Cheap Pipe Lighters: A Comparative Review

[Jack Straw]

I have two new butane pipe lighters, and thought I'd post a review here for other members who are on a budget or want something they can take out or travel with and not risk losing or damaging a nice lighter.

Here they are. On the left is the Jobon which cost $11.99 and on the right is the Nibo, which cost me $17.99, both from buylighters.com which has free first class mail shipping with delivery confirmation (no affiliation, and they appear to be a subsidiary of cheaphumidors.com). So I got both for $30, basically. Both are filled with xikar 'premium' butane.

I will start with the Jobon. This lighter feels fairly durable and has a very nice brushed finish. The flame is at a 90 degree angle and the flame is adjustable. To operate it as a pipe lighter, you press the button on the right and the flame is lit via electic ignition.

A nice feature of this lighter is that it also has a torch function for cigars, which you activate by sliding the left part. It is not the most powerful torch, it has a very short, unpointed flame (not like a ronson jetlite or nicer cigar lighter), but it's there if you need it.

Overall, a nice looking lighter at a great price. I like the little pipe shape chart they have on there, which you can only see if you hold it at certain angles.

Next up we have the Nibo, which is an obvious knock-off of the IM Corona Old Boy. In fact I have heard this lighter referred to as the "Poor Boy"

. This lighter operates by flipping up the cap, which 'turns on the gas' and then you flick the striker wheel which sends a spark across the flame. The flame is adjustable via the gigantic black wheel on bottom of the lighter.

Overall this lighter does not feel as solid as the jobon, but is a little more "fun." The top portion, given the nature of the design, seems a bit flimsy with all the moving parts and such. The gold finish is painted on, and seems like it would wear off if you kept it in your pocket. It works well though, and lights pretty much every time after I replaced the original flint with a zippo one (which is actually a little smaller diameter). But despite it feeling less solid, it is very fun to use and look at. The striker wheel, flip cap, and 'olde world' charm are not to be overlooked. It also has the built in tamper on the bottom.

All in all I'd say the Jobon is a solid, "go everywhere" ligher for your money and the better value, while the Nibo has a little more charm and is more suited as a chairside lighter.

I'll report back in a few months and see if they are still working.

 

[flytyer]

Jack thanks for the info i may look into getting either one of them.
They look better than a Bic for lighting a pipe.......and easier on
the wallet to loose than an Oldboy.

Joe








_____________

Hey Peta.....Let Phil work!!

 

[Jack Straw]

Go for it! The difference in pleasure from using one of these and a bic is night and day, at least for me during the "honeymoon" period. The big you have to hold upside down, whip your hand away between draws (at least the way I do it), etc. With these it's just effortless, you just hold the flame over, and when you are done puffing the flame just recedes to it's position above the bowl, rather than burning your fingers, or close to it. The nibo especially is really a pleasure to use, but again it is more finicky. The zippo flint I put in wore down a bit, and the spark was less than substantial due to lack of pressure from the spring, so I doubled up flints. Should last a lot longer now, I guess the spring isn't long enough or springy enough.

 

[Trout Bum]

Great review; thanks for posting!

 

[Puff Daddy]

Food for thought. I owned a Nibo, lasted about 3 months. At $1.99 for a Bic, I'd have only had to buy 2 to last 3 months. I also owned a fairly expensive Colibri, lasted about 8 months. I currently use an Imco that cost me a whopping $12 or something like that, had it about 8 months now with no issues. But, I mostly use a Bic. I'm a truck driver and smoke while I drive which means I relight with one hand while driving, and I only use a Bic at work. No issues. The bic doesn't make a forceful enough flame to burn you unless you actually try to hold it upside down :lol: . Hold it sideways, lights a pipe just fine.

I'd like to own an Old Boy with the sandblasted briar case and my-oh-my how I'd love to have a Dupont pipe lighter, but if I ever get one it'll be because I want it for the cool factor, not because it's better or more economical than a disposable.

 

[Jack Straw]

Yeah I figured they are not going to be bulletproof, in fact it says right on the Nibo warranty card that it is only supposed to work for a year. Hopefully with a gentle touch I can make it last that long, or longer.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Great review, thanks for sharing! I don't usually spend a lot on lighters, because I constantly lose them, so this is right up my alley.

 

[Justpipes]

The same Imco pipe lighter that I have been using for almost 10 years.

I have been carrying a gold one like the one below for almost ten years, except the gold finish is worn off of it now. Never had a minutes problem with it. I also have the black version as a backup if the gold one ever fails.

 

[boom]

I am thinking of getting that jobon for a throw around lighter and after readin this I will be getting one. Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

I recently went to my local tobacco shop looking for one of those Thunderbird (Butane) inserts for my Zippo, (I'm starting to get more sensitive to the Zippo fluid). He didn't have the Thunderbirds so tried to sell me the Imco like the ones Justpipes pictured. Anyhow I orderd one of the Thunderbird pipe inserts from The Tobacco Barn and just got it Friday, It doesent seem to have alot of 'punch' and maybe it's just cause they only put in enough fuel to test it, I'll get some butane today and try it again, hope it works out, if not I'll go get an Imco.

 

[Wide Awake]

I love my thunderbird pipe insert it has a nice soft flame, and angled at 45 degrees so its easy to light you pipe. Down side is it easily goes out if you breath funny while lighting, this is something i need to work on i think.

 

[Anonymous]

The same Imco pipe lighter that I have been using for almost 10 years.

I have been carrying a gold one like the one below for almost ten years, except the gold finish is worn off of it now. Never had a minutes problem with it. I also have the black version as a backup if the gold one ever fails.

I'm with you on this one, JP. As far as I'm concerned, you can't beat the tried and true Imco for lighting a pipe, especially considering you can buy them for under $12 most of the time. I swear by them (and occasionally at them).

The best thing about them (besides low price, dependability, and longevity) is that you can look into the "see thru bottom" and tell how much butane is in there. I can usually get about a week between fills, and since I can see how empty it is, I never run out of fuel.

Sure, it's not fancy and it won't turn any heads, but it works.

 

[Anonymous]

A note to anybody considering purchasing an Imco lighter:

They make a small and a large size lighter, both in a variety of colors. There is no difference between the two except for the case size; they hold the same amount of butane.

Imco's do require one maintenance item....over time, there is a build-up of flint dust that clogs up the gas valve and makes the flame sputter and hard to light. When replacing the flint, I just take an old stiff bristle toothbrush and brush off the gas valve and flint areas. Do this, and you won't have any problems with them.

 

[Anonymous]

I love my thunderbird pipe insert it has a nice soft flame, and angled at 45 degrees so its easy to light you pipe. Down side is it easily goes out if you breath funny while lighting, this is something i need to work on i think.

This is why I was wondering if it had enough fuel, maybe that's just the way it is.
I can't see using it outside unless it's completely calm. May have to carry the Zippo pipe lighter if it's a bit breezy.

 

[Wide Awake]

yes they definately fail the windproof test so pack a better one for that if you wanna smoke outside!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm liking this Thunderbird better, yesterday afternoon I was outside doing some fence repairs; with my back to the slight breeze blowing I could light up without issue.

 

[Tim in Ohio]

Anybody have any experience with one of these babies? I think they look pretty classy.

Xikar Scribe Pipe Lighter

 

[JohnnyO]

A note to anybody considering purchasing an Imco lighter:

They make a small and a large size lighter, both in a variety of colors. There is no difference between the two except for the case size; they hold the same amount of butane.

Imco's do require one maintenance item....over time, there is a build-up of flint dust that clogs up the gas valve and makes the flame sputter and hard to light. When replacing the flint, I just take an old stiff bristle toothbrush and brush off the gas valve and flint areas. Do this, and you won't have any problems with them.

Hmmm If I can find mine I'll try that! It ended up doing this after only a couple months of use :x

 

[Jack Straw]

Update!

Two months later with near daily indoor use of each, bic is still in the drawer. I split time between these lighters and matches, depending on mood. Both have decent life on a tank of gas.

For some reason the Jobon lighter starts off with a short flame which grows for about 5 seconds to it's regular height. Not sure why it does this but it doesn't bother me. When it gets to the very, very end of the tank, for some reason the flame gets huge before dying. Kind of funny, like a swan song.

On the nibo, the gold paint on top of the round part of the flipper thing has peeled a little bit, parts of lighter near the flame are a bit discolored, neither bothers me.

 

[Jack Straw]

Update.

The nibo developed "sputtering flame" syndrome. It still works but the uneven flame has caused me to retire it.

The Jobon wins, and it was cheaper. It is still running strong.

Now I need an IMCO to compare.