Windproof Oil

What You May Not Know About A Butane Lighter

Everyday millions of people all over the world use a butane lighter without a second thought. They use them to light cigarettes, cigars, candles, fireplaces, stoves and fire pits. Lighters are a marvelous invention. Just push a button and a flame appears.

Johann Wolfgang Determiner invented the first lighter in 1816. The Determiner’s Lamb was made of glass and powered by Hydrogen. Platinum was the catalyst that started the flame. Because platinum was so expensive the only people who could afford them were the social elite. This made the Derringer’s Lamp a status symbol. Production ceased in 1880 because these lighters were too dangerous to use.

Flint lighters became popular in 1908. More convenient than Determiner’s bulky table lamp, flint lighters were small enough to fit into a pocket or purse. Flint replaced platinum and oil replaced hydrogen.  By the end of World War I flint lighters were readily available. The fuel that was used to keep the flint lighters burning was called Naphtha which is an oily substance made from petroleum.

No one is quite sure who came up with the idea of using butane as lighter fluid, but it certainly had its advantages. The wick did not have to be replaced and the flame was more controlled. The first butane lighter used flint to ignite the flame. Flints will wear and tear over time and smokers became annoyed because they had to constantly replace the flint. This had the lighter companies scrambling to find a new and improved ignition system.

Although Piezoelectricity was invented in the early 1800′s it really did not come into its own until the end of World War I. Piezo in Greek means pressure. This technology is pressurized electricity which generates a spark. Manufacturers started to incorporate the Piezoelectricity into lighters in the 1950′s.

These days butane lighters come in many shapes and sizes. Windproof, torchlight, multi flame, angled flame and green flame offer the smoker a variety of ways to light their cigars, cigarettes and pipes. Novelty shops carry lighters that are shaped like lipsticks, musical instruments, weapons, cartoon characters and flash drives that actually serve a dual purpose. Some fashion designers carry their own line of butane and disposable lighters.

The first disposable lighters were invented in 1972 and since that time have literally taken over the butane market. Although disposable lighters are convenient the refillable butane lighter still has fans. There are millions of people who refuse to pick up a disposable lighter. Some still use the butane lighters that belonged to their grandparents. Whether you use a disposable or refillable butane lighter think about where it came from and remind yourself that the 21st century is a wonderful place to be.

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Elegant Windproof Butane Lighter – dinodirect