Cool Lighters – The Best Ones To Spark A Conversation
Some cool lighters on the market include the Zippo, Soto Pocket Torch, and Dissim.
As our world continues to spin and we are, in some ways, trying to become a healthier bunch, the desire to eradicate smoking from the mainstream has gone beyond a full-court press. But that doesn’t mean smoking has gone completely by the wayside. There are still plenty of occasions for breaking out some of the cool lighters out there and plenty are on the market to impress those around you.
Whatever you are smoking or needing to light up, we have some cool lighters out there for reasonable prices that are sure to turn some heads.
THE COOL LIGHTERS OF TODAY
The cool factor of lighters has advanced over the many years. They now come in many different sizes, shapes, colors, and simplicity. There are lighters designed for the cigar smoker and there are lighters designed for marijuana tokers. Cigarette folks also have their own styles. Let’s take a look at a few cool lighters that will light your fire.
TSUBOTA PEARL TORTOISE LIGHTER
PRICE – $45 at Tetra
WHY IT LIGHT’S OUR FIRE – This may be one name you will want to remember when it comes to cool lighters. Tsubota has been around since 1952 and its lighter-making skills are nothing short of brilliant. This specific tortoiseshell style has a steel interior, and a cotton wick, all wrapped up neatly inside a polycarbonate casing. You’ll burn bright with this one.
SOTO POCKET TORCH
PRICE – $19.95 at Amazon
WHY IT LIGHT’S OUR FIRE – This cool lighter kills two birds with one stone. It comes equipped with a detachable cap that turns it from a simple lighter to a blow torch special. It is pocket-sized in shape but can handle even the biggest of cigars. It is wind resistant as well.
ZIPPO WINDPROOF LIGHTERS
PRICE – $17.38 at Amazon
WHY IT LIGHT’S OUR FIRE – The go-to of cool lighters. It’s a Zippo, need we say more? Of course, these babies come in many different sizes and models, so it can pretty much be the dealers’ choice when you are grabbing your cool Zippo lighter. Besides its classic build, what else makes a Zippo special? How about its lifetime guarantee?
DUAL ARC ELECTRIC LIGHTER
PRICE – $16.98 at Amazon
WHY IT LIGHT’S OUR FIRE – If you are in it for looks, the Dual Arc is one cool and beautiful lighter. What makes it even more special is that it is an electric beast. This means that because the lighter is butane-less, it also is odorless.
DISSIM INVERTED LIGHTER
PRICE – $48.00 at Huckberry
WHY IT LIGHT’S OUR FIRE – Take a look at this one and tell us if it doesn’t have a huge cool lighter factor. This is an inverted lighter, which means your fire comes from the bottom. It has a ring grip, which means if upside down doesn’t tickle your fancy, then turn it right side up and get your fire on. The Dissim also comes with a flame control wheel for safety to you won’t torch your fingers.
BEFORE COOL LIGHTERS, THE FIRST MATCH WAS INVENTED IN 1805
Obviously, those cool lighters listed above are not only for the smokers of the world, they have other beneficial uses are well. Some may need one for their backyard BBQ if they don’t have access to one of those fancy schmancy grills.
For those of you who prefer a nice, relaxing, dimly lit bubble bath, your bathroom candles will need some assistance. Likewise, it is always smart to have one handy if you are experiencing weather issues and the power looks to be switching off.
We know that fire has been around since, well, Homo erectus could be erect. Throughout history, fire has been a main source of life, keeping bodies and food warm. It wasn’t until 1805 that the very first match was invented.
The French chemist, Jean-Louis Chancel, made it happen but his first attempts were quite difficult to ignite and when they finally did, they would give off a very unpleasant smell. Although they were stinky and unreliable, they did pave way for the very cool lighter to be introduced.
While it was a French man who came up with the brilliant idea of the match, it was a German chemist who invented the very first cool lighter. Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner’s invention hit 18 years later in 1823.
DOBEREINER’S LAMP MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE FIRST COOL LIGHTER
This first cool lighter was called the Döbereiner’s Lamp and while it was cool as ice, it was not the safest instrument of fire. Because of its build, it was very difficult to use and was said to be extremely dangerous.
While work was being done on inventing a safer version of the Döbereiner’s Lamp, advancements in the match were taking place. In England, John Walker invented a match that worked via friction.
It was a hit, but Walker was not as astute a businessman as he needed to be. He never got the patent for his friction-needing match, so another matchmaker jumped on it and took it for his own. Samuel Jones called his match, Lucifer.
Firesticks and dangerous lighters jumped ahead to 1903 when another German, Carl Auer von Welsbach, came up with a synthetic alloy called ferrocerium. This alloy produced a very hot, bright spark when it was struck. When the mixture was put together, it became known as “flint” and it made possible for cool lighters to be portable. The danger only barely lessened.
THE PIST-O-LITER WAS CREATED BY ARSON
Development of lighters continued and in 1908, the very first cool lighter hit the market. It was a novelty piece that Louis Aronson introduced. Aronson was the founder of Ronson Lighters and his new novelty item was called the Pist-O-Liter.
If you can’t tell by the name, his cool lighter was shaped like a derringer. When World War I claimed the globe, cool lighters turned into bullet casings. The main reason for this was because when lit, they were much more discreet than the matches used at the time, which would give off a bright burst and give away a soldier’s position.
Ronson Lighters was back in the news in 1926 when they came out with Banjo, the very first automatic lighter. Talk about cool lighters. It was silver, oddly shaped, and came with a very popular slogan at the time – “Push, it’s lit; Release, it’s out.”
Believe it or not, Zippo is a well-known, popular lighter brand that has been producing cool lighters since 1932. The Zippo Manufacturing Company came into existence when George Blaisdell founded it in Pennsylvania. This iconic brand of lighter has been burning strong for 90 years.
As remarkable a history lighters have had, they have truly advanced over the years. From lighters that could actually blow up in one’s hands to the cool lighters we see today, they have come a long way.
True, they may not be as needed today as they were 50 years ago, but don’t kid yourself, they still are in demand. And remember, if you aren’t one for the fancy, more expensive lighters, you can always flick your Bic.
