Lighting-Up Outside

[stanlaurel]

Thanks for the advice. Also, I believe that I have purchased one with the insert already attached.

 

[tarak]

Zippo with the pipe insert. Cheap and works well except on the windiest of days.

 

[settersbrace]

To your filling question, excellent instructions will come with your lighter along with the warranty, lifetime. It'll advise you to pull the insert, lift the felt pad, use Zippo premium fuel and to carefully fill the lighter so as not to overflow. There's a cotton batting under that felt pad, I fill just until I see it saturating and stop. You can stash an extra flint or two under there as well. The lighter will have a brand new wick and it won't need changed until it's all coal black, maybe once a year with moderate use?? It's a great American product, treasure it.

 

[pipejunky]

I prefer to use matches by cupping my pipe.Zippos work well but you taste the fluid.

 

[cavendish]

I mainly use a Zippo pipe lighter. Sometimes matches but I smoke outside so Zippo is best IMO.

 

[darwin]

stanlaurel I have about a year's worth of experience now on two Kiribi Kabuto lighters and although they are by far my favorites they are as lousy in an outdoor breeze as any other soft flame butane lighter. Indoor only unless it's dead calm outside.

 

[saltedplug]

I've had soft and torch lighters and have found them not worth the bother. To me mechanical failure and refills are too much headache, and I've read that as I whole they are not well-made, and certainly they are expensive. The only use that I think makes a torch handy is lighting a cigar. You're trying to ignite a lot of tobacco at once. Though quicker, it's really no better than a BIC, and with a bit of patience it takes fire just fine.
I used 3" stick matches for a long time but switched to the BIC due to the consistent poor quality, the biggest issue of which was that every tenth match lost its head during the first few seconds after ignition, but usually during it, which occasioned flying burning objects; once one landed on my hand and I ignored it. The resulting burn took a few weeks to heal. To my credit I did not call the company to complain, as we all know they don't give a you know what.

 

[phred]

I do most of my smoking outdoors, generally on my back patio, and learned early on that the Colorado breezes are not kind to wooden matches, or to most butane lighters. I prefer matches in general, but if the breeze kills more than 2 in a row, I'll revert to my Zippo. I second the suggestion settersbrace made of keeping a couple of spare flints under the felt pad - this came in handy for me just this past weekend. I was experimenting with "fold and stuff" with some Luxury Bullseye Flake, and ran into trouble keeping it lit while weeding the gravel around the front of the house. Three lights in, no spark...

 

[brewshooter]

I have the butane Thunderbird inserts, one normal and one pipe in my Zippo and they do not stay lit will with ANY sort of small breeze. Bics do SLIGHTLY better. After all of this, I am seriously considering converting the Zippos back to their standard design and trying them that way. I may be able to taste the fuel, but lighting outside is sometimes a real pain in the butt!

 

[brass]

I use djeep or zippo outside. If it is too windy to light easily, I'll not smoke. No need having blowing sparks from the pipe causing a brush fire.

 

[perlasca]

I have the luxury of smoking in my house.

I use a Bic, Djeep, or Zippo.

 

[seacaptain]

I only smoke outside as well. My Old Boy works just fine on the back patio. It would take a pretty good breeze to cause any problems.

 

[brudnod]

I exclusively smoke out of doors. Matches about 95% of the time; Zippo the rest.

 

[phil67]

I only smoke outside as well. My Old Boy works just fine on the back patio. It would take a pretty good breeze to cause any problems.

Wow... that's amazing as I find just the opposite. Had an Old Boy and soon found out that so much as a fart from a bird sitting in a tree would quickly put it out! My regular lighter is a Corona Pipemaster which I like a hell of a lot more albeit if it's a tad too windy it will also go out, but in my opinion it's much better and easier to use than an Old Boy. Actually, most any butane lighter is useless in the wind (and if it gets cold) unless your using one of haja's famous cheep Chinese torches. :wink: