xikar pipeline lighter vs im corona old boy style ?

kos22us · June 2014

awhile back i bought a xikar pipeline lighter, it looked good then & still does however it has to many issues and im ready to try something else the parts on top of the pipeline get loose often which requires taking the lighter apart in order to tighten the screw from the inside, even with the correct size screwdriver its still a bad angle and its just a pain in the butt, the flame is now small even on the highest setting and the valve the butane comes out that holds the flame spins around so i have to keep rotating back in place for the spark to catch it, its always loose and rattling and there is not much weight to it the pipeline is a copy of the im corona old boy type lighter same design, im thinking of buying one of the im corna's but wanted some insight from you who own them, will i just be paying more money and end up with the same problems as mentioned above ?

Lee.mcglynn · June 2014

Im's are nice lighters...they are usually compared to st duponts but at a better price point. My buddy has one and it has held together rather well. He's had it for years but also babies it so who knows if your rough with it. The only problem I see with super high end lighters is they have very specific parts like flint and fuels...this can get expensive and not everywhere sells the right fuels or sized flints.

kos22us · June 2014

kinda surprised, maybe that lighter isnt as popular as i thought it was

J.S. · June 2014

I have no experience with the IM itself. I can say that I have used the style the the old boy has like your xikar by other makers at various price ranges and I have the same issues with all of them that you do. I like the flint lighters as they should last forever but with Xikar's lifetime warranty I think my next one will be from them and call it good.

Lee.mcglynn · June 2014

kos22us:
kinda surprised, maybe that lighter isnt as popular as i thought it was

most guys went jet lighters...I own both soft flame and jet and both are dupont...I really like my duponts and have had no issues with them. But for the money IM's are you either save a couple bucks or spend a couple bucks more

kos22us · June 2014

Lee.mcglynn:
kos22us:
kinda surprised, maybe that lighter isnt as popular as i thought it was
most guys went jet lighters...I own both soft flame and jet and both are dupont...I really like my duponts and have had no issues with them. But for the money IM's are you either save a couple bucks or spend a couple bucks more

i wasnt aware most perfer jet lighters either ... boy im really out of the loop ! i have a xikar jet lighter its the element model, i have had zero issues with this one it works well i just dont much care for jet lighters, i know thats whats needed on a windy day but i dont like to smoke on windy days anyway so, i guess ill go ahead and get an im corona, ill post my thoughts on it after about a 6 month period, at any rate thanks for your insight

jimmyv723 · July 2014

A lot of people at least while smoking at home tend to have to enjoy cigars outside. For that setting a torch is almost a necessity due to wind. I prefer a soft flame and luckily can smoke in my apartment. With my pipes I almost always use matches and I have a few torch lighters because in AZ I had to smoke outside.

The IM Corona Old Boy is a very trusted lighter with many pipe smokers and it has an angled flame to help it get into the bowl of a pipe. There is a regular version called the Classico I think it is which has the normal soft flame as well.

At some point would like to get one of the IM Coronas but I really like the Xikar EX lighters too. More for just cigars but could probably use it for a pipe as well. I've even seen some use a torch on a pipe but would definitely not recommend it because it would be far too easy to scorch the rim of the bowl.

Cigary · July 2014

jimmyv723:
A lot of people at least while smoking at home tend to have to enjoy cigars outside. For that setting a torch is almost a necessity due to wind. I prefer a soft flame and luckily can smoke in my apartment. With my pipes I almost always use matches and I have a few torch lighters because in AZ I had to smoke outside.

The IM Corona Old Boy is a very trusted lighter with many pipe smokers and it has an angled flame to help it get into the bowl of a pipe. There is a regular version called the Classico I think it is which has the normal soft flame as well.

At some point would like to get one of the IM Coronas but I really like the Xikar EX lighters too. More for just cigars but could probably use it for a pipe as well. I've even seen some use a torch on a pipe but would definitely not recommend it because it would be far too easy to scorch the rim of the bowl.

Good points here for any of us who smoke cigar/pipes in reference to our lighters. I converted to a soft flame about 5 years ago and found a real difference in the overall satisfaction of the taste of my cigars. Torches burn at a rate of 2500 degrees while a soft flame burns around 1200-1500 degrees and that can mean all the difference of enjoyment. Given the fact that torches burn so hot and a lot of torches are double and triple you can do the math as far as what an incredible heat is being used. Not many can actually use the heat of a torch to actually light their cigar because a lot of the flame is not visible so one is actually using direct flame to light their cigar...that transfers a charred taste all the way up the cigar. The Xikar Exodus is a great lighter because it is a lighter that is wind-resistant...not windproof so understand the difference. When lighting a pipe a soft flame is what should be used as a torch will burn the sides of a pipe over time and that will ruin the pipe.

xikar pipeline lighter vs im corona old boy style ?

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