Mailed my IM Corona Old Boy out for Repair

[PipeIT]

"Mailed My IM Corona Old Boy Out For Repair"

I bought an IM Corona Old Boy October 2020 from SmokingPipes.

I’m usually really careful with my toys, but this poor thing had been dropped a few times, and I also pulled it apart trying to fix, but in the end, the Old Boy, literally pun intended, this Old Boy LOL really needs a fixin.

I spoke with Ethan at Arango January this year, and ever since I’ve been meaning to mail it out, but kept forgetting. Today I finally went to the post office and sent it.

So, this will be interesting, my first pipe lighter repair in my life.

Estimated time for repairs on the repair form shows 4-6 weeks.

So this will be my Lighter Repair Report Post, to keep us informed how it goes.

Also, share if any of you have ever had a IM Corona repaired by Arango.

Cost of the repair is $35…

Come back to me my Old Boy in one piece, I’ll be here waiting. Oh so sad, my buddy is gone, now I have to revert to rubbing two sticks together. LOL

Ahh here’s the old pride and joy, off to the mainland for a repair and vacation! LOL

 

[daveinlax]

As it happens I mailed a lighter off to ARS today. It definitely won’t be $35.00 bucks but I hope to have it back in a couple of weeks.

 

[PaulRVA]

I’m curious to see how this goes as I have one I need to send out as well.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

God luck and good speed, Old Boy.

 

[renfield]

They fixed up my well used Old Boy a year or so ago. It took a bit longer than expected but it came back working properly. No worries IME.

 

[kcghost]

I'm sure everything will turn out alright.

 

[captpat]

They repaired a decades-old Pipemaster for me, nearly everything but the outer case was replaced -- $35, hard to beat.

 

[jakesmokes]

Sent mine In last year. They had to wait on a shipment of parts. So it took about 8 weeks. Got it back In like new condition if it wasn’t for a few light scratches on the tamper I would have thought they just sent me a new one.

 

[pappymac]

Are there pipe lighters beside IM Corona's that they repair? I have a couple of other pipe lighters by Vector and Xikar that worked fine for about 6 months and then just stopped working. And, yes, I used the recommended butane in each of them.

 

[AJL67]

Are there pipe lighters beside IM Corona's that they repair? I have a couple of other pipe lighters by Vector and Xikar that worked fine for about 6 months and then just stopped working. And, yes, I used the recommended butane in each of them.

Yes on their page they have what they do and don't repair.

Lighter Repairs — Elegant Lighters :: Selling & repairing high-end and vintage lighters since 1957! – S.T. Dupont, Alfred Dunhill, IM Corona, Zippo, Ronson, Evans Lighters, & more | Luxury Cigar Lighters USA | High End Butane Torch Lighters For Sal

lighterrepairs.com

 

[PipeIT]

Well it came back today, 2 months gone…

Ethan seems like a nice guy at Arango…

But I sent an email when I mailed the pipe, no reply back. A month later sent another email, still no reply.

Called, and then was told that week would receive an email, received no email. Called again, and was told an email would come that day, no email came.

So called a third time, said he’d text me a tracking number, but instead received an email later in the day.

All I can say is, if time is money, well 2 months to wait, and chasing after several times… hmm

I was nice in the emails and phone, but seriously customer service seriously needs improving.

I think I’ll look elsewhere in the future for repairs…

I just hope he did a good job on this thing… Time will tell…

 

[hilbertastronaut]

Mr. Ethan at Arango fixed my Old Boy just fine.

I wasn't planning on getting a fancy lighter, but happened across a deal on one with the sandblasted briar wrapper and loved the texture. It's like I get to hold a pipe while I light another pipe. Something was wrong with the gas outlet, though, which was beyond my ability (*) to fix, and for safety reasons was better left to an expert.

(*) I can operate a screwdriver a bit on a good day. Otherwise I was variously known growing up as "having three left thumbs" and "not much good as a farmhand."

 

[PipeIT]

I just noticed later my flint screw is extremely loose, up/down left/right. if I shake the lighter lightly I can hear it rattle around.

It has quite a bit of play in it… I called Arango, they mentioned the flint tube could be slightly larger, or it’s the flint screw smaller. They mentioned they’ve seen some parts being improper in the past, but said it’s the first they’ve heard about the flint screw being loose.

To bad they didn’t inspect it better before shipping…

They said they’ll ship out a new flint screw, I hope this fixes it. I’m more concerned with not wanting to accidentally strip the threads with this not fitting properly.

P.S. I just also noticed the flame adjustment isn’t correct, I can barely move it towards + and it’s like a flame thrower…

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I sent in an Old Boy and Pipe Master to SP in the past. They did a great job.

 

[PipeIT]

I just spent the last 40 mins. figuring out the flame adjustment valve inside the tank, because it was adjusted for to much flame, compared to the factory setting when you buy them. This thing was like a mini dragon…

Luckily I was able to use a toothpick to spin it, but it took this much time to realize the best direction, open or closed, and that it can only be moved in millimeters, it’s really sensitive to adjustment.

I just hope the replacement flint screw is tighter, then hopefully it will finally be good, and done.

Unfortunately my first time using Arango didn’t work out well.

Maybe it’s time to buy a Xikar next LOL

Pipeline Soft Flame Pipe Lighter

Discover the Xikar Pipeline Soft Flame Pipe Lighter, a perfect blend of style and functionality. Ignite your pipes with precision and elegance.

xikar.com

Reviews seemed to be mixed on their soft flame lighter. All I know is, cigar smokers love their cutters, which I plan to get one down the road.

P.S. If Arango sees this, no hard feelings, I expressed I was being polite, but I didn’t mention on the phone, when a customer explains a problem, and how that occurred, and then you interrupt them, saying it’s your turn, that’s being rude. Customers don’t always care the reasons why, and want to listen to it.

Rhetorically speaking, why do businesses always feel the need to tell a customer, ‘now you have talked, let me speak, it’s my turn’, also cutting you off too sometimes in the sentence…

Bottom line, if I want to listen to something I’ll say something, otherwise I don’t need to listen to anything.

Listen to customers, and if they ask or want to know, then speak, otherwise please be quite and listen to your customer.

American customer service in this country needs a serious makeover!

 

[PipeIT]

I sent in an Old Boy and Pipe Master to SP in the past. They did a great job.

I wasn’t aware SPC did the repairs themselves, I thought they sent them off to Arango. And if memory serves me correctly Arango told me they do the work for them, and they are they only IM Corona repair place, at least officially…

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I wasn’t aware SPC did the repairs themselves, I thought they sent them off to Arango. And if memory serves me correctly Arango told me they do the work for them, and they are they only IM Corona repair place, at least officially…

I don't know one way or the other. All I know is I sent it to SP and it came back to me repaired correctly.

 

[captpat]

Now that I think about it my Pipemaster was repaired by the outfit that did it before Arango. It took several months and IIRC they responded to my periodic requests for updates.

 

[pylorns]

Maybe it’s time to buy a Xikar next LOL

Oh god no, when it comes to quality Xikar has gone down the toilet. I had 4 back to back Xikar lighters that continued to break and that was when they just had a no questions ask warranty - now they have almost no warranty.

I would say right now my best performing lighter is the Rattrays. I've made it a full year without it breaking on me. IM Corona had issues, Kiribi has had untold issues, but Xikar was the worst. I do wish there was another pipe lighter repair place that serviced them all.

 

[PipeIT]

When I called Arango back about the issues, of the loose flint screw and the flame adjustment, I asked Ethan who does the repairs at Arango, what tool he uses to adjust the valve inside the tank, he didn’t know, but was going to check and get back to me.

A day and a half later no email over this tool, or another method how I can adjust this.

Seriously, your the person doing the repairs and it takes you this long to figure out the tool you are using, or can’t figure another method to suggest.

If I was doing the work, I’d place you on hold and go look and tell you in 5 minutes.

I looked inside at the valve and figured out in 5 minutes I could use a wooden tooth pick to push on one side and turn it. Then after Googling around for 10 minutes on tools, realized a U Screwdriver is what you use, now the size I don’t know, but that’s the tool.

Seriously this was terrible service from Arango!

I seriously hope they will be mailing out my flint screw asap, and I don’t have to start chasing after this next…

P.S. I have been wanting a vintage S.T. DuPont, maybe this is a good excuse for one, because if Arango turns out to be the only place for repairs, I’d never buy another IM Corona.