Hi all, I’ve been a casual pipe smoker for four years, but have become more of a regular partaker of the Briar in the last six months. I’ve always used good old fashioned matches or Bic style lighters to light my pipes, but when my good lady wife asked me what I’d like for my upcoming birthday, it got me thinking…I think the time is right for me to take the step up to having a proper, dedicated pipe lighter to bring the fire to the Briar. The question is, what should I be looking at? I really like the Zippo pipe lighters and would be more than happy with one of those, but I know there’s others out there…do any of you fine folks have a favourite pipe lighter or one you’d recommend? Budget is up to £35/ $50. Any input would be very gratefully received.

In that budget range, the Zippo pipe lighter will be your best bet.  To dress it up, buy the cheapest pipe ligher Zippo makes (either the satin chrome, or street chrome varieties), and then buy a nice Zippo and replace the insert with the pipe insert.  Viola, your custom Zippo pipe lighter.  Even buying two Zippo’s should be less than $50.  The Zippo is a great pipe lighter because the lower temperature flame won’t burn your pipe.  Just make sure you let it burn for a couple of seconds before you use it to avoid tainting quality tobacco with the taste of lighter fluid.

Other than the Zippo pipe lighter, Corona Old Boy’s are the best pipe lighters on the market.  But they cost about twice as much as making a custom Zippo pipe lighter.

Xicar makes a line of lighters which are virrually clones of the Corona Old Boy, in roughly your price range. I won one in a raffle about a year ago and it’s still goin strong, also they have a lifetime warranty. I reccommend at least considering that line. Also I’m told that if you buy any new Zippo, you can just mail the insert/guts to them with a request, and they’ll send you the pipe lighter guts as a free replacement. Hope that helps!

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/lighters/moreinfo.cfm?product\\_id=75155 These lighters are fairly cheap (for an old boy type lighter) have a pipe nail built in and work great. I use mine heavily and it still works just fine.

Zippo is the way to go. Buy two of them for that price!!

The deal though in my advisement, is that some people do taste the fluid when using a wick (ie:zippo etc.)lighter. I would reccommend to see if you can borrow a pals wick lighter for at least a couple of lights to see if it agrees with you or not.

the tradingshack.co.uk has zippo pipe inserts for £4.95 there on the accessories page hope this helps got one my self it come to about £7.95 with shiping.

-Rant Warning-I Love Zippos. I have seven(or ten). The thing i like is there uniqueness. Pretty much anything you want on one is possible, i have one w/an ouija board on it and always get comments. What i’am really hooked on is the sound. There is nothing more satisfying, or cooler(yes cooler) than the sound of one opening and striking; there is an antiquated feeling to that. Also, if this is to be a gift, many sites will engrave anything onto them. It is something that will last forever and it can be a moment in time, kept in your pocket.-End Rant-

Yes, definitely go for the Zippo pipe lighter. I have four of them…

Personally I can’t stand Zippos, I can taste the lighter fluid no matter how long I let it burn and I HATE the smell/taste of Zippo fuel. Butane is the way to go it burns cleaner and leaves no taste whatsoever, when I light my pipe with a butane lighter my bowl doesn’t taste like I squirted a can of lighter fluid into it.

Classic case of YMMV when it comes to Zippos. Occasionally when I overfill I can detect a lighter fluid odor for a while, but most of the time nothing. Plus the flame is wider which i find is helpful in lighting some of my larger bowled pipes.

I used an older model Colibri similar to the one here.  It uses butane and therefore no taste, and its cheap.  It’s been so long since I have used it (Haven’t smoked a pipe in a while) but I checked it out today and it still works.

Actually the newer Zippo brand fluid has almost no smell to it, or taste. But I happen to love the smell of lighter fluid, so I fill my Zippo (has the Death tarot card on it) with Ronsonal (spelling?) brand fluid which has a very strong scent. So if you already use Zippos, try their brand of fluid. If you like that, go ahead and get the pipe insert.

nice do they have all the tarot trumps as options?

@Harlequin That may get me back into Zippos again.  The only thing I ever disliked about them was the diesel fuel taste when you would first light a smoke with them.  I’ll have to try their fluid in the one i bought 20 years ago.

@bob I’ve only seen Death and The Lovers, but they may have the entire Major Arcana, I’ve just not looked. And those two don’t match any deck I’ve seen or used, so I think they use original artwork, which is beautiful none-the-less. @Dogwalla Definitely give it a shot. It’s not like you are out anymore than a few bucks for a can of fluid.

The very best lighter for pipes are wooden matches!!!

I have two Zippo pipe lighters, one original and one fitted with the Thunderbird butane insert. The latter is OK indoors but the original comes in handy when smoking outdoors.  I do not taste the lighter fuel at all.

I’ve also got a Peterson lighter which is a copy of the Old Boy. This one I only use when I want to show off because the initial P on the lighter also happens to be MY initial.  So I tell the guys at the pipe club this lighter was made especially for me!!!  Most of them believe it as well!!!

But still, NOTHING beats a wooden match for lighting a pipe.

I’ve got a silvermatch ligther , sadly i can’t find it online anywhere but there’s a few other models you might like here
http://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?pageNum\\_rsProdscat=0&mod=category&man=254&cat=68&totalRows\\_rsProdscat=7

Edit: mine was similar to the one n9inchnails posted , only it was a chrome striped finish. Really nice lighter and the built in nail thing was useful.

This comment is only intended as a constructive critisism about Colibri, and a word to the wise. I’ve had about 7 Colibri lighters over the years and while the design value is good, they only work for a certain length of time, usually several months to a year for the torch lighters, and one to two years for the soft flame ones. They have no or virtually no warranty, and I’ve heard that they have gone, or soon will be, out of business. The Corona Old Boy pipe lighters seem to be the longest lasting, most consistently functional, lighters which have been on the market for a while- this is according to many long time pipe smokers that I know. Again, I really like the Xicar Old Boy clones, mine works great after more than a year, you’ll be paying probably less than half the price of an old boy, they feel virtually identical in the hand, and you get a lifetime warranty. What’s not to like? But if you like the Zippos, I can’t blame you, I’ve got a handfull of them too, but I don’t use them very often.

Liking my Xikar pipe line.Had to adjust the striker screw and I lubed it with dry slide works like a champ indoors.Out doors I prefer my Zippo pipe lighter and the trusty Bic while driving.Those twelve inch fire place wooden matches may work for my flake backy LOL 

Yeah, trudat! The only thing I have to be conserned with is that the screwcap which holds the spring and flint in will sometimes partially loosen. This maybe is happening more as I keep the lighter loose in my pocket. But I really like it so far!

And don’t set your car on fire with them matches!

@Micheltn, agree 100000%

come on now wooden matches are for cigars not pipes

and I sometimes have the same problem with flint holder coming loose in my old boy type lighter, but it only takes a minute to open it and tighten it back up.

I have a zippo and the vertigo. Both are fine lighters I feel I have more control over the vertigo but it heats a pipe uP quick.

The little I smoke a pipe, I would have to say matches…that’s what they use at the pipe smoking competition if I remember right. Three matches and a tamper…last man smoldering wins!

I did know an old man who smoked a pipe and had a lighter that resembled a fire hydrant, when pulled apart, the flame came out the center. Down draft in the bowl…I liked that one!

@Bart  My grandfather used one of those!  Perfect light for him every time.

That would be a Nimrod, nice lighter but very small fuel capacity, gotta fill it every day.

If you know where to look you can find a vintage Nimrod for sale pretty cheap, I got one for $5 I think. Also someone else started to make a copy of the Nimrod but with a compass on one end. They do work very nicely for a wick lighter. If anyone wants to buy one my friend probably still has a few, let me know and I’ll ask him.

I have 2 Nimrods, cool design but not the greatest, I have had the best performance from my Zippo pipe lighter.

Nimrod also made a zippo-style (flip top) pipe lighter, which I can vouch for also if you can find one.

matches are the best. Especialy cedar matches. Nice wood matches are great for a pipe. That’s my suggestion. Never had a lighter that was as good as matches.

Thanks so much for the information, advice and opinion gentlemen, I really appreciate it. I use matches a lot around the house, but they’re a bit impractical when out and about. I think I’ll start with a Zippo and work outwards from there if I find I want to try something else. I’ll let you know how I get on!

Just as closure to this topic, my Wife has given me a beautiful brushed chrome Zippo pipe lighter as an early Birthday present…it’s great! I really like the way it works, looks and sounds (that classic Zippo “clink” upon opening!). I’ve been using it this morning, no discernable naphtha tainting or problems, lights first time and really gets my Bulldogs blazing. I’ve just smoked a large bowl of Rum Flake and only had to perform two relights, as opposed to the usual five or six. Whether this is due to the efficacy of the lighter or just my improved smoking technique, I don’t know…it’s good though!

Glad to hear that the Zippo is working out. I have three and they are indispensible to me!!

It’s great, I can understand why you have three! Such a simple concept and brilliantly executed. The lifetime guarantee is pretty special, too.

If I had 35 quid to blow, I’d go for a new pipe!! Can’t have too many pipes, and with a good hunt around you’ll have no problems getting a decent pipe for 35 notes. In the meantime, yeah, matches for me, the good old ‘Cook’s Matches’. Long, and a great big box for 89p. Can’t be bad!!

@henwrench, I would normally spend it on a pipe but I’ve got 14 or so pipes, mostly estates that I’ve restored, and my good lady wife wanted to get me something special and different for my birthday. I’m thrilled with the Zippo, works a treat!

I think, to only light a Zippo once, makes you a convert. Just be sure to stop filling the instant the bottom pile becomes saturated. I have light my hands aflame at least twice.

I like to carry my grandad’s vintage Zippo as well as the others I own but I prefer to use the butane pipe lighter insert rather than the standard lighter fluid insert.