Well here are my thoughts gained through experience in lighting my pipes over the years.
I have used Zippo's (the pipe variety), hard flame butane of several makes, soft flamed butane like the Old Boy (old and new manufacture), Dunhill Rollagas (non pipe flame), St. DuPont (non pipe flame) and Caron d'Ache (pipe flame). Here are my thoughts on these.
Early on in my pipe smoking I used the Zippo and is probably where most of the top scorching came in on my older pipes, it was when I began to notice this I used the Zippo exclusively on my cobs and while in my boat fishing, in the wind it is very hard to beat but on hot days you stand a chance of fluid getting on your skin (ask me how I know this). For my regular pipes I switched to wooden strike anywhere matches and that solved scorching the tops but they are the devil in the wind for me, paper matches are OK but a last resort. While by a camp fire a twig lit by the flames works well as does an ember and the ember is probably my favorite way to light up.
I then picked up several varieties of hard flamed lighters. i.e. they make a hard hiss and a strong blue flame, these work well but get super hot and I find them unacceptable to light my pipes except my cobs which tend to gain some character with a bit of top scorching but never my briars, or God forbid a meerschaum!
Next up was the lighter I purchased in Scotland, don't remember it's make but it was a two piece affair that you removed the top then struck the wheel to ignite the flame which was a very nice soft flame but even a light breeze extinguished it. The Old Boy followed and I loved it at first strike until I met the wind and learned how to tame it by manipulating my hands and body around to obtain an acceptable light. I then picked up a vintage Old Boy and found there are definitely some differences, the older one weighs more and has a better spring mechanism for the flint, the newer one is more anemic and I find I constantly need to ensure it is wound in all the way or I don't get a spark, neither cares what type of flint is used.
The Rollagas works very well even in the wind w/o a pipe flame spout although I will be sending it out for servicing and having the pipe flame spout added. It doesn't care what flints are used and is rather robustly built and has a good striker system. A little over a week after purchasing it I refilled it and when I lit it all Hell broke loose as I had flames everywhere including the bottom, knowing the seals were shot I shipped it out to ARS for service and converting it for a pipe flame, it has returned and is remarkable.
The St. DuPont is a very ruggedly built lighter but I found that whatever flints they supplied with it to be anemic when struck and changing them to Zippo flints made a big difference but still not as robust as the Rollagas. It does not have a pipe flame spout but handles the wind well, when the day comes that it needs to be serviced (it's brand new) I will decide if I will have the pipe flame spout installed. I've since found out this is not a real St. DuPont but rather a copy made in China, I'm miffed over it but the write up still applies for what I get from it. I will eventually find a real one.
The Caron d'Ache, WOW, what a tank of a lighter. Great build quality, has a reserve tank which comes in handy and is easily activated, outstanding striking mechanism with a very strong spark, it eats flints probably due to this but is not an issue for me as I always carry spare. The wind bothers it not one iota and it does have a pipe flame spout. It is definitely my favorite lighter and the most expensive of the group but I got it on the devil's playground for a huge fraction of it's cost.
There you have it, my experiences and YMMV and is worth what you paid for it.
I have used Zippo's (the pipe variety), hard flame butane of several makes, soft flamed butane like the Old Boy (old and new manufacture), Dunhill Rollagas (non pipe flame), St. DuPont (non pipe flame) and Caron d'Ache (pipe flame). Here are my thoughts on these.
Early on in my pipe smoking I used the Zippo and is probably where most of the top scorching came in on my older pipes, it was when I began to notice this I used the Zippo exclusively on my cobs and while in my boat fishing, in the wind it is very hard to beat but on hot days you stand a chance of fluid getting on your skin (ask me how I know this). For my regular pipes I switched to wooden strike anywhere matches and that solved scorching the tops but they are the devil in the wind for me, paper matches are OK but a last resort. While by a camp fire a twig lit by the flames works well as does an ember and the ember is probably my favorite way to light up.
I then picked up several varieties of hard flamed lighters. i.e. they make a hard hiss and a strong blue flame, these work well but get super hot and I find them unacceptable to light my pipes except my cobs which tend to gain some character with a bit of top scorching but never my briars, or God forbid a meerschaum!
Next up was the lighter I purchased in Scotland, don't remember it's make but it was a two piece affair that you removed the top then struck the wheel to ignite the flame which was a very nice soft flame but even a light breeze extinguished it. The Old Boy followed and I loved it at first strike until I met the wind and learned how to tame it by manipulating my hands and body around to obtain an acceptable light. I then picked up a vintage Old Boy and found there are definitely some differences, the older one weighs more and has a better spring mechanism for the flint, the newer one is more anemic and I find I constantly need to ensure it is wound in all the way or I don't get a spark, neither cares what type of flint is used.
The Rollagas works very well even in the wind w/o a pipe flame spout although I will be sending it out for servicing and having the pipe flame spout added. It doesn't care what flints are used and is rather robustly built and has a good striker system. A little over a week after purchasing it I refilled it and when I lit it all Hell broke loose as I had flames everywhere including the bottom, knowing the seals were shot I shipped it out to ARS for service and converting it for a pipe flame, it has returned and is remarkable.
The St. DuPont is a very ruggedly built lighter but I found that whatever flints they supplied with it to be anemic when struck and changing them to Zippo flints made a big difference but still not as robust as the Rollagas. It does not have a pipe flame spout but handles the wind well, when the day comes that it needs to be serviced (it's brand new) I will decide if I will have the pipe flame spout installed. I've since found out this is not a real St. DuPont but rather a copy made in China, I'm miffed over it but the write up still applies for what I get from it. I will eventually find a real one.
The Caron d'Ache, WOW, what a tank of a lighter. Great build quality, has a reserve tank which comes in handy and is easily activated, outstanding striking mechanism with a very strong spark, it eats flints probably due to this but is not an issue for me as I always carry spare. The wind bothers it not one iota and it does have a pipe flame spout. It is definitely my favorite lighter and the most expensive of the group but I got it on the devil's playground for a huge fraction of it's cost.
There you have it, my experiences and YMMV and is worth what you paid for it.
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