Butane vs kerosene for flavor?

[SonofaMac]

First time poster here.
I’ve been personally using a combo of regular bic and clipper lighters, with the occasional match to smoke an inexpensive pipe, with some inexpensive Captain Black over the years. It’s suited me just fine until the later part of 2025 when I decided to get more into the nuances of pipe smoking to “level up” and broaden my understanding of personal tastes and general knowledge. Despite having worked in a smoke shop that was predominantly geared towards greener things, as well as cigars, I realize that when it comes to pipe smoking, as much as I like it, I humbly just don’t know as much as I hope to.

So, with that I was thinking about something a customer told me once. They preferred to light a wic, then light their bowl of whatever, because they claimed they could taste the butane.

This had made me wonder a couple of things. One, might there be an advantage to using that same method with tobacco pipes or is it just extra steps for no real difference other than ceremony? Two, has anyone ever noticed a palatable difference between butane and kerosene filled lighters?

Thanks for your thoughts

 

[BigR]

Hello and welcome to the forum. There was a recent thread about this that you can see what a lot of different folks think. Myself, I prefer wood matches.

Lighters vs Matches :: Pipe Smoking Basics & Beginner Questions

Hello all, I took up pipe smoking a few months ago and have been enjoying it thoroughly. However I’ve been wondering what people prefer when it comes to lighting, matches or lighters. I’ve been using matches as they are quite cheap and my friend told me they are superior for pipe smoking but I...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[ashdigger]

I love the taste of kerosene in the morning, it tastes like victory.

 

[anotherbob]

First time poster here.
I’ve been personally using a combo of regular bic and clipper lighters, with the occasional match to smoke an inexpensive pipe, with some inexpensive Captain Black over the years. It’s suited me just fine until the later part of 2025 when I decided to get more into the nuances of pipe smoking to “level up” and broaden my understanding of personal tastes and general knowledge. Despite having worked in a smoke shop that was predominantly geared towards greener things, as well as cigars, I realize that when it comes to pipe smoking, as much as I like it, I humbly just don’t know as much as I hope to.

So, with that I was thinking about something a customer told me once. They preferred to light a wic, then light their bowl of whatever, because they claimed they could taste the butane.

This had made me wonder a couple of things. One, might there be an advantage to using that same method with tobacco pipes or is it just extra steps for no real difference other than ceremony? Two, has anyone ever noticed a palatable difference between butane and kerosene filled lighters?

Thanks for your thoughts

There are as many opinions as people. But it's probably not the bic they're tasting but how much hotter it is and how much hotter it makes the herbal tonic they're smoking taste different. Then again who knows people say mineral oil has no taste and I find it distinct and identifiable.
Now my opinion a Zippo for me is better then a bic and matches are better then a zippo. And not only do I find they taste better but also get less chance to burn my tongue. Though at the end of the day you are the one that gets to judge which gives you the best results. (that's one way to look at it, they're all tools and work slightly differently, so it's less if they work but how well they work for the crafter.)

 

[anotherbob]

I love the taste of kerosene in the morning, it tastes like victory.

That explains so much. Like when your one friend told us it's safer to just wait till the after noon to talk with you.

 

[Mikepiper]

Welcome! I find that I taste lighter fluid but not butane. If I’m lighting inside, though, nothing beats a good wooden match.

 

[telescopes]

Cedar strip

 

[Smokeybandit]

Zippo, hands down! They’re so freaking cool!

 

[tartanphantom]

For starters, let me clarify that Kerosene is not used as Zippo fuel, which is technically identified as "light Naptha".

Light Naptha and Kerosene are quite different at the molecular level, and Naptha has fewer carbon atoms in its molecular chain, and burns much cleaner. Nevertheless, I don't doubt that some people may be able to taste the Naptha when using a Zippo, especially if they put the flame to the tobacco immediately upon igniting the lighter. This is because the wick is often drawing stored fuel in fluid form instead of naptha vapor.

The proper way to use a fluid lighter is to let the flame burn for 3-5 seconds, which will allow excess fluid to burn off. After that, you will see the flame visually reduce in size. At this point, the wick is burning primarily vapor, which is what you want.

I use Zippo lighters almost exclusively as I do most of my smoking outside. Once you learn how to use a fluid lighter properly, there is virtually no taste, unless you have an extremely sensitive palate (which is still entirely possible), or unless you are experiencing psychosomatic response to the lighter (perceived taste because you are looking for it or expecting it).

In theory, it is indeed possible to taste butane as well for similar reasons, since it is liquefied under pressure. Again, let the lighter burn for a few seconds before touching it to the tobacco will result in virtually no taste in most cases.

Nothing at all against matches, as long as they are qualty wooden matches, and not paper/fiber matchbook matches, which tend to impart a taste of their own.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I light every bowl of tobacco and every cigar with some kind of butane lighter. I don't recall ever tasting butane.

 

[lraisch]

Lighter fluid will affect the flavor although there are things you can do to minimize it. Butane has no discernible taste in my experience.

 

[zercules]

I don’t get imparted flavors from any butane or zippo lighter. Use what you like. Hemp wick is overkill, but some people just like to have their smoking rituals (which is perfectly fine).

 

[woodsroad]

All you need is a clean burning, low temperature flame. Don’t touch the flame to the tobacco, let the IR do the work.

As for tasting fuel, I think that people who say they taste naptha are either using a leaky lighter and/or just smell the unburnt fuel. Butane is odorless. They say that some butane has mercaptan added, but I’ve never detected it.