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Hi all,
Just a curiosity, I use matches and have been looking at pipe specific lighters. Those of you that have experience with pipe lighters, like the zippo pipe lighters, do you notice a difference in how your tobacco smokes? Does the fuel effect the flavor?
Thanks
I personally don’t like zippo pipe lighters although I have a few. There is a taste that I pick up on from the lighter fluid.
I have a number of pipe lighters, but my two favorites are the Kiribi on the left, which I now use instead of my IM Corona Old Boy and my most used lighters, the Clipper pipe lighters, which are very reasonably priced.
Interesting. I just Googled those and looks like they use butane as fuel. Do you find the butane as neutral as a match?
thanks for your reply
Butane is the cleanest way to light with, no detectable flavor to me. Matches leave a flavor on lighting, which some people like. It depends on the match for me, some brands are pleasant, some give an initial harshness.
Hello, Sir! Just got an Old Boy and love it. I'm curious on your comparison between the Kiribi vs. Old Boy! Why do you grab that one over your Old Boy! Cheers!
I love my Old Boy. The reason I grab the Kiribi is the way the top flips up. It’s just a more comfortable lighter to use. It seems like that might be a fairly minor thing and I guess it is, but I would get some thumb cramping from the Old Boy that I don’t get from the Kiribi.
I used a zippo with a pipe insert and really liked it... until I got my im corona old boy! Wish I bought one sooner. Its amazing for lighting pipes.
As others have said, Old Boy style lighters are great for pipes. I also get a poor taste from Zippos, at least the traditional lighter fuel ones. I believe they make butane ones as well, so maybe those are better as far as imparting taste.
Also, nothing wrong with a simple Bic. Of course, pipe lighters from companies like Kiribi and IM Corona do look great and they direct the flame to be particularly amenable to the angle of lighting a pipe.
I had a butane lighter but in the cold weather or wind it drove me crazy. I use my zippo pipe lighter outdoors and a butane inside. When using a match you need to let the tip burn down before you light up or you taste sulphur. Zippos do inprt a short flavor of liquid butane. Goes away in a second or so.
I think butane is the cleanest way to light a pipe. My preferred lighter is a Tsubota Pearl Bolbo. A beautiful lighter with perfect control flame control, which is completely useless in a windy day. In a windy day I use a Clipper, which has a very poor flame control but deals nicely with wind, (I´m an outdoor smoker).
As a last resort I always carry a match box with me. Matches transfer unpleasant flavor of phosphorus and sulfur which fortunately lasts a second. The one pictured has been more than a year with me. I hate wanting to smoke and have no way to light my pipe.
If you light the match and then wait 2 seconds, the phosphorus is burned away. You won't get a flavor them.
These little Sidekicks are good for me and cheap enough to have several laying around the house so I can actually find one!
Its a soft flame, not a jet.
1971 Rollagas
i have a pipe zippo and still prefer a bic or clipper one.
I use a Colibri brand lighter, it works very well, one detail to keep in mind is to use a good gas for recharging
Yes! Good quality butane makes a big difference, in terms of longevity. A more pure product also keeps the nozzle of the lighter cleaner, in my experience.
I have no experience with wick-fed white-gas, so cannot comment on any taste issues there. But, I have never detected any adverse flavor from either butane or wooden matches. The only taste issues I've ever had on charring light were scorched tobacco. And, I'm guessing that's more from poor technique than flame source.
I love my IM Corona! I bought it a couple of weeks after starting the hobby. I decided to go for pewter, as I like the finish. I also went for the one with different pipe styles imprinted on both sides. Is it tacky? Maybe. But, I like it, which is all that matters 😊
Oh, and, just in case you didn't already know - Zippos, even their pipe lighters - use wick-fed white gas unless you replace the stock assembly with a butane pipe lighter insert - which I highly recommend, if you go that route. I have an aftermarket "Lightningbird" butane pipe insert in mine which works just as well as my favorite lighter, a Peterson "Irish Harp" (Old Boy style).
To me, the main difference between my $30-ish zippo and my $120-ish oldboy style is in handling, not flame. I'm as unconsciously familiar with my favorite lighter as I am with my toothbrush. I have to think about handling the zippo, but I still do on occasion - for a very practical reason. If I'm carrying a lighter on-the-go, it's the zippo - literally bulletproof, and I have never had it leak on me. I can't say the same for my oldboy-style lighter, which has fiddly bits that can be jostled loose while jangling in a pocket. I've had the knurled screwcap that holds in the flint and it's spring come loose before because of it. Not a showstopper. Just had to carefully reassemble [flint, spring, screw] before use. The flip-cap that covers and holds down the (also spring loaded) jet-post has also been ever-so-slightly lifted while in my pocket. That was a disaster, because all the pressurized butane leaked out and I had no flame when I needed it! 😥 ...didn't even know why until I finally figured it out. (Shirlock would've been proud of me).
I don't use disposable lighters. Don't really like the idea. Give me solid. Permanent. Quality. ...or stick matches. I like stick matches, too.
Jumping in here to see if anyone has experience or thoughts with/on these. I tried a zippo pipe lighter but they stink and I'm not a needs high maintenance kind of guy. I'm also exceptionally clumsy. I'd drop an Old Boy and break the tank in a couple days.
But this piezo ignition supposedly wind proof insert for a zippo has me interested.
Never heard of Lotus. So, no clue on that specific insert. But, if it's soft flame, it might be worth a shot. On the other hand...
On my post above, I wrongly called the butane insert I have a "Lightningbird". I just pulled it out and checked... It's made by Vector and it's called the "Thunderbird" pipe insert. That's the only one I have any experience with. It has served me well. No complaints. But if it ever DID break, VectorKGM has a fantastic lifetime warranty, a great reputation, and in-house service dept. My son bought it for me as a gift, and he's pretty obsessive about doing his research.
Just did a quick check, and I see that they now have a piezo ignition version, if that's important to you. And, both their flint and piezo versions are cheaper than the one you're looking at - direct from the manufacturer's webstore.
PS: I am not affiliated in any way. Just a happy customer. 🤠
I received the insert yesterday. I filled and used it. It works pretty good in the wind.
But I just tried to use it and the $&#&@&## thing is out of gas. So back to the pocket for the BIC the lights every time.
And the lighter will go in the drawer with the rest.
Filling butane lighters is a bit tricky if you’ve never done it before. It’s a gas at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure. So, you have to (1) release residual gas from the “empty” lighter chamber, (2) fill upside-down for about 15-20 seconds (so pressurized LIQUID butane is forced from the fuel canister (not just gas from the top), then if it didn’t take a full charge, (3) with lighter still upside-down, off-gas it again and repeat step 2.
You’ll get the knack of it if you give it a chance.
I've filled many. But I bought a few can of Neon butane. A couple recent reviews indicate they changed the nozzle and others have had difficulty filling. I have a can of zippo gas on the way.
But more for the science. Just to see if I should be be mad at Neon. I'm pretty much done with lighters requiring maintenance.
My thing is if BICs just work, why don't they make all lighters like BICs?
Oh no. Please I didn't take it that way at all. It's always pretty safe to assume I'm screwing something up. 😂
@joeseph It was the butane. Waiting for a new can to arrive tommorow, tonight I found an old can of Ronson which I ordinarily use in lighter. But I gave it a shot and the lighter filled easily. Lights well. I'll attempt to make friends with it.
Really glad I bought 4 huge cans of the bad Neon butane. 🤣
About 4 years ago I bought a Dupont Ligne 1 on ebay for 63 Euro. I sent it to Pipes and Lighters, a company which is responsable for almost all repairs in Germany, and they changed it into a angled-flame. So I have a very comfortable reliable working lghter for less than an Old Boy. Prices for used Dupont Ligne 1 are not much higher on ebay. Mine was certainly cheap especialy for the condition
Befor anybody mention the high prices for Dupont gas, I use ordinary Ronson gas. The bottle has a soft adapter so I can refil it with no effort
These old touch top lighters are pretty cool for a table lighter. Not my speed. But still pretty cool.
https://ronsonrepair.com/ronson-lighters-for-sale/
sorry, not my speed either... They say "sexy silver-screen Movie Stars in white gloves" and "cigarettes in holders" to me, (not that I have anything against sexy movie stars). Just doesn't fit anywhere in my practical, homey ranch-style home. That, and I smoke outside. No need whatsoever for a lighter indoors.
Best butane?
Good question, I’ve wondered that myself. I use the one pictured, but that’s only because I knew a guy who was making wax a number of years ago and when he quit doing it, he had two unopened cases of 48 cans each that he just gave to me. Even though I’ve given away a bunch of them, I still have a many year supply. It seems like really good stuff to me, no off flavors and it burns nicely.
Yep. The concentrate makers use a ton of butane. I read an opinion that all the multiple distilled ultra pure stuff is really geared toward them and most any butane is OK for lighters. Ronson generally gets singled out as "gunky".
I just ordered 3 cans of Lotus 3X refined. It was well priced and they made my new zippo insert so when it fails they can't blame the butane. 😂
This is the most practical lighter I use, I have one in red and another in this "wood" color:
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This one looks more sleek, but only works if you're lighting with your right hand. Doesn't work if your hand is wet.
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Hello from Michigan and welcome to the forum! I believe you have to post five times before you can post pictures, I think they are just trying to weed out spam. I’m curious which lighters you are talking about.
That caught me off-guard and didn't notice my post got clipped. Still getting used to how this new forum works...
This is the most practical lighter I use, I have one in red and another in this "wood" color:
https://www.amazon.com/Butane-Lighter-Refillable-Windproof-Lighters/dp/B0CNHBMFBT/?th=1
Nothing fancy, it just works well.
This one looks more sleek, but only works if you're lighting with your right hand. Doesn't work if your hand is wet.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07YHNB4QL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
Same thing with this one. Better looking, harder to work if your hand is slightly slippery or using your left:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004432076598.html
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