Xikar Lighters and Torch Lighters

What Xikar makes, and what this site lists

Xikar's own site sells lighters next to cutters, humidors, travel cases and other accessories. This site doesn't list those. What's here is the part that matters for a fire kit: refillable butane lighters.

Almost all of them are torch lighters. A torch (or jet) flame is a narrow, hot, wind-resistant flame, made by mixing butane with air inside the burner. Xikar sells them with one, two, three or four jets, plus one flat-flame lighter. Some are pocket lighters. A few are heavy tabletop lighters that live on a table and stay there.

The grid above shows what's on Amazon right now, filterable by type. It changes as listings come and go, so I'll write about the lines and what separates them, not about how many are listed this week. Most of the Xikar values in the grid (jet count, fuel type, refillable) come from the Amazon listings, and the grid marks them.

How a Xikar torch lighter works

Real talk: every Xikar torch works the same way. Press the ignition, butane flows, a spark lights it, and you get a jet flame. Let go and the flame stops, because the fuel stops. The maker says the flame runs over 2,000 degrees and can be nearly invisible in bright light, so don't touch the top after you've used it.

One more line from Xikar's instructions matters at a fire ring: don't run the flame continuously for more than 10 seconds, or the lighter can get too hot for itself and for you. So a torch lighter lights the tinder. It doesn't dry out wet kindling for you. That's what the tinder is for. The NPS campfire guide puts it in order: tinder in the gaps, plenty of kindling, then larger wood stacked loose so air gets in.

Xikar also says all its lighters meet the ISO 9994 and F 400 performance standards. Those are the international and US standards for lighters.

Xikar single-jet lighters

One jet means one narrow flame. It sips the least fuel of the jet types and gives you a precise point to aim at a cotton ball or a fat-wood shaving. The single-jet models differ mostly in shape and in what's built around the burner.

• Tactical Single-Jet: an oversized 10 mm jet, a flip-top lid that protects the burner from debris, a low-profile pocket clip, and the whole bottom of the lighter works as the fuel adjuster. Altitude tested to 14,000 ft, per the maker.
• Stratosphere: the maker describes it as windproof and water-resistant, with a rubber body for grip, a spring-assisted lid and an included lanyard. Altitude tested to 10,000 ft.
• XK1: an angled jet, single-action ignition (one press lights it), a large fuel window and a slim body, 1.5 by 2.4 by 0.5 inches. Tested to 7,000 ft.
• Xidris: a wind-resistant single jet with a red fuel window. Tested to 8,000 ft.
• Ultra Mag: a magnetic metal body built to clip to a matching accessory. Tested to 11,000 ft.
• Astral: slim, with a big front trigger and a fuel window on the back. Tested to 12,000 ft.

The Stratosphere listing in the grid is the Stratosphere II; the maker's own page describes the Stratosphere line.

The Tactical and the Stratosphere are the two with outdoor features up front: a lid over the burner and something to clip or hang it by. An electrician likes a tool with a clip. It's the one tool that's where you left it.

Xikar double-jet lighters

Two jets give a wider flame than one. Xikar's double-jet lighters in the grid:

• Turismo: a protective flip-lid, an oversized fuel tank and pocket-friendly size, tested to 14,000 ft
• Ion: an oversized textured trigger, and a safety mechanism that locks the trigger when the cap is closed, tested to 14,000 ft
• ELX: a fold-out 9 mm punch built in, tested to 14,000 ft; the punch is an accessory for a use this site doesn't cover

The Ion's trigger lock is the feature I'd look at for a coat pocket. A lighter that can't fire with the cap shut can't fire against a granola bar. (Ask me what melted granola bar smells like. Actually, don't.)

Xikar triple-jet and quad-jet lighters

More jets means a wider, hotter flame and more fuel per second. The maker's lineup:

• HP3 Triple Jet: three jets in a line, wind resistant, double fuel windows, tested to 12,000 ft; the HP3 Inline Triple Flame listings are the same line
• Tactical Triple Jet: also an in-line triple jet, with a low-profile pocket and belt clip, tested to 12,000 ft
• HP4 Quad Jet: four angled jets under a manual flip-top lid that opens past 90 degrees, tested to 11,000 ft

The maker's Tactical Triple Jet page names lighting a campfire and firing up a stove as uses, which is about as close to a deer-camp job description as a lighter page gets.

Here's the ice math applied to fuel. A bigger flame drinks the tank faster. Three or four jets light damp tinder quicker than one, and you'll refill more often. Same trade as a bigger cooler that needs more ice.

Xikar tabletop lighters

Two of Xikar's lighters are built to sit on a table, not ride in a pocket:

• Volta Quad Jet: a square quad flame, a heavy cylindrical metal body, an oversized push-button, and a twist lid the maker compares to a camera aperture that closes over the burners. Tested to 14,000 ft.
• Allume Triple Jet: a triangle of three jets with a side-squeeze ignition. Tested to 12,000 ft.

A tabletop lighter at camp is the lighter that stays by the cabin stove. Nobody walks off with it in a jacket. Walt still asks where it is, but at least now the answer is "where it always is."

The Xikar Verano flat flame

The Verano is the odd one: one wide, flat flame instead of round jets. The maker says it gives the breadth of a triple flame with the fuel use of a double. It's all metal, wind resistant, with a red fuel window, and tested to 7,000 ft. The grid lists no spec values for it, because the listing doesn't give any.

How to choose a Xikar lighter for a fire kit

Start with pocket or table

Pocket lighters (single, double, the HP3 and HP4, the Tactical models) go with you. Tabletop lighters (Volta, Allume) stay put. For a fire kit that travels, it's a pocket lighter.

Then pick a lid over the burners

My one opinion on this page: for a lighter that rides in a pack or a coat, pick one with a lid that closes over the burners. The reason is on Xikar's own troubleshooting page. The first problem it covers is a clogged burner that won't light or gives a weak flame, and the fix is cleaning debris out of it. Pocket lint is debris. The Tactical Single, HP4, Turismo, Stratosphere and Volta all have a lid or cap the maker describes as protecting the burners. My hunting coat pocket has plenty.

Then jet count

One jet is a pencil point: precise, easy on fuel. Three or four jets are a wide brush: fast on damp tinder, harder on the tank. For most camp fires, a single or double jet with a fire starter does the job. More on how jet types compare is on the torch lighter page.

Altitude only matters if you go high

Xikar lists an altitude-tested figure for each lighter, from 7,000 to 14,000 ft. Butane lighters have a harder time where the air is thin. If you hunt elk in the Rockies, read that number. At Hemlock Run, the highest thing in camp is Walt's opinion of his own chili.

Refilling a Xikar lighter

Xikar's refill steps, short version:

1. Bleed the tank: press the fill valve with a small screwdriver, lighter upright, until the hissing stops; repeat a few times
2. Turn the flame adjuster to the lowest setting (−)
3. Turn the lighter upside down and press the butane can straight onto the valve for about 5 seconds
4. Don't shake the can; the maker says shaking adds propellant to what goes in
5. Wait 3 to 4 minutes before lighting, so extra butane evaporates and the gas warms to room temperature
6. Set the flame height with the adjuster wheel

The maker says bleeding the tank first lets it take a fuller fill. Refill away from any flame, campfire included. More on refillables is on the refillable butane lighter page.

Storage, cold and travel

Xikar's FAQ says a can of butane can last up to 5 years in a controlled temperature, and that you shouldn't keep butane or the lighter in extreme heat, extreme cold or direct sun. A November truck cab qualifies as one of those. A July dashboard qualifies as the other. Carry the lighter in an inside pocket on cold mornings.

If you fly to a hunt: TSA doesn't allow torch lighters in carry-on or checked bags. Xikar's warranty doesn't cover a confiscated lighter.

A torch lighter is a fire tool. Keep it in the fire kit, out of children's reach, and put the fire out cold before you leave: drown it, stir it, feel it.

Xikar warranty basics

Xikar lists a limited lifetime warranty on its lighters. It covers manufacturing defects, not normal wear. Lighters that were tampered with, or only have physical damage, are rejected. Don't take one apart to fix it yourself; Xikar says that voids the coverage. Butane and flints aren't covered, and neither are lost lighters or ones taken at an airport.

You don't need to register a Xikar lighter. Claims start online, Xikar may repair it or replace it with a refurbished equivalent, and the maker quotes two to three weeks once it has the lighter. Try the troubleshooting steps first; a clogged burner is a two-minute fix.

About Xikar

Xikar's about page says the company designs and markets butane lighters, butane fuel, cutters, travel cases, humidors and humidification systems. Only the lighters are listed here. This page doesn't cover a founding year, an owner or where the lighters are made.

Bleed it, fill it, wait four minutes. Then go find some dry tinder.