There are all kinds of do’s and don’ts for lighting cigars, with a lengthy section of the guidelines covering the best lighters for lighting cigars. Some good cigar lighters include butane lighters, digital lighters, electric lighters, and flint lighters, though the mechanism behind flame creation differs for each.
This difference in the flame formation process makes these lighters more or less ideal for your elemental experience. After all, we are after the creation of a good flame.
Now that we’ve established that flint lighters are among the better cigar lighting alternatives, let’s go over what exactly makes them so.
What Makes Flint Lighters Good Cigar Lighters?
The thing about traditional methods is they rarely go out of style. In the world of recreational tobacco use, flint lighting is one of the classics.
Flint is what good old-fashioned lighting is all about. Not only is it reliable, but it also pays homage to one of humanity’s true great inventions: fire. Now, if that alone doesn’t make for a pleasurable smoking experience, we don’t know what does.
Then again, modern flint lighters have more than just a storied narrative and dependability to offer. These lighters are also easy to light against the wind, even with wet, sweaty hands. They come in different variations, some of the best being a combination of flint and other lighter types such as butane. Such a combination makes a flint-based flame challenging to extinguish.
A flint lighter can also come in a Zippo variation, which is relatively simpler compared to other lighters. Despite the straightforward lighting style, these models don’t compromise safety and quality. Zippo isn’t one of the most recognized brands in the industry for nothing.
Not as important but still contributory to what makes flint lighters good cigar lighters is their appearance. Like other lighter types, they come in various colors and designs. Arguably, one of the standouts on the market in both design and function is the windproof butane lighter.
Other Basic Cigar Lighting Options
Other traditional cigar lighting options are as good as flint lighters, though they stand out for other reasons.
Wooden Matches
More accessible than any other lighting option, wooden matches are also excellent for lighting cigars. They sometimes offer a level of control not afforded by other lighting styles, flint lighters included. That said, they can leave a lot to be desired as far as reliability. After all, we’ve all been there where we almost burnt through an entire box of matches before successfully lighting a cigar.
The lack of dependability means you should, at least, choose longer and thicker matches, so they don’t expire too soon. Also, no one wants to burn their fingers when focusing on lighting a cigar.
When lighting a match, wait for the sulfur to burn off before lighting the cigar with the flame. Rushing through this process could lead to contaminating the cigar’s flavor.
Cedar Spills
Here’s another method rooted in tradition. As the name suggests, these are strips of cedar more popularly known by the tobacco-using community as “spills.” You can either purchase or scavenge them from the sheets of cedar used to divide cigar rows in boxes.
Some experts claim that cedar spills are a “purer” way to light a cigar. Since nothing about these items is unnatural, the flame creation process doesn’t influence the nature of the cigar in any way. In fact, they argue that the cedar essence could even improve user experience.
Moreover, cedar spills are longer and tend to burn more slowly, which afford you more time to light a cigar and are less likely to burn your fingers. Though like most traditional methods, their downsides are usually starker. In this case, cedar spills tend to leave messy traces of ash.
What Makes a Standout Flint Lighter?
A combination of flint and butane or torch usually makes for a safe, easy, and quick lighting experience. In particular, torch and butane integrations help you light efficiently even in the windiest weather. They also form hard-to-extinguish flames, saving you from a lot of hassle.
Aim for a model designed with quality metal plating for added durability and a longer lifespan. Also, look for the flint replaceability feature, as this would save you from having to purchase flint lighters over and over.
What Makes the Best Lighter?
At the end of the day, the essential feature that should make your lighter is safety. More than other features that deem a lighter appropriate, it’s the ability to protect that should be at the top of your list of considerations.
The tendency with choosing a lighter that offers optimal safety is that you also get an item that scores high in economic features, durability, price, and style. A flint lighter by a known brand with a touch sensor or a non-torch flame could easily fall into this category.
