Thoughts and Tips for Blind Pipe Smokers

[aspiring_sage]

I would think filling a zippo would be the biggest obstacle for someone with no or limited sight. The best trick I could think that might help would be to figure out how many seconds it took to refill it. I want to say a 5-6 second stream should take it from empty to full but I haven’t actually counted. Which is odd because I used to bartend & I catch myself counting how long it takes to fill things with liquid.
Other than that, a zippo is a great option. Fairly simple design, very few moving parts, easy to light with 1 hand, & guaranteed forever. Plus they just sound cool when you open them!
Regardless, I hope you find an option that works for you & that you continue to enjoy your pipes.

Personally, I can tell my zippo is almost full, because the insert gets cold to the touch as the fluid level rises.
On the other hand, I don’t like the idea of possibly dropping a lighter that stays lit when dropped.

 

[mithridate]

Damn you! I'm actually changing my mind now! The durability attracts me. Have I got it right that Zippos use some kind of fuel of their own, or can they be filled with butane like many other lighters?
Dropping it when it just goes on burning doesn't sound great, but on the other hand, in very rare occasions do I drop things anyway. We should do some counting with my wife about how many times each of us has dropped a cell phone, and she'd win something like 20-1.
And another thing... Is it so that when you open a lid of a Zippo, it starts spitting gas? Then you light, and flame burns until you close the lid? This is propably general knowledge, but Never have used Zippo, just made assumptions based on what I have heard.
I'm considering this: Tobacco Pipe Accessories: Lighters Zippo Pipe Lighter Brushed Chrome || Smokingpipes.eu - https://www.smokingpipes.eu/accessories/lighters/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=142779
Choices... Sometimes they're so hard...

 

[Pipeh]

Recently I've been wondering if a lighter with a long wand such as a BBQ/Fireplace lighter, or the short wand of a Bic EZ Reach lighter are able to be bent?

If so, I think an EZ Reach, with a 90 degree bend put in the wand might be useful for directing the flame straight down into the bowl.

And I would imagine if it works as I hope, then the resulting hook shape from the bend could make it easy to feel whether the output was aimed in the right place.

......

I was all set to hit "post", when I decided to look for pictures on the web, and I came across a "Bic Megalighter Flex" which looks to be about half as long as a Fireplace lighter, but with a flexible wand. Not sure if this is available in the USA though.

 

[Indygrap]

Damn you! I'm actually changing my mind now! The durability attracts me. Have I got it right that Zippos use some kind of fuel of their own, or can they be filled with butane like many other lighters?
Dropping it when it just goes on burning doesn't sound great, but on the other hand, in very rare occasions do I drop things anyway. We should do some counting with my wife about how many times each of us has dropped a cell phone, and she'd win something like 20-1.
And another thing... Is it so that when you open a lid of a Zippo, it starts spitting gas? Then you light, and flame burns until you close the lid? This is propably general knowledge, but Never have used Zippo, just made assumptions based on what I have heard.
I'm considering this: Tobacco Pipe Accessories: Lighters Zippo Pipe Lighter Brushed Chrome || Smokingpipes.eu - https://www.smokingpipes.eu/accessories/lighters/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=142779
Choices... Sometimes they're so hard...

The fuel isn’t pressurized, like a butane lighter. It’s wicked, like an oil lamp. It won’t spit gas. You remove the insert from the case, add lighter fluid to the cotton batting, then replace the insert in the case. Strike the wheel & you're off & running.
You have to replace flints as well. Fairly easy if you’re dexterous but the flints are rather small.
Pros: affordable (around $20 US), dependable (guaranteed forever. You can literally pass them along after you die & the recipient can send it in for a free repair), stylish, fits nicely in your hand, sounds cool when you open it.
Cons: needs refilled about once a week, flints need replaced about every 3 months(depending on your usage), stays lit if dropped, isn't childproof, if you’re using them for a pipe, you’ll want to light it & let it burn for 5 seconds or so to let the fumes burn off. They can carry over into the pipe & you'll taste lighter fluid on the draw.
I’ve used zippos for 30+ years & swear by them. There are probably better lighters out there, but they’ll cost a lot more.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Not so the regular BiC. It requires zero maintenance, and when it's out of fuel, you pick up another.
They last a long time in my household. A buck when bought in quantity, and there's no odor before, during or after the light as with Zippo or other liquid based lighters.

The "extension" type of lighter makes it harder to hold the flame in place.

PS: the bendable extension type that lets you force the flame onto the tobacco sets up bad habits. One wants to draw the flame near it.

 

[shermnatman]

I have to second the Zippo idea. They light very reliably, so you can count on a single flick leading to a flame.

The subject of one my favorite Alfred Hitchcock Presents - a remake of the original 1955 episode - from 1985 features a man who also shared your same opinion of the reliability of his lighter.

As the story unfolds, while vacationing at a resort in Jamaica, the narrator encounters an elderly South American man named Carlos.

They are soon joined by a young American naval cadet, who boasts about the reliability of his cigarette lighter.

Carlos offers to bet his Cadillac against the American's left little finger that the American cannot ignite the lighter ten times in a row. The American accepts, with the narrator agreeing to act as referee and hold the car key, and they adjourn to Carlos' room.


The episode is called: The Man From The South; and, It is an absolutely fabulous story, which I have never forgotten.

Here is the link for those of you brave and macabre souls who care to viddy such things: 1985 ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS... The Man From The South

- Sherm '2 Fingers' Natman

 

[Grangerous]

Bic. Operation is simple. Disposable. Reliable. Soft adjustable flame. Muscle memory will establish to where you’ll never want to use anything else.

 

[shermnatman]

Bic. Operation is simple. Disposable. Reliable.

And so, ANOTHER man so convinced of the reliability of his lighter comes forward...

@Grangerous, you and your "reliable" Bic lighter better hope you don't end-up meeting The Man From The South on your next trip out to Las Vegas.... as he might "Up The Bet" from just the pinky finger of your left hand - in your case!


- Sherm Natman

 

[Grangerous]

 

[cosmicfolklore]

They should make a lighter that has a long beeping sound while the thing is lit. Also, they should make some tins with braille. I am guessing that most blind pipe smokers have Dunhills, so that the white dot helps them keep the stem on straight.
None of this would help deaf smokers though.

 

[FLDRD]

I would not encourage the visually impaired to deal with refillable liquid fluid lighters.
I would encourage the minimization of potentially damaging variables.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Hell, I have every lighter imaginable, and I still prefer to use a Bic. I do not understand this need to constantly refill something besides the pipe. And, I can see when it runs out of fluid. Imagine not being able to tell when the thing is empty.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

I would not encourage the visually impaired to deal with refillable liquid fluid lighters.
I would encourage the minimization of potentially damaging variables.

I agree! Just want to emphasize that my recommendation was for a sighted person to do the refill.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

Hell, I have every lighter imaginable, and I still prefer to use a Bic. I do not understand this need to constantly refill something besides the pipe. And, I can see when it runs out of fluid. Imagine not being able to tell when the thing is empty.

I hate using a Bic.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I hate using a Bic.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

WTF?!! How did you set up camera's in my home?

 

[Indygrap]

The subject of one my favorite Alfred Hitchcock Presents - a remake of the original 1955 episode - from 1985 features a man who also shared your same opinion of the reliability of his lighter.

As the story unfolds, while vacationing at a resort in Jamaica, the narrator encounters an elderly South American man named Carlos.

They are soon joined by a young American naval cadet, who boasts about the reliability of his cigarette lighter.

Carlos offers to bet his Cadillac against the American's left little finger that the American cannot ignite the lighter ten times in a row. The American accepts, with the narrator agreeing to act as referee and hold the car key, and they adjourn to Carlos' room.
View attachment 218443

The episode is called: The Man From The South; and, It is an absolutely fabulous story, which I have never forgotten.

Here is the link for those of you brave and macabre souls who care to viddy such things: 1985 ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS... The Man From The South

- Sherm '2 Fingers' Natman

Duuuuuudde! I remember watching this episode when it used to air. Freaked me the hell out & I loved it. Do you seen the one Stephen King wrote? I believe it was titled “Grandma”. Another one that stuck with me. Pretty sure it was one of the stories from Skeleton Crew or some other collection of short stories of his. Look into it if you haven’t.

 

[Indygrap]

D

Hell, I have every lighter imaginable, and I still prefer to use a Bic. I do not understand this need to constantly refill something besides the pipe. And, I can see when it runs out of fluid. Imagine not being able to tell when the thing is empty.

I still have a bic handy when I run out of fluid or if traveling by air. No skin off my ass if TSA wants to toss it or it gets lost. They’re convenient & reliable. I’m just putting my preference out there so OP can make their own decision. Side note: I take the striker wheel off when they’re empty & use the flint in my Zippo.

 

[mithridate]

I must admit I have kind of bad attitude towards Bics. It has nothing to do with their quality, handiness, reliability or any other features; I'm sure they are very good and reasonable choice. It just happens to be that when I was a kid, many people had bics, tougher guys had Colts, and those who were really cool, strong and beyond pityful mortals, had Zippos. So I'd rather move from Colt to Zippo, than from Colt to Bic. :D

I almost decided on Zippo, but if it has to be burnt for couple of seconds before lighting, I'm not so sure anymore. I guess I'll bet on Pipemaster nevertheless, and buy Zippo when it breaks down. Maybe I will even get my wife to refill it for me.

 

[mithridate]

The Man from the South is also, I guess originally, a short story by Roald Dahl. Very intense stuff! And so was Grandma by King. I think it was in Skeleton Crew, too.