Best Butane Lighter

hogx1

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I am looking for the best refillable butane lighter. I am a zippo man but need a butane lighter. I want a lighter that will last forever, and will be afraid to lose it. I have tried several of the ones they sell at smoke shops and they all stop working properly after a while and or heavy use. I need a tank of a lighter, and I am sure I'm not the only one on here. Hopefully someone knows their lighters.
 

Flying Turtle

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I've also tried many kinds and they always end up leaking after a few months. I think the one that lasted the longest was made by Imco (Austrian company). It was refillable, had a clear window around the fill port on the bottom, and used regular flints. Seems like it was model G77 or something similar. The body was plastic with an etched outline of a pipe on it. It also was pretty cheap (less than $10). Been meaning to look for another, but those 3/$1 disposables are so easy.

Geoff
 

B@rt

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Sarome SJ series.
Milled from a solid block of alu (no separate gastank :wow: ), flint ignition. :rock:
sj4029yx.jpg
 

bruner

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Strange, but my experience has shown that butane lighters (which use rubber gaskets to retain fluid), always fail over time.

I think your best bet is to look for a flint ligther that uses regular lighter fluid.

My best performers are antique lighters. If you click on the "lighter" link in my sig, my colibri lighters (German made, third and fourth from the bottom right corner) retain fluid longer and are more reliable than all the rest. I dislike zippos the most. They are terrible at retaining fluid... Ebay is a good source for such toys...

Dan
 
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bexteck

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I've got both a Vector KGM butane lighter ($85) and an EMS butane lighter ($45) I recieved as a gift. They are both very good lighters, but I like the EMS better because the platnium wire heats up much faster in it than the Vector, which takes a second or two and may not actually heat up at all if the butane flow is adjusted too high, making the EMS much better if you are expecting to be in a windy situation. Of the two, I carry the EMS every day, and the Vector when I am dressed up and need a lighter that looks classier.
 

JimH

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A second vote for the Vector. I own a Vector Gear. It has never failed to light on the first strike in high winds or at 8500 ft altitude.
 

markk

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Check out the Atoll Robusto Rugato at famous-smoke.com. Very sturdy. I have a couple and they're currently my favorites - and they're affordable. One of them has been in my car for about 5-6 years. Still works great. Large brass tank is a bonus.

The Old Boy is a similar design. Not sure where to get one but google should turn up a few.

If you have money to spend, the ST Dupont Ligne 2 is great. I've had one since 1984 and it still looks/works like new. The palladium is a great and durable finish. The silver, gold, or Chinese Laquer ones will show more wear if no case is used.

There are a few other great ones out there but I don't have any direct experience with them. But, if longevity is important to you, go with flint/flame lighters rather than torch types. Even the best torches like the original Blazer and the ST DuPont Xtend will plug up if you use them frequently.
 
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hogx1

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Thanks all for the replies.

I have been looking at the vector, can you guys that own them tell me how long you have owned them, and if they have ever failed yet?

Thanks.
 

B@rt

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After owning a number of turbo/jet flame lighters I went back to the normal flame ones. the turbo/jet ones are very picky about the butane they use, and even than they tend to clog up after a while. Electronics (the piezo element) are also much more prone to failure as an old-fashioned flint ignition. :thinking:

I'm an avid smoker and I'm using my lighters a lot :crazy: , so my usage is probably heavier than average. (Self rolled cigs won't keep burning if unattended, so almost every cig is lit a couple of times...)
 

eart

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What about the PB207? It comes up in pretty much every thread about lighters. I got a cheap canadian tire knockoff but it's still feel pretty solid.
 

hogx1

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eart said:
What about the PB207? It comes up in pretty much every thread about lighters. I got a cheap canadian tire knockoff but it's still feel pretty solid.


Something we all have to learn on CPF is that posting just a model number is not helpful. Not everyone knows what we are talking about. Please provide the manufacture and a link if possible.
 

eart

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hogx1 said:
Something we all have to learn on CPF is that posting just a model number is not helpful. Not everyone knows what we are talking about. Please provide the manufacture and a link if possible.

I hope you don't take it the wrong way, but the very first link on google leads to the right hit: http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/BLZ-PB207.html

Actually just 5 minutes ago, my coworker used the canadian tire knockoff i mentioned earlier as a make shift soldering iron. Heat up a paperclip till it's red hot and resolder a bunch of contacts on a wireless usb nic. Nifty. This is the one I got http://www.solder-it.com/at2056.asp
 

markk

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I have several PB207s. They seem to last the longest of the torches and they're rebuildable. Still, they plug up after a while. I've rebuilt them following instructions from the Cigar Weekly forums and they seem to work (usually for a shorter time than a new one).

I do like torches, though, so I've taken to buying the $7.00 Blazer knock offs and refilling them a several times before tossing them.

Oh, yeah, it's important to use good fuel - triple or quadruple filtered. Prometheus seems good. Ronson is guaranteed to plug up a torch faster than anything.
 

Stormdrane

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I use a Z-Plus torch lighter that fits into the zippo body. Works great, no problems, and inexpensive. You should be able to find one for under $15, just do a Google search, I got mine off eBay. I use mine for burning the ends on paracord lanyards/fobs. I've used a couple of different brands of butane and it worked fine with both(Zippo and Ronson).
 

Yooper

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I bought a Colibri to take with me on a ski trip. It wouldn't work at my condo at the base of Steamboat Springs, about 6500' I think. I'm disappointed.

Is there a good online vendor for the Vector Gear?
 

hogx1

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The only Colibri that I have owned that is almost decent is a table top one. I would not recommend the company. Very over priced, and low quality.

I think I am going to try a vector gear and also have heard good things about the old ronson veraflame. Going to see if I can get one from ebay.
 

B@rt

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The Ronson Variflame is a very good lighter, (I have 2 ;) ) but IMHO the Sarome is much sturdier. ;)

You can't go wrong with either of them though, they are both as basic as can be, so not much that can go wrong. :)
 
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