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Kinds of Butane Lighters

Zippo is, perhaps, the best known butane lighter. It popularized the refillable cigarette lighter with it's nearly windproof flip-top. But many companies make butane lighters. There is an endless variation of designs and styles. Butane lighters, in addition to cigarette lighters, are designed for a number of special purposes.

Torch Lighters
- A standard butane lighter is technically a torch. It mixes butane fuel with air in an adjustable flame. The difference between lighters and torches is the nozzle. Torches can be adjusted to very fine flames, often from pressurized fuel, which burn hotter than lighters. The difference is illustrated in the MicroJet Lighter Torch -- a lighter torch that turns a standard disposable butane lighter into 2,400 degree torch capable of melting metal. The MicroJet accomplishes this by using a finely adjusted nozzle.
Monarch Blow Torch
- Monarch blow torches are blow torches and lighters. They are much more compact than larger propane torches with brass blow torch attachments often used in soldering and plumbing. Many Monarch blow torches have an adjustable valve as well as an adjustable flame. They have a cylindrical base wide enough to sit steadily on the ground. They can be used for soldering and plumping-type applications and get hot enough to melt many types of metals. They are often used as a high-end lighter, particularly for pipes and cigars.
Windproof Lighters
- By their nature most butane lighters perform relatively well in wind. Where matches are easily extinguished by even a small breeze, lighters and butane lighters have a wind-protected lighting chamber. Whether they use a flint wheel, electric spark, or some other mechanism, the wind tends to blow the lit flame, not the base of the flame where it is likely to extinguish it. Orvis makes a windproof butane lighter the company claims will light in 80 mph winds with one hand.
Pipe Lighters
- Pipe lighters are the same as other butane lighters in many ways. They may have a similar nozzle. They are probably adjustable. But, because pipe tobacco is lit from an angle, many pipe lighter nozzles are designed with this lighting orientation in mind. The flame may be oriented differently. And often specialty pipe lighters have larger flames. They are usually adjustable, but the range will tend to be larger as they work better to light loose tobacco.

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