Arbiters of style, which classily inspired smoking accessory would you go with

So I am looking at getting a fancy lighter just because and like a few of these but cannot decide on a style, since I am not wealthy enough to buy them all and am limited to one I am hoping that the power of group think will push me towards one of these styles over the other...

So here are the contenders:







And then this last one which isn't really a consideration due to its cost given it is made of unobtainum but something I also liked...



Any thoughts appreciated.....

Quit smoking asap - or watch as choice of lighter becomes very low down on your worry list...

I have the top one in gold, but I don't smoke anymore. Quite a fancy lighter to just use lighting candles and things.

Originally Posted by Champagnelifestylenomoney

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Quit smoking asap - or watch as choice of lighter becomes very low down on your worry list...

The irony is I don't really smoke, well other than the occasional cigar....I really just like the lighters and know they won't be used for much.

inobtanium. I love it and I am incorporating it into my daily language. Unfortunately. Well done, sir.

Any of the rollagas models. Original and iconic design.

Originally Posted by countdemoney

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Any of the rollagas models. Original and iconic design.

Only concerns about real Rollagas models are 1. damn expensive for a lighter, 2. have read more than a few gripes about them needing service, 3. damn expensive for a lighter

Mentally I can swing $150 and for someone who rarely smokes that is even a stretch, but the base Rollagas is $320...snap.

FWIW the only "rollagas" I have on there is the bottom one, the others are similar in look but much less coin.

Don't get a fake on something like this. Buy the real thing or don't buy it. In the long run, you'll be happier. Chances are that if you like the style now, you'll be dropping the $320 for the real thing in a few years anyway.

There are other buying options besides new that you could explore if you really want this now.

Originally Posted by countdemoney

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Don't get a fake on something like this. Buy the real thing or don't buy it. In the long run, you'll be happier. Chances are that if you like the style now, you'll be dropping the $320 for the real thing in a few years anyway.

There are other buying options besides new that you could explore if you really want this now.

These are hardly fakes, the company that I am considering (IM corona makers of the old boy) has been making pocket lighters longer than both Dunhill and Dupont and their core competency is making lighters, not fashion accessories like both of the other companies, also in the pipe smoking community their lighters are considered the gold standard of nice lighters with others taking a seemingly distant second.

And I never consider buying used unless you're talking cars and houses.

All of the designs you have are variations on dunhill originals.

You can look at it two ways - do you want a lighter with this form factor? If yes, buy the best lighter with the look you want at the price you want.

Do you want a lighter that will impress people? If yes, you probably want the brand name and when someone asks you about your "fancy lighter" you can tell them about its provenance, the dunhill legacy, etc.

My suggestion for the original was in the probably mistaken belief that you wanted to be able to big time it.

IM Corona are probably the best bang for the buck lighters you can buy. I have the Old Boy model as well as a Dupont Ligne 2.

Originally Posted by countdemoney

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All of the designs you have are variations on dunhill originals.

You can look at it two ways - do you want a lighter with this form factor? If yes, buy the best lighter with the look you want at the price you want.

Do you want a lighter that will impress people? If yes, you probably want the brand name and when someone asks you about your "fancy lighter" you can tell them about its provenance, the dunhill legacy, etc.

My suggestion for the original was in the probably mistaken belief that you wanted to be able to big time it.

Thanks,

So the top ones with the roller are closer to Dupont given their larger form factor, but with those I learned last night the lid doesn't open a full 90 degrees so they are out as I don't want to deal with the angled lid.

The other one is very much like an old Dunhill table lighter and a design off of their unique which was released in 1983, not sure when the IM Corona came out but I know it has been around for a while, maybe just as long. Plus the corona has made advancements in the materials they use along with silicon seals which supposedly make a big difference in the longevity of the unit, don't know how much that really matters but I don't believe Dunhill does the same, though arguably they use nicer materials in the cap as I believe the Dunhill Unique has a sterling silver cover (don't know if that is a good thing or a bad due to tarnish)

With that said I am not into the brand name, more the quality and the look, I used to be into name and paid for it but found with those products I was never happy and always got less enjoyment using them (great example for me are my montblanc pens vs. Pelikan, Namiki and others or my Rolex vs my Omega)....

If I was considering outright copies like Yibao or lubinski that are cheap and blatantly steal designs then I would agree that is a substitute putting itself off as something it is not (lubinski has a style that is most likely a fake dupont with their name etched on it), but a high quality product that has stylistic similarities to a classic is something I am ok with, much like a Sailor Pen when compared to a Montblanc Meisterstuck, aesthetically very similar, but the Sailor is arguably a better performer at roughly half or a third of the price and made just as well. The interesting thing is the the Yibaos are often touted as being like the Old Boy and not the much more expensive Dunhill unique, which to me is another indicator of just how good IM Corona's product is.

Thanks for the honest feedback

Originally Posted by sammy

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IM Corona are probably the best bang for the buck lighters you can buy. I have the Old Boy model as well as a Dupont Ligne 2.

Hi Sammy, so how well do the IM Corona's compare to the Dupont, in functionalilty?

Thanks

Mathew, enjoy your search and your lighter, whatever you pick. Some history you may find enjoyable http://www.lightersandpens.com/dunhill.htm http://www.lightersandpens.com/dupont.htm Lots of others know much more, but I think some of the old smoking pieces are pieces of design geius.

Originally Posted by countdemoney

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Mathew, enjoy your search and your lighter, whatever you pick.

Some history you may find enjoyable

http://www.lightersandpens.com/dunhill.htm

http://www.lightersandpens.com/dupont.htm

Lots of others know much more, but I think some of the old smoking pieces are pieces of design geius.

Hello Count,

That site is where I got a bit of my info on dunhill, especially about the Rollagas and the Unique...interesting stuff, should be even more interesting to see how much companies like Dupont and Dunhill focus on these accessories with smoking going out of style fast. The Usegroups are good as well, though alot of opinions there.

Whats interesting is many of the authorised repair centers don't speak much of IM Corona because it is one of the few brands that still provides lifetime service (where you just pay a nominal fee of $8 which includes shipping) whereas I have heard Dunhill and Dupont service can cost up to and over $70 a pop.

And what is interesting to me is on those Dupont images it appears as if their lids don't open a full 90 degrees as well...interesting.

And like you I find the design of them most interesting...truly something that has stood the test of time.

Also interesting to me is all of these companies really started making lighters in the or around the 30s, IM Corona in 1933, Dupont 1953, and Dunhill in 1923.