My thoughts (.02) on pipe lighters

[SPUD 15]

I collect and use pipe lighters. We as a group are always discussing differences in lighters. Here is my $.02 on lighters that I own and have used.
Windy conditions about 12 mph and higher only thing that will work is a zippo you do have to cup the pipe with your non lighting hand and I always face into the wind. I have been told that Tsubota lighters will also work in windy conditions but have not used any. My only concerns with the Tsubota products is that I do no know what kind of warranty they have and that there is no service facility in the U.S. as there is with Corona and Zippo ( both have lifetime warranty on function but not on finish Corona will cost you $9.00 for repair and of course Zippo is free).
Outdoors on none windy days 12 mph and less IM Corona OLD BOY and MAGIE lighters work great I light the pipe the same way as in windy conditions as I am left handed I cup the pipe with my right hand facing into the wind and with my left hand strike the side roller with the lighter just about 1/4" from the top of the pipe. Dunhill rollagas and xicar pipemaster works great also. ( a note about the xicar is that the flint holder will get loose after awhile, you can get the lighter replaced for free at any B&M as they are guaranteed for function and finish for life or you can make the repair yourself by removing the bottom cap with a small phillips screwdriver than remove the tank by removing the two push pins and treadlock the phillips screw that hold the flint holder in place. 10 minute job. Dunhills will cost about $100.00 to get repaired.
A few thoughts about upkeep of your lighters. Zippo use a little vaseline on the sides of the insert and it will keep the fluid from evaporating as fast.
butane lighters, Always purge your lighter before filling.
blow out the flame it will keep down on the amout of soot on your lighter. Use premium butane. Keep the gas nozzle from getting to close to your tobacco as it will carbon up the nozzle. I use lighter fluid on q tips to clean the soot from the flame on external parts just be sure to let the fluid dry completely as it can gunk up the flint wheel.
Buying lighters on ebay is like buying pipes get lots of pictures and make sure there are pics of the lighter lit and if butane with different size flames. Saying I am sure that the lighter only needs butane but I don't have any should be a red flag.
HOPE THIS HELPS AND IS NOT TO CONFUSING. MIKE

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Ugh. Lighters. Gotta have 'em (at least I do), but what a world of difference between 'em overall.

I like my trench-style naphtha IMCOs over the Zippos, they just seem to work better and longer between fill-ups...and the wind here is no joke. The G77 IMCO butane lighters are also okay.

Meanwhile, in the pricier realm, the Tsubota brand "Old Boy copies" have been making the rounds in my smoking circles with good results, and well... there's always Old Boy.

Then there's Bic, or Djeep. They work.

Beyond that, I have been disappointed or don't trust other lighters.

Good stuff, Mike. Thanks.

 

[James Kime]

I have an ASP zippo and an old boy. I personally do not like the zippos because of the taste and smell of the fluid. My old boy with pipe shape finish has started leaking fuel after 10+ years of use. The flip up part does not fully stay put when placed in the down position. Oh well, excuse to get that sandblasted briar finish and gold trim Old Boy! :bounce:

 

[Puff Daddy]

Nothing beats a Bic, but they lack in the style dept. They are cheap, last a long time, lightweight and pocketable, never fail.

That said, I like lighters, but have not yet had one (other than a Bic) remain faithfully serviceable for very long. Zippos are good as cig lighters, but the taste and the quick evap of fuel keep me from using them as anything but novelties.

I'd be interested in trying a Peterson or Tsubota Old Boy style lighter someday, maybe.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Local smokin' buddy Jerry over in my realm has that briar/gold trim Old Boy. He loves it.

Bics are great. I like my IMCOs of various make, but they, too, fail after a while...fortunately the G77 models are parts-swappable, unlike the TriPlex/Junior "wet fuel" types.

I don't mind the modern Zippo fluid for lighters sparkin' up a pipe. If you keep the lighters with a modest wick exposed and not sopping with fuel, any off flavors or smells are fleeting at worst. <img class="emojione" alt="?" title=":shrug:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/emojione/assets/png/1f937.png?v=2.2.7"/>

Djeep lighters are more manageable than Bic lighters, but are just as reliable. I always have a mini-Bic handy as an emergency light, though... just small enough to get into a bowl and always work.

PeeDee, heard great things about Tsubota across the board. I'd get one if I had the cash, but for you, Mr. Always Working, :lol:... git you one. I think you'd dig it. The dual-butane output design works a bit better than the Old Boy's "a delicate angel fart from heaven would snuff the flame" problem.

 

[riff raff]

I agree with your wind comments, anything less than a Zippo is an exercise in frustration. I use Vector T-bird inserts for most occasions, the need to refill less often is a bonus and they are tasteless. I don't really mind the Zippo taste, until I use the t-bird then remember that it did inject a little flavor into the first light.

 

[monbla256]

Have used fuel lighters, when I use a lighter, for years. Never found the taste or aroma to be anything terribly offemsive. I have a Zippo I used in 'Nam with a pipe insert I put in it back in the '70s and it's ALWAYS lit (when I keep it full of fluid and flints of course :twisted: ) My fave and most used when I use a lighter, I'm a match man mostly, is my Dunhill Roll-a-lite I got in Hong Kong back when I was coming home in 1970. It's been changed by Advanced Repair Services back in the '70s to be a pipe lighter ( was a modification offered by Dunhill at the time and they were a certified Dunhill repair service provider ) and is a fuel lighter, not a gas though it works and looks like the gas Roll-a-gas they now make. It's solid Sterling Silver and set me back $75.00 back then. It's been the BEST lighter I've ever used and I still put it in my pocket daily even when I use my matches at home :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

I hsve 4 Xikar and need to send them all in. Two were replacements for brand new ones that lasted weeks. Another has the cover stuck in an open position. The last went for years but no amount of cleaning, blowing out with a bottle of air or bleeding can keep it burning these days.

I bought a Zippo Blu -- huge mistake. No adjustments and the flame now barely clear the wind-guard. It went in for repair and came back in the same state.

Best lighter I had for a pipe was a gold Colibri. Reliable and undemanding. Then one day I push the clicker and nothing clicked. But it was years old and I couldn't complain.

If I send the 4 to Xikar, it will be another 6 bucks and the 4th shipment back. That's about the price of another lighter. So they are sitting on a shelf and I have ordered a couple of China lighters over Ebay. If they work for a reasonable time I'll figure the pittance well spent.

There is a Zippo or two around but I just can't take the gasoline taste.

I do have a true clunker I find useful that seems to want to last. Hard on gas, twice as long and heavy as it should be. But, it sits at the computer table and I'm using it as a Micky Mouse table lighter. It is cheap and ugly and without redeeming features but it light reliably and has for some months without a hiccup. Amazon has it for under $13 as Ergonomic Cigarette & Cigar Butane Torch Lighter .

If things start getting worse, my next lighter might say "Kitchen Matches" on the box.

 

[Growley]

I got my 40 year old Maggie from Spud 51 and I couldn't be happier! I've tried Xikar and Collibri and I just got sick of them not working. Sure, the Maggie isn't all that windproof, but it's dependable.

 

[BriarBrad]

Love my Tsubota. Used daily never a hiccup. And it has been abused. Finish is worn down to the brass on parts. I will likely buy another, just because.

 

[Brewdude]

I've gone back to wooden strike anywhere matches for the most part.

When I use a lighter it's either my 15 yr old IMCO (butane soft flame) or Zippo with a pipe insert.

Don't have any issues with the Zip fuel. But that's just me.

Cheers,

RR

 

[Tim_McD]

I have used matches, Zippo and even those long butane stix - but I have upgraded to an Old Boy and I am pleased. The crap spring we have been having has meant cold and wind - but the flame on the Old Boy still comes alive and gets down into the bowl without an issue.

It was more than I wanted to spend, but I am a big believer in buying once and that is it. I still have a Bic as a backup (I am hating that band of metal over the wheel), but I havent had to go to it since making the switch. A flick and it lights - every time.