I was at Wal-Mart yesterday and saw a pipe(!) lighter in the racks with the beef jerky and M&M's and Bic lighters. It was a Ronson and was $7.95. It has a few pipe tools built in. I bought it.
Here is a short review.
The tools are too small to be of much realistic use.
The lighter is heavier than you might expect.
The flame is only barely long enough to be functional and light reliably with the adjustment at the max.
After about 5 uses, the flame was too short to even burn.
I bled the lighter and recharged it with butane.
The flame was really low, but it would light. I never managed to keep it lit long enough to light a pipe.
After lighting it about 5 times, it would not light any more.
I took it back to Wal-Mart and got a refund. They were very nice about it, and there was no line.
My counsel is to avoid these lighters. If you are going to get one, get it at Wal-Mart or someplace similar where they are easy to return.
Ronson Pipe Lighter
- Houtenziel
- Codger in Training
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- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:58 pm
I have had similar results with The Ronson Jet-lite lighters(for cigars). They work ok the first few times you light, then they rapidly start to diminish.
If you look carefully, some Walmarts also sells Zippos with the pipe insert, usually on the checkstand impulse-buy displays.
If you look carefully, some Walmarts also sells Zippos with the pipe insert, usually on the checkstand impulse-buy displays.
“To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
― Theodore Roosevelt
My own personal opinion after years of wasting money on lighters (including Zippo), there’s high end pipe lighters (Dunhill, Dupont, Old Boy) that work, there’s ridiculously cheap Bic lighters that work, everything in between ain’t worth it in the long run.
TRUTH!!!!!!!!!!
I picked up a vertigo just like that Ronson and it is very frustrating. Worked great the first day and that’s all I’ll say
- Houtenziel
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This is why I forgo the whole matter entirely and use matches for pipes. I do use a Djeep to light cigars though.
“To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
― Theodore Roosevelt
- MikeDennison
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I use matches, except when I'm on the porch and there's a breeze blowing. Then I use my Zippo pipe lighter. It works well enough, but not as good as the matches.
"I realized I had the gift of seeming to know more than I actually did." -A.J. Cronin-
- Thelonious monkfish
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Have not used anything but matches for years and only smoke outside. Have not had luck with lighters except Zippo but I taste fuel throught the bowl, and not faintly. Also why do people say you can't use matches outside? Seen that comment countless times but can't figure out why.
- Mr Beardsley
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They've gotten even cheaper than when I bought mine. It's been chugging along for 6 months or more with zero issues but the first thing I did was purge the butane it came with and filled it with the good stuff. The tools are pretty useless but will work in a pinchFr_Tom wrote: ↑Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:28 am I was at Wal-Mart yesterday and saw a pipe(!) lighter in the racks with the beef jerky and M&M's and Bic lighters. It was a Ronson and was $7.95. It has a few pipe tools built in. I bought it.
Here is a short review.
The tools are too small to be of much realistic use.
The lighter is heavier than you might expect.
The flame is only barely long enough to be functional and light reliably with the adjustment at the max.
After about 5 uses, the flame was too short to even burn.
I bled the lighter and recharged it with butane.
The flame was really low, but it would light. I never managed to keep it lit long enough to light a pipe.
After lighting it about 5 times, it would not light any more.
I took it back to Wal-Mart and got a refund. They were very nice about it, and there was no line.
My counsel is to avoid these lighters. If you are going to get one, get it at Wal-Mart or someplace similar where they are easy to return.
Edited to add that user experiences seem to vary wildly. For every good one like mine there seems to be 3 total turds that don't function
“If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?” - George Carlin
- Ray Mackessy
- Man About Town
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- Location: South Carolina
I bought two Ronson's and one has given out. I agree with Fr. Tom's review. I went back to using Bic lighters, matches and Zippos.
- Fr_Tom
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- Location: Diocese of Southern Virginia
I am really a Zippo guy at heart I think. I usually have a Bic as a backup in a jacket pocket.
I do have a Xikar torch lighter similar to this one. I keep it at the office since it was a gift from someone at church.
I do have a Xikar torch lighter similar to this one. I keep it at the office since it was a gift from someone at church.
"Prov'dence don't fire no blank ca'tridges, boys" Roughing It, Mark Twain
Old Ted Award - 2017
Old Ted Award - 2017