# cigarette lighters **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940 "2000-11-13T01:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/1 "2000-11-13T01:50:05Z")
Noticed, whilst hanging out with a group of friends and deciding we wanted to make fire, that 1 of us smokes regularly, 1 smokes occasionally if a cig is offered, the rest of us smoke not at all; 4 of us had lighters – 3 non-smokers and the part-time smoker. The regular smoker rarely carries a lighter. The rest of us don’t know WHY we regularly carry lighters, since we don’t light up… How about the rest of you? 1. Do you smoke? 2. Do you carry a lighter? 3. What do you use the lighter for, if you carry it? 4. Bonus question: what does your lighter look like? 5. No. 6. Yes. 7. Occasionally I light candles or incense with it. 8. The one in my purse, which I found on the floor of the mall, has The Rock on it. The one I carry in my pocket and use for incense is clear blue plastic. ---
**Author:** ![sk8rixtx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@sk8rixtx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sk8rixtx)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/2 "2000-11-13T02:08:26Z")
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. Lighting cigs/other various things. 4. It’s forest green. It rocks. ---
**Author:** ![hergrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6de8d8/32.png) [@hergrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hergrace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/3 "2000-11-13T02:18:45Z")
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. Smoking; lighting any one of a hundred candles ( I’ve found those barbarque lighters work best) 4. Green; 007; pink fantasy; small red; bear; turquoise moon. The weird thing is that I either have 4 lighters in my possesion or none. There is no middle ground. ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/4 "2000-11-13T02:35:06Z")
1. No 2. Yes 3. I really don’t know; I found the lighter and just carry it with me. I’ve lit other peoples’ cigs, and lit incense or candles 4. It’s that clear blue plastic, and it’s really big. It’s about one and half times bigger than a regular lighter. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/5 "2000-11-13T02:44:38Z")
1. No 2. Yes 3. Ummm…burning stuff, of course 😉 4. It’s a Zippo–Camel 85th anniversay edition with antique silver finish, bought with Camel Cash I saved up from my dad’s cigs. Didja know they card you for _lighter fluid_? AMHIK… ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/6 "2000-11-13T02:47:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > How about the rest of you? > > 1. Do you smoke? > 2. Do you carry a lighter? > 3. What do you use the lighter for, if you carry it? > 4. Bonus question: what does your lighter look like? 1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Lighting Cigs, and whatever else needs lighting. 4. Pink Djeep. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/7 "2000-11-13T03:01:30Z")
1 no 2 no 3 n/a 4 n/a but some non-smoking friends carry them so they can offer a lite to the opposite sex as a way to break the ice. I never did this because I don’t want to kiss an ashtray - but that’s just me ---
**Author:** ![Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fairy_Princess_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/8 "2000-11-13T03:16:24Z")
I don’t smoke but I do usually carry a lighter, just to light other people’s cigarettes or candles or incense. I also have friends who are pyros and I like the whole pouring hot wax onto my skin thing, don’t ask. Right now I have a really cheap lighter with all sorts of pictures of leather stuff on it but I want to get a Zippo engraved with Fairy Princess Kitty. Kitty ---
**Author:** ![Erika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/47e85d/32.png) [@Erika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erika)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/9 "2000-11-13T05:52:52Z")
1. no 2. occasionally, though I am without one now 3. candles, incense, whatever else I’ve decided I need fire for . . . 4. the last one I had was green. I lost it a little while back. ---
**Author:** ![Reboot42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Reboot42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reboot42)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/10 "2000-11-13T10:56:50Z")
1. yes 2. yes 3. Smokes and anything else. 4. Whatever is on sale at Walmart Little semi-hijack here: In my eclectic reading habits, I’ve come across quite a few stories of people getting stranded in the forests or in unexpected snow storms, like campers, hikers or even hunters, who nearly died or did die because they had nothing with which to start a fire. With the decrease in smokers, it seems that many exsmokers, among those who never started, stopped carrying lighters. Prior to the no smoking rage, most people carried a lighter, especially anyone who went off into the woods. Well, I found that little tidbit interesting, even if no one else did. ---
**Author:** ![messiah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3e96dc/32.png) [@messiah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/messiah)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/11 "2000-11-13T11:14:23Z")
1. No 2. Yes 3. How many time a night do you get girls asking for a light? Not wanting to miss any chances. 4. Standard 1 dollar types. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/12 "2000-11-13T11:25:10Z")
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. Cigs etc. 4. If I remember it, a Zippo[sup]tm[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![JimmyNipples](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb9ed0/32.png) [@JimmyNipples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimmyNipples)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/13 "2000-11-13T14:09:43Z")
Yes, I smoke. Yes, I carry a lighter. I light cigarettes, big fat joints, small piles of leaves, garbage cans, import cars, statues of women on horses, dikshunairies, homeless people and pictures of goats riding bicycles. I collect lighters…so I have many lighters. I have table lighters, lighters that predict the future, lighters that can change the gravitational constant of the universe, lighters that are a part of ashtrays, lighters that won’t let you cross the border without the proper ID papers. I have many lighters. The one I carry, is a 99 cent “James Bond” bic. From now on, you must call me JimmyNip-apussy. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/14 "2000-11-13T15:02:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > \*\* > > 1. Do you smoke? > 2. Do you carry a lighter? > 3. What do you use the lighter for, if you carry it? > 4. Bonus question: what does your lighter look like? > \*\* 1. Yes. 2. Yes, usually several. 3. For making fire. I light smokes, incense, candles and other smokeables as the opportunity presents itself. 4. Light blue cheap Bic. I accept no substitute. ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/15 "2000-11-13T15:28:35Z")
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. Lighting my cigs, silly. 4. Zippo. Got it for Christmas last year. I will never go back to Bics again. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/16 "2000-11-13T15:47:41Z")
Yes. Yes. Lighting cigs, candles, barbecues. Currently, red Bic. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/17 "2000-11-13T16:07:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by racinchikki \* > \*\* > > 1. Do you smoke? > 2. Do you carry a lighter? > 3. What do you use the lighter for, if you carry it? > 4. Bonus question: what does your lighter look like? > > \*\* 1. Occasionally - generally in the bar only. 2. Often. 3. Cigarettes (in the bar,) pipe (once in a while at home,) candles (birthday and other.) I used to spend a lot of time working outside, and having a source of fire with you when you’re driving through the bush in Canada in January can be a real lifesaver. 4. It’s a brushed brass Zippo with an old job name on it, the company logo, and “Trust No One” under the logo. I had these made up for the crew a couple of years ago, and got into a lot of trouble for it (didn’t get permission from the legal department before using the logo.) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/18 "2000-11-13T18:47:49Z")
1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Cigarettes. 4. A brass Zippo with those two parallel ornamental slashes at the upper right and lower left corners. I also have a standard brushed-chrome Zippo, but I haven’t carried it for a while. ---
**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/19 "2000-11-13T19:07:55Z")
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. Cigarettes and primo cigars 4. It varies. I collect Zippos. My usual lighter is a brushed steel with an acoustic guitar and my name engraved on it (wedding party gift–I sang), but I also sometimes carry my grandfather’s brass USMC lighter, a few from old oil companies back in the boom days, and on special occasions, my Xmas present from my wife last year, a limited-edition Martin guitar cloissonne (sp?) jobbie. Problem with the last one is that I usually carry my keys in the same pocket as my lighter and they scratch the enamel. ---
**Author:** ![Necros](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/necros/32/11086_2.png) [@Necros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necros)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2000, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940/20 "2000-11-13T22:26:51Z")
1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Lighting people on fire after I douse them with gasoline while I dance around. Duh. What else would I use it for? 4. The current on is the “Our Century” Zippo collectible of the year. I use whatever the current year’s collectible is. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cigarette-lighters/40940.md?page=2)