Matches or a pipe lighter

[Briarbabe]

I do just fine with paper matches for initial lights and for most of the bowl - I only need to grab a wooden match when I'm towards the end of one of my deeper bowls.  

Show off

 

[Brewdude]

Diamond Greenlight strike anywhere penny wooden matches for me mostly.

An inexpensive IMCO butane pipe lighter is also handy. You can get them for around $14, and even though they have (supposedly) stopped making them there's still e-tailers that have them. Just Google IMCO pipe lighters.

Also like a simple Zippo. Never had a problem with the Zippo fuel smell. Got the pipe insert for mine. Works like a charm.

HTH


Cheers,

RR

 

[KevinM]

One thing I especially like about the 'umble kitchen match is that the piper quickly gains the skill of striking the match and, in the same motion, angling it so that the burning tip is lower than the match's "tail." This causes the flame to advance up the match, to a distance roughly equivalent to the diameter of a pipe bowl. This permits an effective and even "painting" of the flame onto the tobak's surface. The 2.25" length of the kitchen match takes the time pressure off the important task of beginning the festivities with a good light. Also, none of my pipes' rim is charred, though they do occasionally get combustion staining which is easily removed with, water, an optional dab of soap, and a bit of paper toweling..

 

[RDPipes]

Yes, The trusty ole Ohio Blue Tip Match you can strike literally on any surface.
We use to strike'em on the back leg our denim's, use our thumb nail real neat and reliable.
But, I smoke outside 100% of the time nowadays and would just rather have a butane, and I've carried a Zippo since I was 14 years old.

 

[Briarbabe]

Here's what you need --1) A small tobacco tin such as the one Peterson's University Flake or Mac baren flake comes in. 2) A box of kitchen matches (the 2 1/4" size preferably).  3) A Glu Stick that you use to stick paper together, seal envelopes, etc.

First, smoke the tobacco in the tin and set the tin aside.  Next, cut out a portion of the striker on the match box that can easily fit inside the lid of the tobacco tin. Then take the Glu Stick, rub some on the non-striking side of the striking panel patch you've cut out, and rub some inside the lid of the tobacco tin; press the sticky striking panel into place inside the tin lid. Finally, take a bunch of yur kitchen matches and put them inside your tin. Voila! You have a right-size, easily carryable supply of dependable matches for your pipe-smoking pleasure.

Finally, take a video of your charming self trying to light a pipe from a book of cardboard matches outdoors on a day with a slight breeze, and post it on U-tube 

Lighters are nice, but they're another damn thing to maintain.

Ta-dah!!!!

 

[Draagha]

Me and my fiance have two of the Zippo pipe lighters. If you have a regular zippo and a drill you can do the same thing. We paid 27 shipped on amazon for 2 of the pipe lighters. I also picked up 3 packs of flints and 3 packs of wicks for less than 5 bucks there too. Throw in some ronsonol fuel or whatever brand takes your fancy and you're good to go! :cheers: 

Here's a link to the zippo and the flint/wick package.
[Zippo]
http://www.amazon.com/Zippo-Pipe-Black-Matte-Lighter/dp/B000VREDTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375416585&sr=8-1&keywords=pipe+lighter

[Wick/Flint]
http://www.amazon.com/Value-Zippo-lighter-Flints-Sealed/dp/B0042YSS54/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_z

 

[cheapsk8]

Honestly have tried more than I should have.

Wooden matches when inside and I want to look more impressive around others...lol

Wifey bought my a xikar(sp?) butane lighter with the attached tools and angled head. Perfect solution that lasted 6 months before the piezeo sparker quit working. Bics burn the edge of briars in the wind so I stick to a zippo pipe.

I stayed away from these for years as I would NEVER touch a Cohiba with a zippo. However, if I let it burn for a few seconds before using on my pipe...I never get any flavour transfer. Works outside, works inside, and has a soft flame to not damage my briar.

Only downside is on REALLY deep bowls near the bottem. Then the butane flame is best...

Best,
cheapsk8

 

[Anonymous]

Wifey bought my a xikar(sp?) butane lighter with the attached tools and angled head. Perfect solution that lasted 6 months before the piezeo sparker quit working.

Xikar has a lifetime guarantee. Send it in and they will replace it. They have a website you can get the address from.

 

[KevinM]

Briarbabe wrote:
>>Ta-dah!!!!<<

Why that's plenty good enough to earn you a Pipe Smoker's merit badge! (Plus you'll like it way better than book matches.)

 

[cheapsk8]

Wifey bought my a xikar(sp?) butane lighter with the attached tools and angled head. Perfect solution that lasted 6 months before the piezeo sparker quit working.

Xikar has a lifetime guarantee.  Send it in and they will replace it.  They have a website you can get the address from.

Will try that! Thanks for the tip!!!!!

 

[Kapnismologist]

Strike anywhere matches (Diamond brand in my locale), antique sterling silver vesta case (eBay). No fuss, no muss. Simple and eminently satisfying.

(This topic has been discussed at length here over the years - search the forums for lots more info. and pics.).

 

[Dutch]

I have a Colibri Connaught II I purchased around 4 years ago, and it is still going strong. It has no lifetime warranty, so I will probably go with a Xikar brand when the time comes for a replacement. I have had great customer service from Xikar in replacing my cigar lighters very quickly. They have never repaired them, but instead sent me out a brand new replacement lighter, so their lifetime warranty is hard to beat.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh come on. A hundy or so for a Stirling case to strike kitchen matches? The only satisfaction is at the antique dealers. Hell, return to flint and steel for real gratification.

Her homemade case exudes class. A silly vesta case exudes elitism. God knows there is enough of that around pipes already.

 

[Kapnismologist]

For more information, see recent thread here re: matches:

https://www.brothersofbriar.com/t21950-woohoo-score

This has been an on-and-off topic of conversation here for many years (or at least since I joined the board in late 2008).

 

[earl]

Actually, never knew pipe discussion boards existed til I googled, (if there was a google then), re pipe lighters and the difficulty in getting them to work for very long. It led me to Knox, the predecessor of this board. Have had a # of lighters in the past and they all gave up the ghost in too short of a time. Wooden matches are far cheaper and more reliable. Earl

 

[whitepony1986]

i use a zippo pipe lighter works every time without fail

 

[MartinH]

I would say that you need to experiment with which words for you but, I love my two zippo lighters. Some pipers speak of a lighter fluid taste, but I have never detected such. It may be well worth getting even just a standard Zippo, although my pipe insert is nice. That said, used a standard insert for several months and it works like a champ. You can stand in the wind and the thing will burn. One thing I've done is pull the wick out a but for a fantastically large flame. This has improved the lighter's ability to burn in strong wind.

From my point of view, you cannot go wrong with this $20 investment.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Zippos are great but anything mechanical can fail, so I always have matches on me as well. I prefer a match for the initial light(s), and the zippo's great for relights, especially with the pipe insert.

 

[eon]

I used to be a sworn match man for years until Edinburgh winds finally forced me to consider other options. After long and arduous deliberation, I finally settled for a pipe insert Zippo and have never looked back since. Yes, you might get a whiff of the fuel every once in a while if you rush things (i.e not waiting for a couple of seconds before putting the flame to the bowl). But the exact same things happens with matches and, as far as I am concerned, sulfur smells twice as bad. I am using Zippo's own fuel that pledges to be "new and improved" formula. True enough, when coming to Vietnam for work, the Zippo fuel you get here has much worse smell than those back home so I think there is some truth to those claims.

As for value and construction, my little Zippo seems built like a tank. And for a fraction of the price for good butane pipe lighters, you get a lifetime warranty that many people swear by. As for fiddling with flints and fuels, well, isn't that part of the fun that got us o pipe smoking in the first place?

I still use matches occasionally, especially when breaking in new pipes. But to my palate, some tobaccos actually light better with a Zippo flame than matches, presumably due to difference in temperatures (cooler blue flame versus yellow one).