There have been a few threads on this here, but I haven't seen a direct comparison thread yet. I have an Old Boy that I've had for about 10-12 years and a Kiribi Kabuto that I just bought a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd create a post with a technical comparison for anyone who might be might find the information useful.
So, lets get this out of the way right up front. Do you need either of them? Absolutely not. Matches work fine. A bic works fine. Heck, a twig on fire works fine. So, if you only buy things that you 100% need, it's safe to stop reading now.
But if you like having and using quality built things, or if it seems logical to you to spend a lot of money once on something that will (hopefully) last you 10+ years instead of spending a little money every three months replacing something inexpensive and disposable, perhaps this info will help you decide between the Kiribi and the Corona.
So, moving right along, here are the specs for each:
Kiribi Kabuto
Height: 66.42 mm / 2.65 in
Width: 30.55 mm / 1.02 in
Depth: 12.5 mm / .491 in
Weight (filled): 70 g / 2.47 oz
Price: $84 - $112
IM Corona Old Boy
Height: 65.5 mm / 2.575 in
Width: 28.55 mm / 1.116 in
Depth: 10.6 mm / .433 in
Weight (filled): 80 g / 2.82 oz
Price: $115 - $165
Comparing them side by side, the Kabuto is a tiny bit taller, a little bit wider, and a little bit thicker.
Yet strangely, in the hand, it is quite noticeable that despite being smaller in every dimension, the Old Boy is still nearly 15% heavier. Since both lighters are made primarily of metal and both have welded brass tanks, the only logical conclusion I can come to is that the Old Boy uses slightly thicker metal for every part. This is supported by the fact that pretty much everything about the Old Boy feels more rugged and solid than the Kiribi when you handle it and use it. That's not to say that the Kiribi feels flimsy. It's certainly a nice piece of kit. Just that it doesn't feel as solid.
As far as aesthetics, I'd say it's a dead heat. Visually, there's not much to distinguish between them. Probably because the Kabuto is so clearly a copy of the Old Boy design.
In the Kiribi's favor, while it undeniably takes all of it's design cues directly from the Old Boy, it does boast some changes that, in my opinion, are improvements. First and most importantly, it gets rid of the totally useless tamper that's built into the base of the Old Boy. In doing so, they Kiribi has increased the tank capacity. I couldn't say by how much, but it seems like it should be a good bit. Second, there's a sort of wing thingy on the Kabuto that makes flipping up the cap super easy and lighting fast. It only took me a little time to master flipping it up with my index finger and twisting the strike wheel with my thumb at the same time. That said, I have never really experienced any problems flipping up the cap of my old boy. Nor have I ever felt that my pipe experience was going to be ruined if I didn't shave 0.5 seconds off the amount of time it takes me to light my lighter.
One intended improvement that seems like it might be a wash with the Kiribi is that they tried something different with the flip up cap hinge, probably because the hinge has historically been one of the main weak points on the Old Boy. To hold the cap in place, IM Corona uses a metal flange that is prone to breakage over time. Kiribi is using some sort of space age polymer that they claim is 20 times stronger than steel or something like that. Which would be great if it was true, but I have already seen people complaining that the polymer broke or melted. So we'll call it a tie here, with neither one really doing spectacular here.
Obviously, long term reliability is something I can't address for the Kiribi yet, having only owned it for only a little while. For the Old Boy, I'm at 10 years and it has been reliable... for the most part. I did have to send it in for repairs once. It developed a leak somewhere and all the fluid would drain out overnight. I sent the lighter with a check for $35 to Arango and they fixed it. It took about a month, which seemed like a long time, but when I got it back, it was basically like brand new. They not only fixed the issue but even replaced several parts that weren't really a problem, but were getting kind of worn (the hinge cap stop flange, and the entire flint assembly).
I'll add here that both lighters seem kind of finicky with regards to butane. Both work best with high quality butane, so it's probably a good idea to figure that into the long term cost when you're making your decision.
In terms of flints and sparking, the Corona is pretty finicky about this as well. It only really seems to perform at it's peak with Corona flints which are much harder than the cheaper Zippo alternative. But when you do use the Corona flints, it lights on the first try pretty much every time. I haven't had to replace the flint in the Kabuto yet, but I did pull it out an it seems pretty soft so you could likely get away with using the Zippo flints in it. At any rate, it does not spark and ignite quite as reliably as the Old Boy. I think this is primarily due to the placement of the butane jet. The Old Boy places the jet so the striker throws the majority of the sparks directly at the jet nozzle. The Kabuto places the jet so that the striker throws majority of the sparks behind the jet nozzle. It still lights fine, but sometimes it will take two or three times and I think this is why.
That's pretty much it for the comparison except for one final thing. When I bought the Kiribi, they also had Peterson lighters in stock. After comparing those two I would bet a substantial amount that either Kiribi makes the Peterson lighters, or that they are made in the same factory in China. Aside from lacking the flip cap wing thingy and a different stamp on the base, every other part on the Peterson is absolutely identical to the Kabuto. Right down to the polymer hinge. So, while I can't prove this in a court of law, I think it is safe to believe that whatever is said about the Kiribi will also be true of the Peterson.
Kabuto final analysis.
Pros: Less expensive than the Old Boy; Increased tank capacity; Flip top wing thingy (debatable); Feels better than the cheapo options and also better than it's mid-range competitors (Xicar, Comoy, etc...).
Cons: Doesn't feel as solid as the Old Boy. Not on the market as long as some others, so reliability is an unknown. Parts and Kiribi branded flints aren't as easy to find.
Old Boy final analysis.
Pros: Solid construction; Long company history; Easy to find parts; If you break it, they'll repair it; Feels like a lighter I'll probably own for the rest of my life.
Cons: Cost. Cost. And cost. Also, the repairs cost.
So, lets get this out of the way right up front. Do you need either of them? Absolutely not. Matches work fine. A bic works fine. Heck, a twig on fire works fine. So, if you only buy things that you 100% need, it's safe to stop reading now.
But if you like having and using quality built things, or if it seems logical to you to spend a lot of money once on something that will (hopefully) last you 10+ years instead of spending a little money every three months replacing something inexpensive and disposable, perhaps this info will help you decide between the Kiribi and the Corona.
So, moving right along, here are the specs for each:
Kiribi Kabuto
Height: 66.42 mm / 2.65 in
Width: 30.55 mm / 1.02 in
Depth: 12.5 mm / .491 in
Weight (filled): 70 g / 2.47 oz
Price: $84 - $112
IM Corona Old Boy
Height: 65.5 mm / 2.575 in
Width: 28.55 mm / 1.116 in
Depth: 10.6 mm / .433 in
Weight (filled): 80 g / 2.82 oz
Price: $115 - $165
Comparing them side by side, the Kabuto is a tiny bit taller, a little bit wider, and a little bit thicker.
Yet strangely, in the hand, it is quite noticeable that despite being smaller in every dimension, the Old Boy is still nearly 15% heavier. Since both lighters are made primarily of metal and both have welded brass tanks, the only logical conclusion I can come to is that the Old Boy uses slightly thicker metal for every part. This is supported by the fact that pretty much everything about the Old Boy feels more rugged and solid than the Kiribi when you handle it and use it. That's not to say that the Kiribi feels flimsy. It's certainly a nice piece of kit. Just that it doesn't feel as solid.
As far as aesthetics, I'd say it's a dead heat. Visually, there's not much to distinguish between them. Probably because the Kabuto is so clearly a copy of the Old Boy design.
In the Kiribi's favor, while it undeniably takes all of it's design cues directly from the Old Boy, it does boast some changes that, in my opinion, are improvements. First and most importantly, it gets rid of the totally useless tamper that's built into the base of the Old Boy. In doing so, they Kiribi has increased the tank capacity. I couldn't say by how much, but it seems like it should be a good bit. Second, there's a sort of wing thingy on the Kabuto that makes flipping up the cap super easy and lighting fast. It only took me a little time to master flipping it up with my index finger and twisting the strike wheel with my thumb at the same time. That said, I have never really experienced any problems flipping up the cap of my old boy. Nor have I ever felt that my pipe experience was going to be ruined if I didn't shave 0.5 seconds off the amount of time it takes me to light my lighter.
One intended improvement that seems like it might be a wash with the Kiribi is that they tried something different with the flip up cap hinge, probably because the hinge has historically been one of the main weak points on the Old Boy. To hold the cap in place, IM Corona uses a metal flange that is prone to breakage over time. Kiribi is using some sort of space age polymer that they claim is 20 times stronger than steel or something like that. Which would be great if it was true, but I have already seen people complaining that the polymer broke or melted. So we'll call it a tie here, with neither one really doing spectacular here.
Obviously, long term reliability is something I can't address for the Kiribi yet, having only owned it for only a little while. For the Old Boy, I'm at 10 years and it has been reliable... for the most part. I did have to send it in for repairs once. It developed a leak somewhere and all the fluid would drain out overnight. I sent the lighter with a check for $35 to Arango and they fixed it. It took about a month, which seemed like a long time, but when I got it back, it was basically like brand new. They not only fixed the issue but even replaced several parts that weren't really a problem, but were getting kind of worn (the hinge cap stop flange, and the entire flint assembly).
I'll add here that both lighters seem kind of finicky with regards to butane. Both work best with high quality butane, so it's probably a good idea to figure that into the long term cost when you're making your decision.
In terms of flints and sparking, the Corona is pretty finicky about this as well. It only really seems to perform at it's peak with Corona flints which are much harder than the cheaper Zippo alternative. But when you do use the Corona flints, it lights on the first try pretty much every time. I haven't had to replace the flint in the Kabuto yet, but I did pull it out an it seems pretty soft so you could likely get away with using the Zippo flints in it. At any rate, it does not spark and ignite quite as reliably as the Old Boy. I think this is primarily due to the placement of the butane jet. The Old Boy places the jet so the striker throws the majority of the sparks directly at the jet nozzle. The Kabuto places the jet so that the striker throws majority of the sparks behind the jet nozzle. It still lights fine, but sometimes it will take two or three times and I think this is why.
That's pretty much it for the comparison except for one final thing. When I bought the Kiribi, they also had Peterson lighters in stock. After comparing those two I would bet a substantial amount that either Kiribi makes the Peterson lighters, or that they are made in the same factory in China. Aside from lacking the flip cap wing thingy and a different stamp on the base, every other part on the Peterson is absolutely identical to the Kabuto. Right down to the polymer hinge. So, while I can't prove this in a court of law, I think it is safe to believe that whatever is said about the Kiribi will also be true of the Peterson.
Kabuto final analysis.
Pros: Less expensive than the Old Boy; Increased tank capacity; Flip top wing thingy (debatable); Feels better than the cheapo options and also better than it's mid-range competitors (Xicar, Comoy, etc...).
Cons: Doesn't feel as solid as the Old Boy. Not on the market as long as some others, so reliability is an unknown. Parts and Kiribi branded flints aren't as easy to find.
Old Boy final analysis.
Pros: Solid construction; Long company history; Easy to find parts; If you break it, they'll repair it; Feels like a lighter I'll probably own for the rest of my life.
Cons: Cost. Cost. And cost. Also, the repairs cost.
. I have not regretted getting myself one. However if someone was debating between the Rattray and the Old Boy I’d recommend the Old Boy.