My Life in Butane Lighters

[jpmcwjr]

I realized I have gone overboard in acquiring lighters. I really like butane lighters, refillable ones especially. The first refillable I bought is back right, about $20 on eBay. It lights all right but is clunky and heavy. (Back left is a Bic knockoff ($2),and a DJEEP ($4), both of which are o.k.) So, at the Chicago show a year ago, I got the silver Old Boy style, a Xicar lighter (ca. $45) I had problems with and bad mouthed a bit about it. So, it was natural to pick up a slightly more expensive Old Boy style (ca. $80), the black one, made by Kiribi. It's been flawless. So, I had no excuse to buy another, until I visited New York, and had a fine several hours smoking with condorlover1. I just had to buy something so the tobacco shop would be happy with our smoking in their lounge, not being members and all.. So, I got a real Old Boy, briar covered. I can't bring myself to write how much I paid.
After getting home, I found that my Xicar lighter simply needed the tension on the flint tightened by stretching the spring, and it works fine now. So I have a fine refillable for the car, for the porch and for the pocket. My cup floweth over.

 

[madox07]

That's a nice collection, the three in the front are all fantastic lighters. I don't know why you had issues with the xicar, I have a cigar xicar lighter and it works fantastic. I had it for years, but then again mine is a jet lighter while yours is a soft flame - different mechanisms. Stretching the spring may be a temporary solution, I guess you will see when you replace the flint. You may be able to send it back, I think they have life time warranty...

 

[philobeddoe]

I have an IM Corona Pipemaster and while it wasn't cheap, it was well worth the investment, best lighter I've ever used, I'm going to buy a couple more, just in case they stop making them and god forbid I lose my first one. Then the third one will be a back up for the second one. If I manage to lose a third, then it wasn't meant to be.

 

[dochudson]

may be able to send it back, I think they have life time warranty..
You can take it to any Xikar retailer and they will replace it on the spot!

 

[nevadablue]

I just spent a whole $17 on a Chinese knockoff of the xicar... will report back when it gets here, whether it works or not. I have a weakness for lighters too. My Dad's name was Winston, so of course, Winston labeled stuff is necessary. I also like the Camel ads, and those are necessary too.

 

[hobie1dog]

Burners are fun to collect, but sure have their reliability issues.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Except for my Xicar Old Boy style, no problems at all. And even that was fixed once I figured out how.

 

[papipeguy]

Haja was our resident butane lighter guru for some time.

 

[condorlover1]

If it ain't a BIC you are a bit thick! :rofl:

 

[phantomwolf]

I seem to have trouble filling my lighters.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Which lighter(s). There are some tricks, such as expressing out the air prior to a fill. Also gotta shake the can.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Also gotta shake the can.

I've always been told that shaking it can mix the propellant with the gas and cause a fill of poor quality.
Definitely purge the lighter before fully before filling, though.

 

[cosmicbobo]

I mentioned that 100 butanes for 15$ I got. Only one broke, so far. However, I read the posts on lighters vs matches and so I use my lighters to light a wooden skewer to light my pipe.

 

[voorhees]

I am still on the hunt for a long term butane lighter.

 

[fitzy]

I bought a Kiribi a year ago and it's worked flawlessly. One flint change so far.

 

[madox07]

Everybody seems to speak kindly on the Kirbis. I can't find one in Europe, but I have been looking at this Peterson Silver Pipe Lig112. I really love the design, but would hate to spend the money on it if it's not reliable. Any of you had any experience with that one? I am mostly a match guy, but in the great outdoors or even when smoking on a bar patio I find that a lighter is much more useful. I don't mind spending EUR 50 for one, but then again since I have spent more on colibri lighters in the past and have been utterly dissapointed I am very circumspect when it comes to buying butanes.

 

[newbroom]

The most dependable and easiest is likely a bic or some variation that typically fails to match, no pun intended.

I've been at this for a full 3 yrs now, and have gone through 3 or 4 refillable butane lighters during that time.

I only use a lighter to light my hemp wick.

 

[phantomwolf]

@jpmcwjr
https://www.amazon.com/Tobacco-Pipe-Lighter-Czech-Tool/dp/B00DELK016/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1500970504&sr=8-5&keywords=pipe+lighter
I'll give it a shot with your advice. Thank you.

 

[jvnshr]

Nice collection of lighters, I also have a small collection of unused Zippos, I will share some pictures in a very near future, but first I have to take the pictures

 

[fitzy]

I like Djeep as a backup but I have a hard time finding them here. I keep threatening to buy a pack of them on Amazon though.