Lighter Than Air | Cigar Reviews by the Katman

By Cigar Reviews by the Katman on December 22, 2023

Charlotte has had a viral thing for 5 days and she has politely handed it off to me.
Woke up at 2am wth a fully invested head cold. I will be winging it until my sinuses are back to normal.

Lighters. We all have them. We have our favorites. And we have a few that we hate with a white-hot passion.

I have cheap throwaway cigar torches and they are OK. But there is nothing like owning a beautiful lighter. It elevates the art of cigar smoking.

Xikar lighters are wonderful if you never use them. I’ve gone through dozens of their barges over the last 20 years. None withstand constant use. They are a waste of money. They have lifetime warranties, but you become weary returning them.

Halfwheel’s Patrick Lagreid did a terrific job in reviewing the Lotus Brawn quad flame lighter. You can read his review here. I have one and love it. And the beast is only $50. I bought mine on Amazon and paid $5 less. (Note: My backstop guillotine cutter on the left looks eerily similar to the new $530 Davidoff. Nope. $27 on Amazon minus the gold and glitz.)

My S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 is a classy lighter. Designed for mingling with the hoi polloi. But it is not for everyday use. It is a very high maintenance device. It has a wonderful dual soft flame. It uses butane. But it requires changing out flints and flint wheels too often if you chain smoke cigars. Plus, you must remove the adjustment bottom screw to add butane. I’ve had to replace one that disappeared. And if you use butane other than S.T. Dupont’s butane, one must purchase an adapter. It can be a real pain, but there is no denying that is pure class at the polo grounds. Retail is around $1000-$1300.

My absolute every day go-to lighter is my S.T. Dupont Maxi Jet. It goes for around $200 and is worth every dime. I have had mine for 10 years. The little bugger is sturdy and durable and has never needed maintenance. The photo below highlights the rugged durability of the Maxi Jet as it has clearly taken quite the beating. It lights every time. Fail me not. There is a cheaper Mini Jet but it’s too small. Go for the win instead.

Lastly, don’t use crappy butane. Use Xikar PUROFINE High Performance butane in the black can. Since I began using it a few years ago, not once have I had clogged jets or issues with my lighters. The stuff is worth its weight in cocaine. It runs around $12 for an 8oz can.