Cigar Lighters?

[NavyLaw]

Do anyone have any recommendations on a great torch cigar lighter that is not too expensive? Was thinking about an Xikar or Nibo. Thank you.

Steve

[Commander Quan]

Drive your self to the closes walmart and buy a handful of Ronson Jet lighters. Last time I checked they cost $3 each and are the absolute best value out there. You'll thank me later.

[bradyarz]

i have a xicar and it's great.

i had a ronson lighter, and it's good for a general purpose torch, but their fuel sometimes leaves an aftertaste behind, especially on cigars.

my vote would be to go with the xicar and get a premium quality tripple-filtered butane. i live minutes from cigars international, so i get mine there. i don't know about local sources.

[NavyLaw]

i have a xicar and it's great.

i had a ronson lighter, and it's good for a general purpose torch, but their fuel sometimes leaves an aftertaste behind, especially on cigars.

my vote would be to go with the xicar and get a premium quality tripple-filtered butane. i live minutes from cigars international, so i get mine there. i don't know about local sources.

I actually just placed an order with CI tonight but did not include a lighter and they have no way to ship fuel for me rpesently as I am in Afghanistan. may have to wait until I get home. Thank you both for the info. Greatly appreciate it. Steve

[cricky101]

The Ronson Jetlites are my favorite too. I've used three or four different brands of lighters, up to about a $50 price point, and they've always crapped out after a couple of months.

The super-inexpensive Jetlite is still going strong.

[invizable]

Years ago, I asked my local tobacconist about the best lighter and he pointed to a pile of $5 single-torch lighters. I believe his exact words were "when you lose it on the golf course or drop it at the bar, you'll thank me." I still have the lighter and it works great.

[Leche]

but their fuel sometimes leaves an aftertaste behind, especially on cigars.

This is one of my pet peeves. No offense to you, but when people buy a spendy cigar, lighter, and cutter then buy junk fuel it drives me crazy. Junk fuels impart a taste and also trash lighters. Lava and Vector are my go to fuels.

[Commander Quan]

I have never noticed any taste difference from Ronson, or any other butane fulled lighter. I refill all my lighters with Vector, because I want the jet to say clean, but the quality of the fuel has never imparted any off flavors to a cigar IMO. Now lighter fluid is a different story, the Ronson lighter fluid makes my Zippo smell, and my pipe taste like the inside of a gas can.

[Uncle Erik]

I mostly light up with a Berz-O-Matic propane torch from the hardware store. Seriously.

It might not be pocketable, but the thing burns clean and hot with a large flame. You always get a great, even burn to start with and zero aftertaste.

My cousin and brother-in-law (my usual smoking buddies) also use torches.

Aside from the great burn, the best part of using a torch is watching new guests do a double-take when you go to light up!

Yes, it's completely safe and no one has had a mishap in the several years we've been using them. Not even after a few drinks.

[RazoRock]

Zippo makes a torch; I wouldn't call it inexpensive but it's tough to beat Zippo's warranty.

Personally, I no longer use lighters to light my cigars and pipes. I find they slightly taint the flavor, so I stick with wooden matches.

[ama015]

I`ve had numerous torch lighters over the years, so I have some experience with torch lighters. The Zippo torch lastet two days before I had to send it for repair. Got it back 3 weeks later, and it lasted a couple of weeks before the same problem came back. And the Zippo did only light when the gas tank was full. No more Zippo torch for me. The original Zippo is MUCH better quality.

The Xikar torches I have are good, not great. The absolutely best torch for my money has for me been the Blazer PB 207. It has a large reservoir for gas, it lights even if there is some wind, and the quality is made to last for years of use. It is not pretty, but it will serve you well for a very long time imo.

[OldGrowth]

I'm gonna get flamed (no pun intended), but you guys have some really amazing palates if you can taste impurities from any butane. I'm not saying it's tasteless, but it's pretty close. If I closed my eyes, I wouldn't be able to tell if I were lighting my cigar with a Bic, a torch, or a match. Maybe I've just had too many cigars, neat bourbon, and spicy foods already (ruining my palate), but I think some people just get too caught up in what they read. Don't worry about what the latest magazine article tells you about lighting your cigar. Do what works best for you. Whether it's a match, zippo, soft flame, torch, or a cedar shim. Personally, I keep going for my Bics. I've got a bunch of torch lighters collecting dust. I guess I like to pull them out when I'm feeling fancy, but usually I prefer the soft flame of a Bic lighter. The gentle flame kisses the well-aged tobacco, allowing it to slowly come up to temperature. A torch, well it scorches the tobacco like someone throwing a thin steak on the grill at Golden Corral...cooking to xtra well done. I just taste burnt, charred tobacco for those first few puffs.

[mouscacha]

You'd be surprised to hear that Lotus, as in the car, makes great lighters. I've tried high end to the lown end, and these are the best bang for your buck.

Just a list of some torch lighters I've tried:
S.T. Dupont
Prometheus
Lamborghini
Xikar
Blazer
Firebird
and more that I can't remember or categorized as disposable.

If you want a nice table ligher, and don't want to spend $4000 for a jeroboam table lighter, try this one.
http://www.famous-smoke.com/table+to...ner/item+24423
I've been using this one a lot lately. It stays in my garage, so there's no chance of losing it and it lights cigars like a dream. Reminds me of a large S.T. Dupont dual flame lighter.

[plexibass]

Colibri lighters are what I use

[trumpetchris]

If you want something that looks fancy and is reliable, go with the Xikar. Lifetime warranty on it too. I've had one for about 4 years and it hasn't failed me once. Again, use good butane (vector), not so much for the flavor issue, but for the cleanliness. It won't gunk up the inner workings of the lighter.

If you want something large and in charge for the deck that you can fill up every month or so, get a creme brulee torch at a hardware store. I have a bright orange one that is damn near indestructible and cost under 15 dollars, IIRC.

If you want something that will fit in your pocket, works great, costs 3 dollars, and is refillable with good butane, get a Ronson or 3 from Wally world. I use the included fuel, then switch to Vector after that.

Always be sure to bleed your lighter before refilling it, no matter the variety. It'll make even the crappiest lighter last a bit longer.

[ama015]

I'm gonna get flamed (no pun intended), but you guys have some really amazing palates if you can taste impurities from any butane. I'm not saying it's tasteless, but it's pretty close. If I closed my eyes, I wouldn't be able to tell if I were lighting my cigar with a Bic, a torch, or a match. Maybe I've just had too many cigars, neat bourbon, and spicy foods already (ruining my palate), but I think some people just get too caught up in what they read. Don't worry about what the latest magazine article tells you about lighting your cigar. Do what works best for you. Whether it's a match, zippo, soft flame, torch, or a cedar shim. Personally, I keep going for my Bics. I've got a bunch of torch lighters collecting dust. I guess I like to pull them out when I'm feeling fancy, but usually I prefer the soft flame of a Bic lighter. The gentle flame kisses the well-aged tobacco, allowing it to slowly come up to temperature. A torch, well it scorches the tobacco like someone throwing a thin steak on the grill at Golden Corral...cooking to xtra well done. I just taste burnt, charred tobacco for those first few puffs.

I agree with the burnt taste of charred tobacco for the first few puffs using a torch. I only use torch lighther outside when a soft flame lighther is useless. Perhaps I have a good palate, I taste it immediately if someone has lighted their cigar with a original Zippo or a match. I would never use a gasolin lighter to my cigars, why ruin a 15 to 50 dollar Cuban cigar with gasolin taste?

Inside I would higly recommend St. Dupont Ligne 2, the most classic lighter I know. It will bring you lifetime performance, your son and grandson can use it after you are gone, the only problem with a St. Dupont is the possibility to loose it I love my St. Dupont Ligne 2!

[plexibass]

I'm gonna get flamed (no pun intended), but you guys have some really amazing palates if you can taste impurities from any butane. I'm not saying it's tasteless, but it's pretty close. If I closed my eyes, I wouldn't be able to tell if I were lighting my cigar with a Bic, a torch, or a match. Maybe I've just had too many cigars, neat bourbon, and spicy foods already (ruining my palate), but I think some people just get too caught up in what they read. Don't worry about what the latest magazine article tells you about lighting your cigar. Do what works best for you. Whether it's a match, zippo, soft flame, torch, or a cedar shim. Personally, I keep going for my Bics. I've got a bunch of torch lighters collecting dust. I guess I like to pull them out when I'm feeling fancy, but usually I prefer the soft flame of a Bic lighter. The gentle flame kisses the well-aged tobacco, allowing it to slowly come up to temperature. A torch, well it scorches the tobacco like someone throwing a thin steak on the grill at Golden Corral...cooking to xtra well done. I just taste burnt, charred tobacco for those first few puffs.

I 110% agree with this statement. Even though I use a colibri torch lighter, I can not tell a difference from anything I use to light it. Even in my pipes I cant tell. No ones pallet is that sensitive, I think.

[bradyarz]

I 110% agree with this statement. Even though I use a colibri torch lighter, I can not tell a difference from anything I use to light it. Even in my pipes I cant tell. No ones pallet is that sensitive, I think.

the one truly bad experience i have with a lighter imparting a taste is a zippo filled with ronsonol fluid. if you're in the same room as a lighter filled with ronsonol fuel, you'll smell it as soon as it's lit. the smell does not dissipate, and when you light a cigar or pipe, that's the first thing you taste. zippo fuel is not nearly as bad (for the wick lighter side of things) and the higher grade fuels for pressurized lighters isn't bad either.

[Heartkill]

I've been using a Xikar Ellipse for some time now. Reliable and durable.

[bones59]

Colibri lighters are what I use

I had one for a while. It went into the trash last week. I was able to fix it one time, but not a second. I didn't pay much for it. It was made in China, not France. OTOH I picked up a cheap twin torch in Los Vegas years ago, and it's still going strong. Go figure.