June 30, 2009
When to Use a Single, Double or Triple Flame Torch Lighter
Finding the best lighter for your specific needs is sometimes not an easy task. The marketplace offers a wide variety of styles, models and flame configurations.
While smokers of cigarettes can make do with nearly any type of lighter, even matches, pipe and cigar smokers need a specific type of lighter to ensure their smoking enjoyment. For this group of smokers, the preferred choice is some kind of torch lighter. But, there are variations even among torch lighters and discerning whether you need a single, double or triple flame lighter can be difficult.
While a torch lighter offers numerous benefits, you will need to determine which flame configuration is right for your needs. If you smoke cigarettes, a single flame torch is the best choice, as the double and triple flame models might produce too much fire and will use up unnecessary fuel. However, if you smoke a pipe or a cigar, you can easily make use of double and triple flame torch lighters. How can these be of benefit to you? Simply put, the wider the flame, the easier it is to light your smoking product.
For example, if cigars are your preference, double flame torch lighters provide an increased fire to tobacco contact, allowing for a more even and efficient lighting process. If pipes are your preference, triple flame lighters may be better. Triple flame lighters deliver a wide flame allowing you to ignite the entire pipe bowl. This lessens the chance of partial burns and tamping the tobacco repeatedly due to unburned contents. The use of these lighter styles is fairly easy and can help to make sure that whether you are smoking a pipe or cigar, that it is lit on the first try.
For example, torch lighters are able to be held upside down during the lighting process and the fire is still projected straight out from the lighter. This is unlike other lighter styles, such as a Zippo, where the flame moves to an upward position and would be unsuitable to be held any other way but straight up and down. Pipe smoker can be sure that they can light their pipe and not burn themselves or leave only half of the tobacco in the bowl lit. Cigar smoker can also benefit from torch lighters primarily because of the control over the flame that this type of lighter provides.
Filed under About Humidors by Dave Sabot














Comments on When to Use a Single, Double or Triple Flame Torch Lighter »
The only problem I'd bring up here is that a Pipe smoker could EASILY char and damage their pipe with a torch lighter. and pipes can run into the hundreds of dollars easily.
Pipe smokers should stick to soft flames. Zippo makes a pipe lighter for this purpose with a hole in the chimney that allows the flame to be drawn down into the bowl while the lighter is held sideways… Matches are always a good choice for pipes as well.
Relights are a part of pipe smoking, so it'd better to have unburned tobacco than a damaged pipe.