Colibri Lighters, any good?

T

tique

Joined
Oct 28, 2000
Messages
970
We just got a boatload of these in at work, and the price tag is fairly high on some models. Are these any good, or should I stick to Brunton, Zippo and Bic?
 
we had one in the house we got for 50 bucks, regular 100, it has a cigar cutter, fancy schmancy, it stopped working after 3 years.

bics are always there
 
I've had many Colibri's. From $135 to $75. I'd stick with the tried and true cheapies. That light every time. I now bite the ends off my cigars. The cool factor doesn't outweigh the problems with the high end lighters :)
Tom
 
Originally posted by aaron_simkovich
we had one in the house we got for 50 bucks, regular 100, it has a cigar cutter, fancy schmancy, it stopped working after 3 years.

bics are always there
Click to expand...


You got a house for 50 bucks!?:eek: :rolleyes: :D
 
I have three Colibri lighters.

There´s a very old one that belonged to my father, it´s one of few butane non-disposables I´ve seen that work consistently, don´t know the price but looks expensive, most likely I wouldn´t have buoght it.

The two others are modern, one is Quantum and the other SST, not fancy or expensive looking, about $20 U.S. each, one was on sale here in Mexico and the other somebody got in a duty free shop in South America. I really like both of them, they work consistently well even at 7000 feet above sea level (Mexico city), the flame in both is hot, precise and pretty, more than just the cool factor IMHO.
 
Originally posted by Diamond Cut II
You got a house for 50 bucks!?:eek: :rolleyes: :D
Click to expand...

My uncle once got a house for $1. I can check the story if you're interested. :)
 
I have the one with the triple flame. The Boy Scouts LOVE it. It also lights this one lantern that none of the other lighters gets and requires incredible luck, no wind and perfect timing to light with a match. Is it worth it? Hey, I own Surefire flashlights---
 
In all, I have three Colibri lighters.

The Colibri that works best uses naphtha, wicks, and flint. It is built into a round paperweight which has a rococo-like design (angels, ivy). It says that it is made in "US Zone, Germany".

I have had generally poor performance with Colibri butane lighters. I have a slimline lighter which my dad gave me (he got it as a gift from a Korean barmaid). I also have a Quantum Triplex SST. Both lighters stopped working within a year. It seems they are very prone to clogging, even if you use Colibri's proprietary butane exclusively. It isn't the fault of the piezo igniter because it still has a robust spark.

I tell you one thing: when the Quantum does work it looks very impressive.

When I bought the Quantum, I got a no-name Chinese butane lighter as a free gift. It uses a platinum wire catalyst in its single orifice and has never failed, even when I use Master Appliances butane intended to be used in soldering irons.
 
As a guy who used to sell them, and Zippos and Dunhills and other lighters, I can honestly say that as far as the gadget factor goes,
Colibri are great. For camping or survival situations, get a Zippo or a Bic. I would never go into the woods with a Quantum if there was only one lighter I could take with me.
For a dress up occasion, sure.
 
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