Best Refillable Lighter-- Xikar, IM Corona or Peterson?

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Piping Rooster

Can't Leave
Jun 29, 2022
398
2,069
Champa Bay
I Know this isn't on your list and they don't make them in Austria anymore but I'm going to recommend the IMCO 6700. Uses zippo fuel, has a spot for a spare flint, wind proof, adjustable flame, can be used like a match/candle, doesn't run out of fuel as fast as a Zippo, easier to manipulate than a Zippo (non pipe), doesn't leak in the pocket like a Zippo, smaller footprint than a Zippo. Love this lighter! New ones can be bought but they are made in china now which I have no experience with but I've heard they work well. Austrian ones can still be found on ebay and etsy though. 20230302_002341.jpg20230302_003341.jpg20230302_003321.jpg20230302_003417.jpg
 

haebar

Can't Leave
Nov 10, 2014
348
6,245
East Tennessee
I have an Old Boy lighter and have gotten good service from it over the years; I'm very pleased with it. After 3 years, still haven't had to have it serviced. Not looking forward to sending it off somewhere for a few weeks and I don't know how much it will cost to clean and/or repair.
 

HawkeyeLinus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2020
5,614
41,232
Iowa
Have had nothing but good experiences with Beattie, Zippo and Peterson. Decided to get an Old Boy just to compare to the Pete. It’s a little more compact and sleek, quality a little better and some of that includes some design differences. Works great, still love the Peterson and the others, lol, but I get why people like these. It’s solid.B3D953E1-6C49-4C24-8C1F-81D32FA8EE5C.jpeg
 

kgs

Might Stick Around
Feb 14, 2021
78
195
36
South Florida
I don't like disposable lighters. I don't like how they look and I don't enjoy how they feel in my hand. I always used a Zippo or an IMCO during my cigarette smoking days. A few years ago, when I transitioned to pipes, I bought an IM Corona oldboy. It was okay but I always suspected it would break one day. It broke about a week ago so I will be sending it off for repair. (It sparks but it will not light up.) I don't really plan to use it again. Maybe I will sell it. Butane lighters are too finicky and temperamental. The one thing I really like about the oldboy is that it doesn't lose fuel due to evaporation like a naphtha lighter does.

I am back to using my IMCO 6600. I also have a few IMCO 6700s and even a few IMCO 2200s from the 1930's. IMCOs are excellent pipe lighters because you can remove the canister and use it like a match. Some people swear that they can taste naphtha in their pipes. I've never noticed it and I have a very sensitive nose and tongue.
 

Bikes&Briar

Lurker
Mar 22, 2023
21
63
Bay Area, CA
www.youtube.com
In terms of butane durability and performance, the IM Corona Old Boy is the way to go. It's a "buy once cry once" proposition. They're phenomenal lighters. I've had mine for close to 18 years now and it's a tank. That said, a lot of depends on where you're going to be smoking. If you're smoking a lot outdoors, you simply cannot beat a Zippo for outdoor smoking. The Old Boy just doesn't do wind well at all. Are you going to be traveling in your vehicle and smoking? My Old Boy does not leave my house. Its too darned expensive (and I bought mine back when they were $90) to risk losing. If money isn't an issue for you, then disregard that and take it wherever you go. Lighters just have a tendency to "walk off" if you know what I mean.

Think of it more as a tool for the job. My Zippo goes with me in the truck, on the jet, on the hiking trail, on a walk. My Old Boy stays home for when I smoke indoors or in my garage.

I'd get an Old Boy & a Zippo and be done with it.
You can take a Zippo on a plane?
 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,607
28,130
Hawaii
Spend the extra money and buy an IM Corona. Best performance and reliability I've used.

+1

My IM Corona Old Boy, cranking along just fine two years later.

Smokingpipes had a warranty deal when I bought this, they might still have it, I’d check it out. :)

These are great lighters for the money! 👍
 
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BriarBrook

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 8, 2022
246
1,203
Missouri
Zippo's with a pipe insert work really well but are messier to fill and seem to go through fuel faster. A good quality pipe lighter (IMC or Peterson) are what I've gotten the best performance and reliability out of. The bics work well, but I try to cut back on disposable items where I can. I also like to support companies that are directly tied to the pipe industry.