subject: Using Zippos To Light A Cigar [print this page] Among aficionados, lighting cigars with Zippo lighters has always been somewhat controversial. This stems from the fact that the fuel used by these lighters has a very chemical taste and smell to it. Even cigarette smokers who use Zippos usually don't inhale the first one or two puffs of their cigarettes. This taste can foul the flavor of a fine cigar and, for that reason, many smokers eschew fluid-filled lighters in preference of other methods.
Zippos use liquid lighter fuel to produce a flame. This lighter fuel is an oily substance which has a distinctive taste and odor. Cigarette smokers who use these lighters soon learn to not inhale the first puff off of their cigarettes when they light it with a Zippo. This is because the taste of the lighter fluid washes through the tobacco and becomes very apparent every time one takes a puff off of their stogie. Most cigar smokers avoid these lighters for that reason.
Cigar lighters oftentimes come equipped with cutters built into the lighter itself. This eliminates the need to carry around a clipper separately. These lighters produce a reliable flame and get a great many lights off of a single reservoir of fuel. For that reason, they are generally the most popular method of lighting up among those who love a fine cigar.
Butane lighters are available in configurations that have multiple jets of flame. This provides a very wide lighting area which is of obvious benefit to those who prefer a wide gauge cigar. It also makes the process of toasting the cigar easier as more of the stogie is held over the heat at once. These lighters, for the most part, are every bit as windproof as is a lighter which is filled with lighter fluid. They vastly surpass the other gourmet method of lighting a cigar, cedar strips and matches, in terms of convenience and practicality, as well.
Butane lighters have achieved the level of quality associated with their liquid-filled brethren. Properly cared for, the high-end lighters can be expected to last many years. Some of the lighters are easily heirloom-quality items. While liquid-filled lighters will always have their charm, the fact remains that a fine cigar deserves a clean flame from which to be lit. This can really only be provided by a butane lighter made for the purpose.
