IM Corona Old Boy review

[DotAndBang’sPipes]

I had an Amazon gift card that had gone unused for too long... after much thought and research I purchased the pewter Old Boy on amazon.
It worked great for seven days but is now broken. Not sure if I received a defective one or what. It has stopped lighting easily and if/when I get it lit it dims until the flame is completely gone.
For $140 I’m simply disappointed. I’m talking with Amazon now, who is apparently communicating with the seller, Elegant Lighters, about next steps.
I’m trying to figure out if I want to ask about a replacement or merely a refund. I smoke my pipe each day so I would enjoy and really use a quality lighter. The Old Boy seemed to have such glowing reviews for long term quality. I’m officially confused on all sides of this pipe lighter discussion. I’ve owned all version of cheap pipe lighters and none have worked for very long. Plus, the way I use BICS kill my pipe bowl rims.
So, I’m open to a quality expensive lighter, I just want it to last more than 7 days!

 

[olkofri]

Kiribi?

 

[onestrangeone]

It’s under warranty so replace or fixed shouldn’t be a problem. I love my IM Corona, lights every time with barely a flick of the wheel, holds a good amount of fuel to. Speaking of fuel what type are you using? It’s been my experience with lighters that cheap fuel will FU a lighter in a heartbeat! You don’t want to use anything that’s not at LEAST 5x filtered.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Dropped mine once and it no longer holds fuel. Bics, Zippos, and an old Nimrod for me.

 

[jvnshr]

I own a Kiribi Kabuto and they are great. I have never heard anything bad about Old Boys, it is a pity that you had this problem. Please keep us updated.

 

[jaytex1969]

I bought an IM Corona from a forum member and it has been flawless.
Hopefully your purchase was a fluke and the seller will make it right.

 

[Chasing Embers]

It has stopped lighting easily and if/when I get it lit it dims until the flame is completely gone.

Do you bleed the fuel valve before refilling?

 

[DotAndBang’sPipes]

Thanks for weighing in... I do have good fuel and did bleed it upon refilling. I really, really want to like this lighter, so I’m hoping the folks will replace it and let me give it another try. I’ll post the results.

 

[whiteburleydude]

I own a Old Boy and I love it. If I HAD to criticize it, there are a few minor issues. When I close the fuel cap, I have to push it ever so slightly down with my thumb, or I feel like fluid might escape when it's not in use. Mine is the gold plated version, and there is a carbon build up that happens around the top of the lighter that is a bit unsightly. Maybe a better fuel would help that, idk. Lastly, forget about using it in the wind. A ceiling fan on low might even give you issues. All in all, it's a great lighter though.

 

[balkisobrains]

olkofri

Kiribi?

I'd consider that a slight downgrade from what he started with in terms of quality. A Peterson Old Boy would be sideways, Dunhill Old Boy would be upgrade. Chinese knock-offs would be the biggest downgrade. :puffpipe:

 

[jpmcwjr]

Wrong, brains. You really have it in for the fake DuPonts, but I still don't know why.
I'd bleed it again and refill it. Adjust the flame height. Too high it won't light, and too low it won't light or it'll go out.

 

[azpipe]

I had this issue in the beginning but was able to correct it.
Bleed all the fuel out of the lighter until no more sputters out.
Then place the lighter in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. During that time I'll keep the can on butane under my thigh or arm pit to allow my body heat to warm the fuel. I know people have gone to further lengths in order to warm the can but my body heat seems to work just fine.
Remove the lighter from the freezer and make sure the dial is turned all the way down to the minus sign.
Fill the lighter as you normally would. It's going to fill up rather fast. The temperature difference will cause a low pressure within the lighter. This will result in a complete fill without air pockets.
Let the lighter come back up to temperature before lighting it. Again, pocket or under your thigh for 5 min is fine. Light as you normally would and be prepared to adjust the flame height.
Keep me posted.

 

[dochudson]

Who the hell could possibly be deceived by DuPonts costing under $30 being shipped from China? I just my third today. A black lacquered model. The fit and finish is perfect on each. We compared my first with a real DuPont at a high end cigar shop and there was no differance. In fact the fakes pinged every bit the same as the real one.

 

[DotAndBang’sPipes]

Sam from Elegant Lighters is going to send a replacement once I return it... so we shall see.

 

[balkisobrains]

Compare the top hardware between the Kiribi, IMC, Peterson, & Dunhill. Same could be said for the Dupont argument, but I'll post my list of complaints about that thing elsewhere. =) Actually if you look at a new IMC Old Boy vs. one from a couple years ago or older, you'll see that the IMC top hardware got cheaper recently, lol.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sam from Elegant Lighters is going to send a replacement once I return it... so we shall see.

Did you try the stuff folks recommended above?