The lighter side of life
Already, That Question is cropping up.
What do I want for Christmas?
The problem people have when buying me something is that I don’t really need anything. My needs are few, and I already have everything I need. Of course there is always clothing, but everyone I know knows damn well that they needn’t expect to live very long if they give me a sweater or [God forbid] socks.
There are a couple of things I have received in the past that have been very inexpensive [I refuse to say cheap] that I didn’t know I wanted, but I would miss terribly if they now vanished. There is a little light thingy that sits on my front door key – brilliant for finding the keyhole late at night when keyholes tend to sway around a bit in the dark. Then there is a little credit card sized yoke that is a sort of Swiss knife. It has a load of tiny tools such as a tweezers, a knife and a miniature screwdriver.
I have given the subject some thought, and the one thing I would really like is a lighter.
I don’t like matches. They are fiddly and as a pipe smoker I tend to get though them like wildfire [heh!], so I prefer to use a lighter. I buy disposable ones in the local shop. For some strange reason, the local shop keeps changing around their stock. Sometimes they have really cheap and nasty ones that break after the first coupe of flicks. Sometimes they have refillable ones that are much better but they tend to break after a while also.
A few weeks ago they bought a stock of Ronson refillables. They were weird yokes as they didn’t have the little wheel at the top or a plunger to press. It took me a wee while to get the hang of them, but you light them by sliding one side of the lighter against the other. Weird. Because of this weirdness though, I no longer have my thumb up at the business end so I don’t run the usual risk of lighting my thumb instead of my pipe, which is a bit of a relief. Also, Herself can’t manage the knack of striking them, so she doesn’t rob them on me.

I bought a few, knowing [correctly as it happened] that the shop would change their stock again. I now have a small collection of these lighters which I hope will last for a while. I know though that sooner or later they will probably break [which is why I bought a half dozen or so] and I will miss them when that time comes.
So there is the nub of the matter. What I need is a refillable butane lighter that is going to last. I need one that will light a pipe, a bonfire or a four-wheel drive with equal efficiency. It’s not much to ask?
I would appreciate it far more than a fucking sweater.
Heh heh .. You & just about every other Pipe smoker I’ve ever met Grandad ..
I’m fed up with replacing re-fillable “Clipper” type lighters ..
I tried a fluid-filled version of the almighty “Zippo” Pipe lighter .. but the smell of the fuel, whilst “drawing” on the Pipe made me throw up ..
If you ever discover the perfect beast .. you’ll become a legend amongst we “happy few” .. we “band of brothers” .. we “dwindling breed” .. 😉
PS .. Please let me know ASAP if you ever do …
I am suprised at you GD. Any pipe smoker worth his salt uses Swan Vestas.
Just buy a Zippo and be done with it. Anyways when you buy a Zippo you keep a Pennsylvanian employed. They’re made up in Bradford, PA.
Haddock – To use a thoroughly obnoxious modern idiom – I shall keep you “in the loop”.
TT – I am a man of the times [you gotta keep up with the times]. Also I reckoned that lighters are less “environmentally friendly” which is a good enough reason in itself.
Brianf – Heh! Sorry, but I agree with Haddock on Zippos.
Just bought a couple of pipes meself. A briar and a corncob. It’s been….interesting. I have dozens of lighters, mostly from Africa (some with strange extras), but I thought I would start out right and buy in some Swan Vesta’s.
I got through eleven boxes lighting my first pipe. I’m hoping that is some sort of record, and that awards are involved.
CR.
Stroll on “Ranty” ..
You trying to de-forest Norway all on your own ?
That’s why I don’t use matches .. they were costing me more than the bloody Baccy (which at UK prices, is saying something) ..
Have you contemplated something like this
http://www.mysmokingshop.co.uk/index2.php?mod=mancats&man=93&sec=1038
my god the age old question of what do ya want for christmas. I thought you got an eletronic pipe last year no? did i dream that invention *shakes head* no im sure you got one of those. Hmm my mum keeps asking me me what i want for christmas but i dont think that she could smuggle in eric bana wrap him up in fancy paper and ut him under the xmas tree now that would be a 2 woman job to to that. But i think what i would like for xmas myself is a safe a healthy xmas and a happy new year. Failing that i would love an xbox and an xbox connect but we shall wait and see. I dont suppose you want a nice zippo lighter granddad have one here going spare and i dont smoke and herself giving up the smokes.
I do indeed have an electronic pipe, which I puff occasionally. It wasn’t a present though. 🙁
What is this push on Zippos? You all seem determined I should have one? Thanks for the offer though. I really appreciate it!
I can send you a box of matches free . If you pay the shipping and handling.