Lighting the tobacco

[Tano]

Hi All,

Does it make any difference to the smoke if you light the tobacco with a wooden match, butane lighter, the old style lighter with the stinky fluid, or a torch lighter?
What do you guys think?

[Frank]

Many "died-in-the-wool" pipe smokers maintain that matches are the only way to go.

I've had 3 Colibri lighters trash out on me within a couple of months of purchasing each, one of them a $50 lighter. Even under warranty, they expect you to pay postage both ways. Not worth the cost or hassle. I've now given up on Colibri, other than their butane. It's supposed to be very clean.

Personally, I prefer my $20 no-name butane torch lighter. It gets my pipe lit pronto and I don't notice any taste from it when lighting up. It's been going now for 6 months with nary a problem.

[KurtHuhn]

I prefer my Corona Old Boy - in flat, non-descript black. But if I'm outside or somewhere else breezy, I use my Zippo - also in flat, non-descript black.

I've found that matches are a just a hassle unless I'm sitting still and can focus on lighting, and I'm almost never sitting that still.

The trick to Zippos is to let it burn for a few seconds before lighting with it. I usually count to five. That way there's no lighter fuel taste.

[kbadkar]

Imco pipe lighter, made in Austria, refillable butane - no taste flame, angled for burn free fingers, light, well built and lasts years of abuse, fully take apartable for interchangeable parts, guilt free cheap like $13.