Ignition! Point of Flame and Conversation Starter

The proper Hedonist should be utilitarian, while possessing a talent for finding the easiest, and most effective solution to any problem. When that problem is the quest for fire, look no further than Zippo brand lighters. Quick, easy, not to mention flashy with a little practice, these handy little items will serve their owner well, and with a lifetime warranty, if your Zippo falls upon hard times, a replacement is never out of reach. You simply mail it back to the company, and they send it back repaired or they send back a new one, free of charge.

However, Zippos do not come out of the package loaded. This is where the connoisseur will choose the right fluid for the right job. If you’re simply a pyromaniac looking for a decent ignition source, Ronson will do just fine. If, however, you’re looking for a good QUALITY LIGHT for high-end cigarettes and/or cigars, stick with Zippo brand fuel, specifically the “Low odor” variety. This stuff burns clean, and leave little to no trace of that aftertaste one gets using butane lighters or lesser Zippo fuels. Some matches can leave more odor than even this stuff!

The wick does require occasional pulling and trimming for reliable function, but will rarely need replacement and it’s best to stick with Zippo brand here too. The one place where the Zippo brand name is not required is the flint. I have used Ronson and Zippo flints in my trusty torch and, while the Zippo flints do have a touch more spark to them, Ronson flints won’t give you any problems. Prices do fluctuate, and Ronson flints usually come out cheaper.

“Zippos range in price from a modest 8-12 dollars for your basic “brushed-steel” look, to ones with original graphic designs for you to pick and choose from ranging all the way up to the hundreds. It’s a buyers market for Zippo lovers, with even used ones for sale, as they still carry that great lifetime warranty.”

-Thirteenthcor

While a well-used Zippo is the ignition source of choice among this band of Hedonists, a second option exists, and that is good, old-fashioned matches. Matches come in all shapes and sizes, but my personal preference is wooden stick matches a shade over an inch in length. They usually come in a box about the size of a Zippo, which makes them easy to carry, and they’re a good balance between kitchen matches, which tend to be difficult to carry, and the often-stubborn back-alley motel matchbooks. The best part is, when you run out of them, it’s fairly easy to cut kitchen matches down to size and fit them into the box. Another choice for you cigar smokers, is to use sheets of cedar lit by a Zippo, butane lighter, or even another match. If you’re a stickler for flavors and odors invading your cigars, this is a great technique, and cedar sheets can be picked up piecemeal usually at your local cigar shop.

The trick with matches is in the timing. The best flavor can be had by striking the match, and then allowing it to burn down past the tip, so that all one tastes is the wood. A mouthful of sulfur smoke is not a pleasant thing, and thankfully not necessary under normal circumstances, although it is sometimes necessary to light up immediately after striking when the wind picks up.

With either option, proper etiquette is a must, especially when smoking cigarettes. When using a lighter, it is polite to light your friend’s cigarette before your own, however, with matches, that practice is downright uncouth. Light your own first with a match, this ensures that your smoking buddy gets the slight edge in quality of flavor. If forced to use a Bic, hold the flame to the cig for a short a time as possible.

Superstition warns one not to light more than two people up on one match. This tradition supposedly emerged during the Vietnam conflict, as apparently, the time it takes for three people to light their cigarettes is the time it takes for an enemy sniper to spot the flame, acquire, and shoot. In the event of three people left with only one match, it is the author’s recommendation that the third party ignite their cigarette off of one of the other two. This is likely the best light of them all, and with two different brands, the flavors blend, often favorable, with one-another. An experience not to be missed, though, is lighting a cigarette off of a cigar’s cherry. Bliss.

In conclusion, the tools of the trade, while important, are flexible, but no matter how good an ignition source is, nothing quite compares to telling your friends about the time you and another chain-smoker ran out of matches and butane and were forced to light up on an electric stove.

-Mikhail