Cigar lighters

James Leavey attempts to get to grips with the competitive and diverse field of lighters

The other day I typed the phrase ‘cigar lighters’ in to a well-known British cigar retailer’s website and its search engine came back with’no matches found’.

Maybe they were too busy selling all the latest pocket-sized gadgets that cigar smokers enjoy fiddling with. And who can blame them for not only will the latest single-action, dual-flamed, turbo lighter ignite the entire length of your favourite cigar, if you’re not careful, it can also be used to melt the lock on a humidor.

Before the friction match was invented in 1827 by John Walker, a ’chymist and druggist’ in Stockton-on-Tees, embers from the fireplace were often used to light cigars.

The trouble was that hot embers are difficult to hold in tongs and not something you want accidentally dropped on your lap, so smokers devised shallow bowls to hold the embers which could then be passed safely from one person to another, or placed on a table without burning it.

This device was known as a ’smoker’s brazier‚’ and disappeared with the advent of friction matches.

Igniting tobacco got even easier in the late 19th century when the Austrian scientist, Auer von Welsbach, combined the use of petrol together with the lighter flint and the modern lighter was born.

Before World War I, some friction lighters used a metal match containing a wick immersed in inflammable fluid and struck in a serrated groove.

During World War 1, munitions workers and soldiers made their own versions of this crude petrol lighter, from whatever .....

To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door.

By James Leavey

Section : Cigar Accessories

Page number : 30

Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 2 on 01/11/2004.

This article is 54 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements.



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	Cigar lighters James Leavey attempts to get to grips with the competitive and diverse field of lighters The other day I typed the phrase ‘cigar lighters’ in to a well-known British cigar retailer’s website and its search engine came back with’no matches found’. Maybe they were too busy selling all the latest pocket-sized gadgets that cigar smokers enjoy fiddling with. And who can blame them for not only will the latest single-action, dual-flamed, turbo lighter ignite the entire length of your favourite cigar, if you’re not careful, it can also be used to melt the lock on a humidor. Before the friction match was invented in 1827 by John Walker, a ’chymist and druggist’ in Stockton-on-Tees, embers from the fireplace were often used to light cigars. The trouble was that hot embers are difficult to hold in tongs and not something you want accidentally dropped on your lap, so smokers devised shallow bowls to hold the embers which could then be passed safely from one person to another, or placed on a table without burning it. This device was known as a ’smoker’s brazier‚’ and disappeared with the advent of friction matches. Igniting tobacco got even easier in the late 19th century when the Austrian scientist, Auer von Welsbach, combined the use of petrol together with the lighter flint and the modern lighter was born. Before World War I, some friction lighters used a metal match containing a wick immersed in inflammable fluid and struck in a serrated groove. During World War 1, munitions workers and soldiers made their own versions of this crude petrol lighter, from whatever ..... To read the rest of this article you can buy this issue or subscribe to Cigar Buyer to have every issue delivered direct to your door. By James Leavey Section : Cigar Accessories Page number : 30 Published in Cigar Buyer Issue 2 on 01/11/2004. Subscribe Buy this issue More from this issue Preview other issues This article is 54 months old and some information provided may be time sensitive. Please check all details of events, tours, opening times and other information before travelling or making arrangements. Copyright Cigar Buyer © 1999-2009. All rights reserved. To use or reproduce part or all of this article please contact us for details of how you can do so legally.