best cigarette lighter?

T

the possum

Joined
Jul 31, 2002
Messages
2,954
Hi all. I enjoyed the threads about pens, flashlights, watches, etc., but never saw this one discussed. I want a good cigarette lighter. Here are my requirements: Must have a torch like flame, like on those micro torches and windproof lighters. This is so I can point the flame straight down to light my pipe, do soldering work on my little knives, reliably light waterproof fuse, etc. I've tried several cheapie "mini-torches", and whatnot, but they have all worn out in less than a year. The more expensive ones I've seen also seem to be made of the same cheap ass pot metal and plastic. I also don't want it to have a surface finish. No paint, anodizing, plating, etc. After a while in the pocket, it wears off and looks crappy. I want it to be made of solid decent material, so I could possibly have it engraved, as it will also be a sort of male jewelry/accesory. It must be windproof. And above all, it must be reliable! As in, light every single time on the first try.

Soooo.... What should I look for? Let's hear it!
 
Well, it seems to me that the best "finish" for you would be a coarse random brushed.
Stainless or Titanium.
Conventional zippos do not meet your requirements.
 
That's a pretty tall order. I'm not sure any such animal exists. Reliability is kind of a problem for most of the "windproof" lighters I've seen. I have a Windmill in anodized aluminum, and it's reasonably good looking, reasonably functional. It is not, however, really and truly windproof. I'd like to find the ideal lighter, too, but so far I haven't seen anything that comes close. I use disposables more than anything else; they're cheap and I know what I'm getting.
 
The Brunton Helios doesn't have a fancy finish, but the non-metallic finish isn't likely to wear off either. It's a good lighter, I checked one out for a while for review and liked it.
 
3 big makers out there are Colibri, Prometheus and Vector. In all shapes, types and flavors. One thing to consider is warranty. Prometheus is 5 years, check em out at http://www.prometheuskkp.com/index.html

Vector is 5 years too. http://www.vectorkgm.com/ The Pinnacle is awesome!

Colibri on the other hand is only 1 year. http://www.colibri.com

Whatever you do, use a triple-filtered high quality butane and keep the lighter clean. You can do some research at each of the websites I listed above. Good luck.
 
Uhhh.... There's a gadgets and gear forum?! Holy crap! I never even knew it! I always stayed on the knife forums or tactics. Maybe I should do some more browsing...

Thanks all for the replies. I guess next time I'm at the local tobacconist, I'll check out some of the lighters suggested. Though none mentioned have really been "my ideal". I've been thinking about making my own from scratch, with stainless, sterling, and 18kt gold, and maybe pearl, precious stones, etc. But I've already got so many projects going, I guess I'll have to settle for a store-bought one.
 
tisk tisk...

S.T. Dupont is a great brand which is sold on elighters (link above) their x-tend line seems to be right up your alley. creme de la creme. If I still smoked I would definately buy one. I used to carry a slim zippo to light my girlfriend's cigs... now I use that pocket space for an Arc LS2 (woo-hoo!). BTW, even at it's expense, she likes the light(another woo-hoo!). Back on topic, You'll like the Dupont... and even if you dont, due to their rep., you could sell it for a minimal loss on ebay.
 
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