All I Need Is a Decent Flame

This past Saturday, my trusty Ripple Triple that I got free from Cigars International stopped working. The igniter stopped firing. So, I decided to find a new one and did some searches online and read reviews and feedback in forums and I came to a simple conclusion: It’s just a fuckin’ lighter so all I really needed was a decent flame.

If the lighter came with some extra stuff like a built-in punch, that’s just icing on the cake. But at least for me, the most important thing was that the flame was consistent to allow me to be precise when sparking up a cigar. Nothing irks me more when lighting a cigar when the flame flickers or if it’s a multi-nozzle, one of the nozzles doesn’t work very well and throws off the shape of the flame. That started happening to my Ripple Triple a couple of weeks ago, so I knew I was close to having to purchase a new one.

But before I decided on one, I established some criteria for the new lighter in order of importance:

• It had to have a window that was large enough so I could tell exactly how much butane was in the tank.
• I didn’t want to spend more than $20 on it.
• It would be great if it was made for smoking cigars.

The first two items pretty much eliminated all the high-end lighters I’ve seen people talk about in the forums: especially the first criterium. Expensive or not, most lighters on the market don’t allow you to see how much fuel you have. And if they do have a way, it’s usually a window or sliver that is so thin I think why bother? Maybe it’s the precise engineer in me, but I hate guessing, especially with something that should be easily quantifiable.

As for cost, I just can’t justify spending a hundred bucks or more on a lighter. I know… I’ve seen the rebuttal that companies like Xicar have lifetime warranties. Or for those who push the super-lux lighters saying that it’s not a lighter, it’s a statement. Hey, whatever floats your boat. For me, I just want something that will light my fuckin’ cigar and do it well. As for Xicar, I would buy one of their cutters since you can send them back for sharpening.

I bought the one shown in the picture above. In fact, it came as a 2-fer for $14.99. I filled up the first one as soon as I got it yesterday and guess what? It lit my fuckin’ cigar! And though it came with a built-in punch which is a real plus for when I’m out and about, and the lid doubles as a holder, what got me to buy it is that the tank is transparent! I can see exactly how much fuel I have left! But just as important, I can see if the tank is filling, which is something I’ve never been able to do with all my previous lighters.