What's new

Good butane pipe lighter

Ok, I have three pipe lighters. A zippo, and two click style butane soft flame lighters.

I like my Zippo, it's easy to use, reliable, and built like a tank. But it seems like I am constantly refilling the thing.

My butane lighters are a love/hate relationship. They produce a soft flame and are easy to use, but I have not found a reliable way to refill the darn things. I've tried purging the air by pushing down the nipple, I've held the butane can and lighter upside down, I've held them straight up, I've shook them while trying to refill, and they either don't light after trying to refill or they are only good for a few lights.

Is there a moderately priced butane lighter that is reliable and easy to use/fill or should I stick to the Zippo?
 
I can't seem to find one either, that gets great reviews and costs under $100. It seems moderately priced ($25-50) soft flame butane pipe lighters often become "disposable" after a year of use.

I'm anxious to see the responses of other members, but I've settled on a few Clippers and Zippos for now, though I may break down and buy an IM Corona Old Boy. Maybe a birthday or Christmas gift to myself.
 
I have and have used Kiribi, Peterson, and IM Corona butane lighters. Had trouble with the Kiribi and an IM Corona Pipe Master. No longer have them. The Peterson and the Old Boy have worked well for many years.

Having said that I most often turn to my Zippo pipe lighter. Easier to fill than the butane lighters. Works in any weather, any conditions.
 
I have a butane insert for my zippo, it worked well for a year and now is finicky. If you can find the old Imco lighters, they were around $20 and are still bomber 15 years later. Nothing beats my Old Boy though. Cheap gas, zero maintenance for the 3 years I have owned and it’s flawless for me.
I would buy a Bic over any pretty $50 lighter but if I lost my Old Boy, I would drop the $100 tomorrow. It’s that perfect.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
Here's the chart I mentioned

Ven.jpg
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
Ok, I have three pipe lighters. A zippo, and two click style butane soft flame lighters.

I like my Zippo, it's easy to use, reliable, and built like a tank. But it seems like I am constantly refilling the thing.

My butane lighters are a love/hate relationship. They produce a soft flame and are easy to use, but I have not found a reliable way to refill the darn things. I've tried purging the air by pushing down the nipple, I've held the butane can and lighter upside down, I've held them straight up, I've shook them while trying to refill, and they either don't light after trying to refill or they are only good for a few lights.

Is there a moderately priced butane lighter that is reliable and easy to use/fill or should I stick to the Zippo?
Depends on your definition of moderate. And how that relates to dependable. An $800 Dunhill is dependable, but not all that moderate. OTOH, a Corona Old Boy is just as dependable and durable as a Dunhill, and a bit more moderate at $140-200.

But for a moderate-priced and truly dependable pipe butane, I like the Corona Pipemaster. A lot. About $100. Mine has yet to fail after many, many years use, and it works every time, the first time. The most perfectly designed pipe lighter there is, IMO. And I own and use an Old Boy, too. It fits very easily in your front pocket on the go if need be. And it's a maintenance-free piezo. I will reiterate: it ignites every time, the first time, without fail.

There are a couple Kiribis that are a little cheaper than the Pipemaster, in the $70-80 range. But having handled them, I would spend the extra $20 for the Pipemaster. It's a lifetime lighter if you don't abuse it.

If you don't mind replacing it every year or so, there are some decent under $50 butanes, too. But you may have to go though a couple clunkers to get a good one. I had a cheap $10 beater Ronson for outside that worked for a year or so, and just replaced it with a $25 Lotus Condor that seems to work fine (after returning the first one which was bad). If I get 2-3 years out of it, I'm happy. And if it gets lost or stolen, I wouldn't care too much. I wouldn't go near a Colibri anymore for what they go for.

The secret to a good butane lighter is good, high purity, butane. There are 100 opinions on that one, too. So far, I have no regrets with Newport Near Zero and Xikar HP.
 
Depends on your definition of moderate. And how that relates to dependable. An $800 Dunhill is dependable, but not all that moderate. OTOH, a Corona Old Boy is just as dependable and durable as a Dunhill, and a bit more moderate at $140-200.

But for a moderate-priced and truly dependable pipe butane, I like the Corona Pipemaster. A lot. About $100. Mine has yet to fail after many, many years use, and it works every time, the first time. The most perfectly designed pipe lighter there is, IMO. And I own and use an Old Boy, too. It fits very easily in your front pocket on the go if need be. And it's a maintenance-free piezo. I will reiterate: it ignites every time, the first time, without fail.

There are a couple Kiribis that are a little cheaper than the Pipemaster, in the $70-80 range. But having handled them, I would spend the extra $20 for the Pipemaster. It's a lifetime lighter if you don't abuse it.

If you don't mind replacing it every year or so, there are some decent under $50 butanes, too. But you may have to go though a couple clunkers to get a good one. I had a cheap $10 beater Ronson for outside that worked for a year or so, and just replaced it with a $25 Lotus Condor that seems to work fine (after returning the first one which was bad). If I get 2-3 years out of it, I'm happy. And if it gets lost or stolen, I wouldn't care too much. I wouldn't go near a Colibri anymore for what they go for.

The secret to a good butane lighter is good, high purity, butane. There are 100 opinions on that one, too. So far, I have no regrets with Newport Near Zero and Xikar HP.
How is the fuel capacity between OB and pipemaster?
 
I’m glad this question was raised. I’m looking to upgrade from my bic stick lighter.

My minimal experience with a Zippo required frequent refilling. Wanting something low maintenance and reliable. I’d rather spend more coins on one quality lighter than coins on a pile of disposable lighters.
 

Columbo

Mr. Codgers Neighborhood
How is the fuel capacity between OB and pipemaster?
The capacity on an Old Boy is somewhat enormous. Being a physically smaller lighter, the Pipemaster‘s capacity is a bit less, but quite ample imo. I have no complaints about capacity. There are published specs somewhere, but I forget the exact numbers.

And the few extra seconds a month you spend refilling a Pipemaster an Old Boy steals back, and more, at flint refill time. So maintenance and fueling is a wash in my book.

I don’t care to carry an Old Boy on the go. Too much lighter and too much going on with it for busy pocket duty. It’s a fabulous chair side lighter for me, and the gestalt of using one there is ideal.

The Pipemaster is about the size of a Bic disposable, perhaps a little taller and thinner. So it goes anywhere, and is basically an effortless point and shoot affair.
 
While I have almost ran 2 random cans recently of cheapo butane through the old boy without issue, this has been flowing for probably 4 years. A 6 pack lasts a long time and no issues. I wonder if it really matters for a good lighter? We always hear it doe$. 99AD2904-3E2D-498E-9597-B787232E44C9.jpeg
 

Kentos

B&B's Dr. Doolittle.
Staff member
My imCorona has been reliable going on 10 years. I dropped it, broke it, and had it refurbished for 35.00.

I also have a Kiribi and it is reliable, though maybe a bit less refined in use.

As far as which butane, it does seem to matter, and using the Xikar branded gas has proved reliable so far.

On the butane: apparently the butane in gas form is the propellant driving the liquid butane into your lighter. Shaking the can before filling might introduce gaseous butane into the liquid butane and reduce the amount you can fill your lighter with.
 
Top Bottom