Ronson Pipe Lighters At Walmart

[mso489]

I did a double take. So far as I know, Walmart doesn't have any pipes or pipe tobacco back of that counter where they sell the cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco. So imagine my surprise when, on the little rack in the aisle I spotted, with other lighters, a Ronson pipe lighter. In retail, I can't quite process the idea that a store that carries no pipe or pipe tobacco would carry a pipe lighter ($7.98), but there it was. I'll keep watching to see if the lighter gets any company on the aisle or behind the counter. Walgreens has a few Dr. Grabow pipes, some kind of generic pipe tobacco, both at floor level behind the checkout counter, actually hidden behind a rack of candy. You have to peer over the shelf and look down at the floor.

 

[yaddy306]

I have one of those, and I like it a lot.

Got it at WalMart, too.

 

[ray47]

I bought 2. One works fine but the other one doesn't have a good flame even when set on high. A helpful hint....use Zippo butane and not Ronson butane. The Ronson butane tends to clog where the Zippo butane doesn't. For $7.89 you get what you pay for.

 

[jojoc]

I have not seen the Ronsom pipe lighter before. May have to look for one.
I have used the Ronsom Jetlite lighter for my cigars for years. For the price, hands down the best cigar lighter you will find, at $3.50+/-. Wally World has been the only primary retailer of the Ronsom torch lighter as far as I know. The torch lighters are a softer torch flame than most torch lighters (which I like), and are very dependable. At $3.00 - $4.00, if it stops working after some time, toss it and get a new one. However, I have been using the same two Ronsom lighters for about 5 or 6 years now, and they still work well.
jojoc

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I just bought some Xikar Purofine High Performance butane a week ago. About double the price but it sure seems to perform much better making it worth it. I suspect most lighter performance is either associated with poor quality butane and/or improper filling technique (which includes failure to evacuate the lighter before filling).

 

[dcon]

mso your intrigue about why a retailer would carry “pipe lighters” with no tobacco reminds me of a tale from my early work years. I was managing a corporate 7-11 store in the days when the Thompson Brothers (the company’s founders) still owned the business. The story goes that, they were similarly intrigued why they were selling a huge quantity of cigarette rolling papers but, were selling very little tobacco (I recall that we carried PA tins and I believe D. Eggberts). Some corporate ‘Einstein” made the mistake of explaining to the overly self-righteous and publicly pious brothers what people were doing with the rolling papers. They immediately pulled them from sale at all of their corporate stores.

 

[mso489]

dcon, good story about the rolling papers. Frankly, I'll be watching Walmart with the pipe lighters to see if any pipes and pipe tobacco surface, not as a source for myself, but as a trend spotter for younger people taking up tobacco pipes. Walmart has good instincts for in-store retail, but we've found their online ordering with in-store pick-up totally problematical. One order got shipped to a store counties away, and another supposed case of flour came in at one bag for the price of a case. They may get it right, but not yet. But a few key bargains, they do extremely well. If you shop selectively, some of their mens basic clothing is sturdy, well cut, and impossibly cheap priced. Peanut butter. Paper products. Carl Shelby Chili Mix.

 

[tulsagentleman]

Since Walmart sells cigarettes and a few cigars, they sell a few lighters too. The Ronson sounds like a good deal. I'll look for one the next time I'm in there. Regarding the ship to store, you want to be careful about what you have selected as "my store". I've ordered a lot of things that way and have never had a problem. I'm a fan of Walmart when I am traveling. They have everything and they are everywhere.

 

[the85boro]

Wal-Mart sells Ronsons? Most importantly, Ronson is still in business? I havent seen a new Ronson ever.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I was at a local WalMart today and looked for these, couldn't find them around the tobacco sales area. I wouldn't mind having a few around at that price, I don't like taking expensive lighters out, too easy to lose or get stolen.

 

[scloyd]

I picked one up at our local Walmart about 6 months ago (near Christmas). They were in the checkout lane on the rack behind me as I was paying...not behind the counter. I don't use it very often. I prefer stick matches, unless I'm sitting outside.

 

[brian64]

I just bought some Xikar Purofine High Performance butane a week ago. About double the price but it sure seems to perform much better making it worth it. I suspect most lighter performance is either associated with poor quality butane and/or improper filling technique (which includes failure to evacuate the lighter before filling).

+1
I've been using that same Xikar butane for a long time now with excellent results.