Corona Old Boy - Are They Worth It?
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It is the only lighter I have found to be worth it.
I'll just leave this here:
Vintage Styling and Quality Continued: The IM Corona Old Boy
James Foster In my last lighter review and un-boxing, I spent some time comparing the Kiribi Pipe Lighter to the “im corona” Old Boy. So now it’s time to take […]
pipesmagazine.com
Quality post and interesting read, thank you!I'll just leave this here:
Vintage Styling and Quality Continued: The IM Corona Old Boy
James Foster In my last lighter review and un-boxing, I spent some time comparing the Kiribi Pipe Lighter to the “im corona” Old Boy. So now it’s time to take […]pipesmagazine.com
Anyone know why some retailers (particularly in Europe) list the identical Old Boy lighters as “Savinelli Old Boy”?
Savinelli IT has Old Boys in stock
They’re a Savinelli / Corona collaboration and can be had with various adornments
Since I smoke outdoors these would be worthless. Pretty, though.
Think I’ll stick with my BICs.
If I’m wanting something fancy I’ll use the Dupont.
Think I’ll stick with my BICs.
If I’m wanting something fancy I’ll use the Dupont.
The IM corona is the best lighter on the market for its cost/quality ratio. I would love to get a DuPont but can’t justify spending that much, maybe someday. The corona is only usable indoors or on a non windy day outside. I must say I get the best smoking experience from wooden matches, which I believe has to do with the lower temperature of the flame and perhaps the source of the fire being from wood burning rather than butane. To my palate the tobacco tastes a little better with wooden matches.
I've been reading the unadulterated praises of the Old Boy for decades. Despite that, I use matches. They're much cheaper and very reliable.
I just pulled the trigger on an Old Boy with the silver arabesque finish. I’ve wanted one for years, I just think they look superb. I bought a Kiribi Kabuto Mizo right when I first started smoking a pipe in late 2018 and I’ve had zero issues with it, it’s been my one and only pipe lighter. I’m hoping the Old Boy performs just as well. Definitely expensive, though. I paid like $85 for my Kiribi and just dropped $180 for the Old Boy… ouch! Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint.
I have two Old Boys, a plain chrome one and 1 with the pipe shapes.
I bought them about 18 or so years ago when I really started with the online forums.
I bought a lot of expensive pipes, a lot of tobacco, and ALL the accessories.
I used the OB for a few years but eventually the Bic won the battle.
Unlike every other lighter ive had, OB really holds its fluid.
In 2017, just before I "quit" pipe smoking, I filled the chrome one and used it a few times. Then I packed it away. Spring of 2024 I began smoking again. That dang lighter struck right up with one strike. I used it for about a month, then put it away again.....the Bic won another battle.
After SEVEN years that lighter didn't lose a drop, and the butane was still...um....flammable.
I USUALLY drain the butane from the lighters before long periods of non use, which is advisable. But this thing held its fluid. When I drained it this last May, it seemed to still be 1/2 full. That was after a month of use....and 7 years in a drawer!
Same here.
I could always photoshop one into my pictures on here if I’m feeling less than…
That’s pretty wild! Sounds about like my Kiribi, I went almost a year without smoking a pipe and the thing sparked right up when I wanted to use it again. I got a relatively nice lighter right off the bat because I figured it would last me years and years, and so far it hasn’t proved me wrong. I haven’t had it serviced or cleaned internally. I’m not even sure how I’d do it. I just clean the carbon off with some alcohol and pipe cleaners when it gets unbearably dirty, always use premium butane, and replace the flint when it won’t spark. Easy peasy.I have two Old Boys, a plain chrome one and 1 with the pipe shapes.
I bought them about 18 or so years ago when I really started with the online forums.
I bought a lot of expensive pipes, a lot of tobacco, and ALL the accessories.
I used the OB for a few years but eventually the Bic won the battle.
Unlike every other lighter ive had, OB really holds its fluid.
In 2017, just before I "quit" pipe smoking, I filled the chrome one and used it a few times. Then I packed it away. Spring of 2024 I began smoking again. That dang lighter struck right up with one strike. I used it for about a month, then put it away again.....the Bic won another battle.
After SEVEN years that lighter didn't lose a drop, and the butane was still...um....flammable.
I USUALLY drain the butane from the lighters before long periods of non use, which is advisable. But this thing held its fluid. When I drained it this last May, it seemed to still be 1/2 full. That was after a month of use....and 7 years in a drawer!
I could’ve gotten another Kiribi for much cheaper but I do sort of want to compare the build quality and performance and see if the Old Boy is really any better, but from a functional perspective I rather doubt it. I do like that I can slightly customize the Old Boy and I might end up getting some brass colored tamper and caps for a little bit of contrast on an otherwise monochromatic lighter.
Belay picture on the top, fingers too big, just bought at fraction of old boy, how long will it last?????, Alligator for a Louisiana Boy.
As you can tell from all the replies, "worth it" is pretty relative. For me, yes, for others, no. I've had mine for over 10 years. Had it repaired once, but still going strong.
My counterpoint to the bics are cheaper assertion... Kind of, but maybe not as much as you might think. It depends a bit on how much and how often you smoke, but if you replace your $3 ez reach bic every three months for 10 years, it's going to be about $120 over time. True, the old boy is still more expensive, but not so much more expensive that I'd qualify it as an extravagance.
A while back, I did a pretty in depth comparison of the old boy and the kiribi that has more thoughts and info.
Thread 'Kiribi Kabuto / IM Corona Old Boy Comparison' Kiribi Kabuto / IM Corona Old Boy Comparison :: Pipes Accessories - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/kiribi-kabuto-im-corona-old-boy-comparison.101547/
My counterpoint to the bics are cheaper assertion... Kind of, but maybe not as much as you might think. It depends a bit on how much and how often you smoke, but if you replace your $3 ez reach bic every three months for 10 years, it's going to be about $120 over time. True, the old boy is still more expensive, but not so much more expensive that I'd qualify it as an extravagance.
A while back, I did a pretty in depth comparison of the old boy and the kiribi that has more thoughts and info.
Thread 'Kiribi Kabuto / IM Corona Old Boy Comparison' Kiribi Kabuto / IM Corona Old Boy Comparison :: Pipes Accessories - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/kiribi-kabuto-im-corona-old-boy-comparison.101547/
Thanks for the link, that’s a good comparison. I wonder, are the Old Boys somehow more susceptible to tank cracks, even though the materials seem supposedly sturdier? I’ve heard more than one person complain that they cracked the tank on theirs when they dropped it. I’ve dropped my Kiribi more than once and I don’t believe I’ve had any issues that I’m aware are of.
The really bad thing about the cracked tanks is that it costs as much as a new lighter to repair.
Good question that someone else will have to answer.
My old boy did develop a slow butane leak (after about 8 years of steady use). Can't say whether it was a tank crack or not, but I can say that it was repaired good as new for the normal im corona repair rate of $35.