Rob over at Puffing Cigars recently had an entertaining post on cheap lighters.  His general conclusion is that for a party lighter, you can’t beat the $1 bic.  I agree it can’t be beat for the price, but for a couple bucks more, you can get a good lighter that’s good for more than just parties.  Take, for instance, the standard Ronson Jetlite butane lighter.  With its blue point wind-resistant flame and price tag around $3-5 online, it’s a great lighter for the golf bag or car.  It also regularly goes on sale at Canadian Tire for $6.  Hard flames like the Ronson’s aren’t my favourite, however.  I am in the minority of cigar smokers who prefers a soft flame, such as you get from the bic.  I just can’t bring myself to regularly use a bic as my primary lighter.  Yes, I’m vain.  I know.

Luckily a few months back I found DealExtreme, a Hong Kong based site with tons of goods for dirt cheap.  Best of all, shipping is free.  I’ve settled on the Skinny Card Style Lighter, which is not only small, but has a nice tactile feel to it, all for under $3.  And it has already lasted longer than my expensive NiBo.  I picked up a couple extras for backup just in case.  If you prefer a hard flame, they have a ton of other lighters for under $5 as well, so you’re not risking too much.