My Favorite Pipe Lighters & How To Use Them 

I just wanted to add a quick note about the Zippo lighters. I use my Zippo pipe lighters pretty much all the time, and I got some rubber seals from Amazon for the inserts that help reduce the rate of evaporation of the fluid. Now I get a longer life out of each fill-up. The little rubber seals replace the cotton pad at the bottom, and are totally worth the few dollars if you use a Zippo as your main lighter.

This was such a great video, and with perfect timing. I'm a (very) new piper (at age 46), and since getting into the hobby, I've gone down the lighter rabbit hole. I agree with you on the Zippo with the pipe insert... can't be beat outside. I've also found myself researching vintage lighters. There is some great stuff from decades ago. Thanks for your awesome content! Very glad to have found your channel.

Great job Kevin. Always giving so much to the community😊 be well

Great topic. Spiked a bunch of enthusiasm and opinions. Thank you.

Yet another great VR from Kevin. FYI read the back of that Rosonnol container and you will see it’s made by Zippo. Also the zippo seals sold to replace the original seal works great for me. I get twice the time before I have to refill the lighter. 🙏 you.

Such an informative, entertanining, and mild mannered gentleman. I wish I had more friends like you! Thanks for providing youtube excellent videos on this subject. Tons of cigar channels, very few pipe channels as knowledgeable as you are.

Hi, thanks for the content and the close-up of the lighters at the end. I enjoyed it. Have a good new year 😁

Thanks for the video. It's like talking with a old friend.

Great video! Thanks!

Great video Kevin. I always like having a few different lighters around. Zippo, Kiribi, matches, and Bics. 👍

The ping is what it’s all about. Great video once again.

Loved this video. I just bought a pipe zippo and waiting on delivery! Cheers!

Love the video. I use a zippo pipe lighter when outside. Indoors I use an im Corona old boy or a dissim lighter. Sometimes I'll use matches but not that often.

I am a big fan of zippo lighters a lot of it is nostalgia for me my dad was a cigarette smoker for most of my childhood and he carried a zippo so I have a lot of good memories with the sound of a zippo opening and closing. They also have a lot of good options for inserts between the standard the pipe and they even have blue flame cigar inserts now

I almost always use the Zippo for its reliability and simplicity. I love those St. Dupont Knockoffs though. I thought even a knockoff would be like 100 bucks so I never even looked. Thanks for another great video man.

Thanks Kevin....I use a Zippo (pipe insert) most of the time. But sometimes I'm in the mood for a good old wooden match... Great video brother... (stay well my friend)...👍

great vid ... Im very happy with my zippo pipe insert... I do have matches as well but havent try it yet... one of this days Ill give that a shot

Another gratifying and informative presentation my friend! Have been using a Zippo like you have, handed down from my father since 1980. I have been an avid pipe smoker for 45 years now, and always enjoy great pipe smoking content, Greg from the Shire of New Hampshire!

Thanks for showing us your lighters. I like those DuPont knock-offs. Very nice. I got a small collection of Zippos and Ronson butane‘s from my father when he passed away. You’ve inspired me to go through them right now and figure out what each one needs. Mostly flints and a little cleaning. I am enjoying it. I do often use just a regular BIC lighter. It really is the easiest and quickest. I’m also going to pick up a large box of big wooden matches that I will use when it is not windy outside. That really does seem to be the most reminiscent of an easier time. 👍🏼👌🏼

Great video!

Great video. Happy New Year.

Great video, thanks! Have you tried the dual soft flame St DuPont style lighter yet?

Thank you Kevin. I’ll see if I can find one of those on eBay.

Love my Peterson Irish Harp lighter

Kevin, wonderful and informative conversation in front of that inviting looking fire. Nice survey of the basics and the major options. The brief how-to-use demonstration for each type was sweet 👍 Zippo is the all around best lighter when you are outdoors. It's been field tested by millions since 1933. That great lighter 'sound' all began with the Zippo. It's definitely a solid choice. A method of lighting your pipe that was common before the advent of the lighter was a spill. Lighted from a fire or a candle, it was a mainstay in inns, pubs, and even homes. The practice has seen a modest resurgence among pipe and cigar smokers who use a cedar spill (and for the purist - a beeswax candle). Here's a side note for you. The Ronson brand, also known for lighters and lighter fluid, was bought by Zippo in 2010. I see that the cedar wax wings have company, a male cardinal. Be well, stay safe, and keep on the road of awesome - peace I'm with you about temperatures - teens and twenties are cold with or without snow and wind and best dealt with by staying inside. Our two Min Pins are of the same opinion 😉

Well I commented to pretty much everyone about my high wind woes... So I'll just leave this comment right here... I finally got a zippo,.. It arrived just today. Today. The first day all year without any wind. 🤣🤣🤣 I did not notice any fuel taste, probobly because of your helpful hint. Thanks. I'll have to wait (not long) for a windy day to see how well it works then. I'm sure it'll be just fine. Make it a great day.

Love my Zippo's but not crazy about the pipe lighter. I do use it but its not my go to. Lately its been a Kuboy K506 Constantine. Heavy kine brass with trapdoor fuel cap. I love it long time smoking Cornell & Diehl Autumn Evening through various MM cob pipes. Country Gentleman Bent is my favorite. Mahalo!

A nice intro to lighters. I have all the pipe lighters that were shown in addition to Pearl, Sarome, Xicar (all flint butane), the sadly discontinued IMCOs, and my personal favorite: Beattie Jet lighter. The Beattie can go through a lot of fluid and requires some attention to control the jet, but a fun piece of Americana.

Nice video. I typically use either a Zippo or a Xikar.

I'd recommend the "King" brand butane. It comes in a slightly bigger can than what you have there, but it comes with a bunch of little plastic adapters that punch out of the cap. Very useful for filling up finicky lighters of any size, and the plastic makes a good seal that causes less spillage. Its also fairly easy to find, many gas stations carry it.

The ST Duponts are beutiful. I currently go between zippo with butane pipe insert and the Kiribi kabuto which I love but got the short version. Wish I would have gotten the Kenshi or the standard size Kabuto

Nice video man. It's so funny I just bought a new lighter that I'm going to do a review for and I thought I'd review a bunch of lighters but then I saw this :-) well done

I am a big fan of the IM Corona Old Boy lighters. They are very reliable. If I could afford a Dupont lighter I would get one for sure ;)

Great video. I plan on picking up one of those Dupont knock offs at some point. I love my zippos when I'm outside. I do think it is worth it to buy the black label zippo fluid. It is virtually odorless and tasteless as compared to the Ronsonol. I have a dissim lighter that works okay as well. Cheers.

Hey Kevin, living in Northern Wisconsin I consider those temps you mentioned to be cold though we can get temps colder than that. We are going to be pretty cold here tomorrow. I have a few lighters I've purchased that I have no idea if it's even possible to change the flint in them. They've stopped producing a spark to ignite the flame. I know the Zippos you can. I like those lighters from France you have. They do make a nice ping sound. Good topic, stay warm.

Hello fellow Missourian. Thanks for the video north of KC

Another great video brother!! Love the ping!!! Long live the ping!

Kevin, your channel is growing by leaps and bounds. You just had a video shoutout from Lester @ Redcoat's Renaissance in his new review of McClelland's Deep Woods. Hobbiton Piper and Redcoat's Renaissance are my two favorite ytpc channels.

One of my Sons bought me a lighter , hasn't got a name brand on it , but works great, it has 3 tools that fold into the lighter , a tamper , a scraper & a spike , all work in a neat package , think it was about £20 , great little video thanks 😊 👍

Great video. As a late (55) arriver to cigars and pipes I was looking for a reliable soft flame butane lighter which had some style. The zippo butane insert is good but is too fierce for pipes and I was really fancying a ST Dupont but fell off my perch when I saw the price tag. After you mentioned the KO copies I have just gone on e-bay and ordered a rose-gold one for about £45. Really looking forward to hearing the ping…I can imagine it will create a sort of Pavlovian response ! Thanks for the tip.

I know this video is 2 years old, and maybe it is mentioned below, but Zippo also makes a butane version of their pipe insert; not as wind resistant as the traditional inserts, but it works well enough, and you won’t get the taste/smell of the fluid fuel (if that bothers you). Cheers!

If you want a Dupont, Kirby Allison puts out good content and recently started carrying the line 2. Thanks for all your good content. Capstan blue is on the deck for a future purchase.

What’s even better about your knockoff ST Duponts is I thought they were authentic from the look and sound and I’m familiar with them. Can’t beat that.

couple tricks ive picked up over the years... try holding the bic completely upside down, i use my forefinger on oneside and thumb on the button and the flame goes straight down and can easily light the bottom third of the bowl without charring the rim. and with zippos you can store a flint or two under the cotton flap inside. happy smokin!

My personal favorite are matches, as dumb may sound it feels more comfortable without much wind of course lol

After playing with many type of lighters I just ordered two DuPont knockoff , but my fall back is a Bic short candle lighter or the pipe Zippo. Thank Merry Christmas to you & your family

Hello sir, my compliments on your channel, I very much enjoy the videos that you post. I wanted to enquire as to your opinion regarding Peterson Old Boy style lighters. I have been pondering purchasing one and was wondering if they are reliable and worth the $100 plus price as listed on many websites. Do you have any opinions or recommendations concerning these? Thank you and keep up the great content.👍🏻

I use a bic with the short extension. Keeps my fingers being burnt. Also when filling a zippo invert the insert and pop it in the case. Then fill. Less fiddly.

Correction: Thanks to a wise viewer, I’ve since learned that it is best to NOT shake your butane fuel can. Shaking the can is unnecessary and could actually cause problems. I now use Colibri Premium Butane. It has better oil content to prevent clogged jets so that lighters can last longer. It’s great!

I do love to use matches but whenever I’m smoking I can’t light to save my butt because it seems like it’s windier than Kansas. One minute there’s no wind but when I go to light up it’s windy like there’s a tornado. I love zippos and I should definitely get a zippo with a pipe insert but my other preference is a Bic lighter. They’re cheap and plentiful.

Always keep a spare flint under your felt pad. The rubber seals another user mentioned even has a spot for this under the fill flap. You can use the wall of the lighter case itself to loosen and tighten the flint spring screw head. I never leave home without at least one spare. The flint will never ever run out at home where you have spare flints stored. Some kind of rule of the universe.

I ordered a knock-off as well. I can't help it, I love the look, hoping it's defect-free, but that's what you get for spending $50 versus $800. lol I had a bid on a Dunhill Rollagas but didn't win. That is my favorite, Ali Express has a Dunhill look alike, but it goes for $170 and is very expensive on the website. I can't find any info or review of it. I wish we could still get ImCorna Dunhill knock-off. They are amazing lighters, however, I guess they are too expensive to make today. Let me know if you have any info on the China knock-off Dunhill. Cheers!

I've used just about every type of pipe lighter, match, cedar etc but will not use a torch. I think bic is my go to just because I have so many but Zippos are great when there is wind - I do taste it though...

Great Video, Kevin! I was unaware of the KO Dupont lighters. I was looking at originals for a while but could not get over the price tag of a genuine one. I still light mine with a Zippo, and probably always will when I am outdoors, but I am looking into a butane soft flame solution for indoors (I smoke in my study). The Kiribi Mikazuki or Kabuto are the ones that have caught my eye recently though. I just can't bring myself to spend more than $80 for a lighter, no matter how good it is, when I can pick up a zippo for $25, or a Bic for $3.

Cool video ❗💯🔥👍

There are Bic lighters that are made for lighting recessed candles (in glass, often scented) that have an extended snout so you can reach a shortened wick without burning your fingers. These work perfectly on a pipe - none of the burnt fingers with a conventional BIC, and better directional flame control.

I’ll have to watch this later when I get a chance, but I use a straight-up Bic lighter.

I personally prefer Zippo's for lighting my pipes. I ordered some Cotton Bacon 2 and the rubber seals so I get a couple of weeks out of my Zippo fill ups

I use strike anywhere matches personally. I tried several different lighters, and always go back to them.

You’ll have to take out a mortgage for a DuPont lighter, lol. Great video! Thanks!😊✌️

Would love too find the DuPont knockoff you have. The only ones I found say they don’t come with adapters.

Might just buy a Zippo slim insert and try and DIY a pipe insert. after so many years of using Slim, the standard sizes feel like handheld campfires to me. I cant recommend the slim enough for regular zippo users, especially ones with smaller hands, it is a much more manageable size. and in my experience they usually have tighter tolerances than the standards, and consume noticeably less fuel, even without an aftermarket rubber seal.

The butane insert on the zippo can’t be beat. I use zippo most of the time and the second is a IM Corona Old Boy, also a excellent lighter.

I also have a DuPont knockoff. The way to refuel is to first insert the adapter into the butane bottle forcibly, making sure it is snug and tight, then insert it straight in and not at an angle

Enjoyed this video. Next time you fill your zippo open the top and insert it into the groove in the top of the fluid. You'll see that it fits perfect and opens the fluid easily. Enjoy your pipes.

I'll use a Zippo but I'll use butane inserts soft flame pipe or standard

Consider the Clipper brand lighter as a better alternative to the bic. They are just as inexpensive, are generally refillable, and also provide a soft flame while being more wind-resistant. As an added benefit, when you have the lighter activated your thumb rests a bit further and below the flame, making it easier to avoid burning yourself. The circular base also makes a handy tamper if you haven't got another one nearby- just make sure you keep the refill valve clean if you plan on refilling the lighter. I've got nice briars and meerschaums, but I still find it hard to beat a cob, a clipper, and a spent .308 shell for a great smoke. Every time I'm tempted to get a Dunhill lighter (and it is frequently), I think about how much really fine tobacco I could buy instead. A humble clipper and a good cob seem a lot more valuable to me in that light. I'm still enamored and tempted by vintage Dunhill lighters, though. Edit: When you buy butane buy a can that has the plastic adapter assortment molded on the cap and figure out if one of those works, or works in conjunction with the provided adapter. Don't shake the can before you use it, the process happens with the can inverted because you are attempting to transfer a gas that is pressurized into a liquid phase as a liquid without it flashing to its gasseous form. It's going to inevitably vent a bit. It's best when your lighter is as cold as possible before refilling; the warmer your lighter is the higher the gas pressure is in its tank and it will consequently accept less butane as liquid.

Have you tried the Nimrod knock offs on eBay? Are they worth the money?

Are you striking that with your right or left hand?

Where can we find the replica s.t. dupont lighters like you got?

Carefully try filling the propane lighter without the adaptor, it's tricky but all you have to do is line up your butane can's straw ting with your lighters straw thing, it's tactical feeling around but when you connect it shud fill without any vapour escaping

i can't find the replica dupont lighters :(, do you have a link to the ebay seller that you bought it form?

No favorite way to light my pipe. It’s a how do I feel kind of thing. Fun to have options.

“Did I just put that in backwards”, every time I put a Zippo back together. 😆😆

Fell down a bit of a rabbit hole figuring out how hobbits lit their pipes - do they have matches? I found this fun passage from The Hobbit "After some time he felt for his pipe. It was not broken, and that was something. Then he felt for his pouch, and there was some tobacco in it, and that was something more. Then he felt for matches and he could not find any at all, and that shattered his hopes completely. Just as well for him, as he agreed when he came to his senses. Goodness knows what the striking of matches and the smell of tobacco would have brought on him out of dark holes in that horrible place. Still at the moment he felt very crushed. "

For those recommending to store additional flints in their Zippos: there's actually a small dedicated hole just for that! That tougher fiberglass flap should have a small hole. However, I've had them disintegrate when exposed to fuel, so beware. Overfueling is a common issue with Zippos, and why they "leak" or cause excess taste. They used to sell a little jigger that had the perfect amount, and it was somewhere akin to 3/4 of a tablespoon (Shoot for about 1oz~). It's far less than you think. If you're fueling and begin to see it pool, you're gonna have a leaky lighter for a while. I used to collect Zippos, still have a select few and have had many, many miles with them. I should get the pipe insert, as trying to use one as is for pipes was simply embarrassing and didn't quite work.

Do you remember what seller you bought these from?

Kevin, great video.. I usually use a Zippo lighter to light my pipes but recently I have been using a new light called dissim. I suggest you try one out they are outstanding lighters and you can also use them upside down

The reason I became interested in pipes coming from cigars is the difference in price.

"If there's snow, it was too cold 40° ago." -A Louisiana Man.

That torch lighter at the start looks like a prop used from a Star Trek The Next Generation that they called a "laser torch."

I've had a lotus pipe lighter for 8 years or so. I'll be sad when it dies. Shame they were discontinued

Have you ever seen one of the Parker compact lighters? Absolutely not good for pipes. They were very cool art deco pieces that looked like a woman’s makeup compact. It opens with a cool snap and lights automatically. Worth a google. Could definitely imagine fancy socialite ladies using them in the 30s. You seem like someone who might think that kind of historical piece was cool.

I use a Bic with the extension.

If you're headed toward a Bic, go with the EZ reach. No more smoldering thumb.

Zippo owns Rosinault now . Use a corner of a ziplock freezer bag cut itbafter filling it use the bag to make it last another few days longer !!!

The real Dupont lighters are filled from a small single use bottle called Dupongaz. The instruction manual recommends that you cool the lighter in the fridge and warm the bottle in your hand for a few minutes before filling. That's probably a good idea for the knockoffs as well.

A Bic lighter works well but I like to look at pipe smoking as an art form and a good artist should use the best tools that add to the grace of the artist which is why I prefer a Zippo. Especially when you can flick and light in one single action

Yeah some of ST Dupont's lighters are like $1800 which seems....I dunno what the word is. Opulent?

👍😁

Do you remember the eBay store you got those knock offs from?

Just to update that nowadays St Dupont's lighters costs THOUSANDS of dollars (as do the Dunhill's)... and as much as it's well made, precision, etc..etc... I can't but feel that a big chunk of that money is for the luxury brand only, so knock-offs or an IM Corona (hundred$) should be as good as...

Get a new port gas bottle with the adapters built in to the cap and you can just use that

Have you tried hemp was lighters?

I think the IM corona old boy is the best pipe lighter in the world.

Im concerned by how much that silver st fauxpont looks and sounds like my 900 dollar lighter 😂

Your knockoff Dupont sounds nearly identical. I have a Ligne 2 'Perfect Cling' Dupont and it sounds similar except you saved $1,260, lol. Thanks for the video.

When you gonna make a video in two thousand twenty four

Ronson fuel was bought by zippo

S.T. Dupont lighters are absolutely beautiful.