Pipe Lighters?
- Thread starter nitemair13
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Just picked this one up today. I was only wanting something to light my pipe with when it's windy at the office. I liked this one for the nostalgia and because it was showing a little piece of North Carolina history.
Zippo's always been good for brand or personal artistry -- like it. I still don't care much for petrol taste but the butane insert might be a decent workaround if I find a case to my liking.
Not necessary. Older Zippo instruction guides showed how to modify it for pipe use. Pull the wick up until the tip is just slightly higher than the chimney, and you're good to go.
Thunderbird makes a butane pipe insert for zippos as well. Just saw one advertised on Amazon which I am now seriously considering. I don't care for the normal zippo inserts as they evaporate so quickly and the taste they leave is just horrible to me.
Been mainly using Old Boy's and the Pipemaster line. However, they all fail eventually and need to be serviced and this is the main reason why I went back to using matches. The problem with torch lighters is I have seen them fry the interior of the bowl after repeated use.
I am seriously thinking about getting my Zippo back out for outdoor use as Old Boys are not really good if there is a breeze going. If you let the flame burn on the Zippo for a few seconds before lighting the bowl, you can negate most of the taste from the fluid.
My wife bought me a Zippo with a pipe insert about 20 years ago. Aside from the occasional cleaning and replacing of the wick, it has never let me down, something I cannot say about the more expensive lighters. I've got 4 Old Boy and 2 Pipemaster that need serviced and with the exception of the one I dropped, the others have worn out from use over time.
Arango wants $35 per lighter now for servicing so it is getting expensive. Plus the black matte finish wears off over time if kept in a pocket.
Stay away from Colibri. Have seen too many of these returned within days or weeks of purchase. I would also recommend staying away from the Xicar clone of the Old Boy. Their flint tubes are not secure and I had to return several because the post kept breaking in my pocket. They have a lifetime warranty, but after the third one I gave up. Nothing else in my pocket either.
I am seriously thinking about getting my Zippo back out for outdoor use as Old Boys are not really good if there is a breeze going. If you let the flame burn on the Zippo for a few seconds before lighting the bowl, you can negate most of the taste from the fluid.
My wife bought me a Zippo with a pipe insert about 20 years ago. Aside from the occasional cleaning and replacing of the wick, it has never let me down, something I cannot say about the more expensive lighters. I've got 4 Old Boy and 2 Pipemaster that need serviced and with the exception of the one I dropped, the others have worn out from use over time.
Arango wants $35 per lighter now for servicing so it is getting expensive. Plus the black matte finish wears off over time if kept in a pocket.
Stay away from Colibri. Have seen too many of these returned within days or weeks of purchase. I would also recommend staying away from the Xicar clone of the Old Boy. Their flint tubes are not secure and I had to return several because the post kept breaking in my pocket. They have a lifetime warranty, but after the third one I gave up. Nothing else in my pocket either.
I dropped my Old Boy one time, and it no longer holds fuel. My Zippos and Bics have taken a beating and are no worse for wear. I wont send the OB in for repair as it would likely get dropped again, and again would be out the repair cost. Damage a Zippo, and they fix it for free. A Zippo I've had since the early '90s has only needed fuel and flints, and still works like new.
Thanks f/t tip on the fuel, MrE. I may try that when I see a Zippo I like. Colibri must've gone way downhill since I got out of the business; they used to be really good. I had three I used depending on whether I was working in the store, more dressed up, or wearing a shirt w/o a pocket. Never had a lick of trouble with Amy of them. Pocket lint can be a problem, of course, but a nice piezo spark would usually fix that. }
I love my bic and matches. Cheap yet sturdy. While travelling a lot, if it's lost, I can grab another one without remorse
For traveling on public trans- planes, trains and busses, ferries and jitney cabs, absolutely. But there's much pleasure at home and in the car to pick up a good looking lighter that works well. One's mileage will vary.
Just to beat this again, I have no issues with my pipe Zippo except for all the fluid that seems to evaporate.
>>"newer colibri. Very meh." -- That's sad, BP. So many once-classy brands seem to have gone crap. What happened, Cadogan buy them? [VERY evyl snark GBD/Comoy joke, sorry!]
I bought a Colibri flame thrower in Paris as a souvenir two years ago. It's just fine, but I use it only on relights- takes a fraction of a second.
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