Your Cigar Lighter

Got something a little nicer than a Bic? Get a gift that you don't quite know what to do with now that you own it?

Butane lighters, if you're going to use a lighter, are preferred among cigar smokers to get your stick going. Why? They provide a lot of heat that's focused and they stay lit as long as you like, so that you can light your cigar without burning your fingers, as with matches, (even stick matches). That said, you still want a butane lighter that is a "jet" type, rather than a Bic-type. Jet-type butane lighters mix air with the escaping butane to produce a small, intense blue flame not unlike the larger blue flame you might be familiar with in a propane torch. The jet-type butane lighters are preferable to a Bic-type of flame, because they are hotter and more direct. Bic type lighters have a cooler, wavering flame that is more suited to lighting cigarettes than a cigar.

Butane, jet lighters usually have one, two, or three jets that are good for lighting cigars. Any of them are suitable for lighting cigars, or in the case of the 3-jet models, for sweat soldering copper pipe in your garage. Because all of them burn evenly you can light your cigar evenly without burning partly up the side of your cigar. They're also pretty much wind-proof.

When you light a fresh stick, hold it in one hand, your butane lighter in the other, and heat just the end of your cigar, making circular motions with the flame until the entire head of the cigar is evenly heated and charred. Then, put your cigar in your mouth, and repeat the process with the flame pointed at the end of the cigar while you gently draw and fully ignite the tobacco. Be certain that your lighter's flame adjustment is set low enough so that you don't light your lips, nose, or moustache should the flame momentarily shoot past the end of the cigar. Once you're satisfied that your cigar is burning evenly, remove it from between your lips, inspect the end, and gently blow on the glowing "cherry" to make sure it's lit evenly around the end of the cigar.

Another advantage to a jet-type butane lighter is if your cigar happens to burn unevenly, (it happens), it's very easy to "even it up" with a butane lighter...much easier than with a match or a Bic-type lighter.

Filling your butane lighter: Hold the lighter upside down, and insert the nozzle of the can of butane fuel into the little bitty hole in the bottom of the lighter. Press against the spring in the fill hole of the lighter and hold for about 2-3 seconds. Make sure no gas is "hissing" out around the nozzle while you do this. Repeat this once or twice, and your lighter should be completely filled. The cold butane may prevent your lighter from igniting the first couple of times you try it once it's filled, so let your lighter rest for a few seconds, to warm up again, and it should light just fine.

Trouble shooting your lighter: If your lighter won't light, and you KNOW it's full of fuel, try the following:
- Make sure it's "sparking" when you try to light it.
- Clean the jets with an old tooth brush.
- "Bleed" the fuel that's in the lighter and refill it. Holding the lighter right-side up, press on the spring-loaded fill hole with a small tipped instrument of some kind. Keep pressing until it stops hissing at you.
- Refill your lighter with properly refined butane fuel. No, butane is not just butane. There are different grades. We've found in the shop that Xikar butane has less chance of eventually clogging the jets of your lighter.
- If your lighter still won't light, all is not lost. Depending on your lighter, it MAY have a warranty. Xikar lighters come with an unconditional warranty. Even if you didn't buy it from us, bring your Xikar lighter to us and we'll send it back to the company for you. They WILL fix or replace it.