese inventor
3. PEACOCK Pocket Warmer for sale by Sears Roebuck and Co
4. The glass fibre substrate “wick” that has been coated with platinum
5. Self-declared hobo raving about his PEACOCK pocket warmer
6. Zippo pocket warmer
7. Video: "Hand Warmer Comparison", Helsinkipop, 2016
8. REMO Bondi Road Corner, May 2011
