Hi!
First, a little background about me and this idea. I’ve always loved nature and enjoyed outdoor related sports and activities, among which are camping, hiking, mountaineering and bushcraft. I’m also an licensed survival instructor for last ten or so years. I always needed something reliable to start a fire in all weather conditions so like most I carried a Zippo and/or a BIC and/or a firesteel. All of them had flaws, Zippos need to be refilled all the time even with a rubber band “mod”, BIC’s are not great at cold weather and can’t be used as a candle and firesteels are hard to get a fire going when it’s humid or wet od cold. Then I discovered “peanut” type lighters and I loved the idea behind them but most of them are poor quality or really expensive (for a simple lighter). When I joined this forum I saw the BLF LT1 project and knew this is the place to be. I contacted Barry with my idea and he said it’s doable and sounds worth trying so here we are 
Why a new product? Well, because there’s nothing like that on the market. Basically there are three similar products on the market – Numyth Tohil (out of production), Maratac Peanut XL (no wind guard, cheap burner insert, usually unavailable) and Exotac TitanLight (expensive with few gimmicky features). Also, they’re made in US so by the time you got them in rest of the world their price is sky high – I paid close to 70 euros for my Exotac, a bit less for my Numyth. So my idea was do design something from scratch with a simple industrial design, that is both affordable and reliable.
I’m not good with 3D modeling software so I don’t have a model yet but here are few design cues it should have:
- aluminium construction
- 18650 or 21700 battery size, big enough to be used with cold hands and holds lot of fuel
- simple industrial design, body knurling similar to SP40 headlamp, usual Sofirns colours with addition of orange
- o-ring sealed top and bottom cap
- top cap has a lanyard hole
- wind guard
- three peace construction (top cap, burner, bottom cap)
- construction of burner is form one peace of aluminium (not counting small parts) with Zippo style design for changing wick and flint from bottom. Exotac has gimmicky design for changing flint and rest have to be dissasembled to get there.
- uses standard Zippo sized wick and flint
What do you guys think? Would you buy it if priced corectly?
I know BLF is not a bushcraft community but I also know you guys love cool gear and I know there are few hunters and bushcrafters and preppers here.
Cheers,
Vedran R.
Maybe, but this seems to be a good idea – flint for reliablity, jet flame for wind resistance/ many other uses, and around $7-10 LINK
The BLF Flashlight / Accessory / Battery / Spares Retailers Thread with Discount Codes
I have a bunch from this brand. Overall best deal for $8. They will light a big cigar in sub zero temps. Did not try to melt a can. Probably never will.
Guys, can you please stay on topic? Pretty please with a cherry on top.
I would definitely be interested in buying one.
I’d totally buy a high quality zippo-esque lighter that didn’t need to constantly be refilled. Thats by far Zippo’s greatest flaw. Price point under 25 bucks though, as you can get a zippo for 9 USD
Definitely will be interest. I’m in
Interested!
Interested
Interested
Interested but I carry a zippo with a zorro armor case and find it works pretty well. Yeah it’s gonna have to be under $25 for sure, prolly the $10 range for it to really make me open my wallet. I already have too many zippos and the price of naptha by the gallon is cheap if you don’t pay for the tiny bottles marketed for lighters.
IMHO I find ya’lls bushcraft stuff pretty funny. I live out in the sticks and we just call it camping. Its cute ya gotta come up with a name for something people have become disconnected with. Next fad gonna have to be actually knowing how to check the air in one own tires and changing the oil when needed. Maybe rotating your own tires because you live 2 hours away from where you bought them even tho they offer it for free.
I agree with you on most things but saying everything related to spending time in nature is camping is like saying every automobile sport with a prize in the end is “racing”. Yeah, but there’s ralley, nascar, off-road, F1, 405… different kinds of racing just like different kinds of camping.
Honestly, I also call it camping most of the time.
I built my own 4×4, welding and everything, so I guess I’m still OK with things a man should know
lol. 87 s10 blazer sitting on dana 60s with a ls6 under the hood. Waiting on a 2.8 duramax to show up cheap enough and I’m gonna put that in her.
Interested depending on price
Interested, even though I am a passionate non-smoker.
I’d be surprised if Barry followed through with this. He never followed through with a white/red light version of the LT1. I’ve had good luck with my 3/4” ferro rod and fatwood. Also carry waterproof match sticks as a backup. Striker flints on lighters don’t work when they get wet
It will be o-ring sealed so no chance of flint getting wet.
Well… if Barry and Sofirn don’t go trough with it, there are other manufacturers. BLF is probably not the best place for interest topic for camping stuff but I tought I’d try anyway.
Mraz keep us updated please. Also recommend any particular camping survival sites especially of interest?
I believe this is in the works. I’ve seen a completed layout of the board with 7135s for the red channel. No idea when it’ll be released but I expect it will come.
Will do.
Not really, I buy from Lamnia, Varusteleka, local shops… sometimes from Going Gear and Knife Kits but shipping and import taxes are ridiculous.
How would it spark if o-ring sealed? it has to be exposed to the wheel striker, which has to be exposed to the gas or wick.
Sure, it’s exposed when you take of the top cap but until then it’s waterproof.
Sure, it’s exposed when you take of the top cap but until then it’s waterproof.
Barry does not personally decide what can/will be designed and manufactured by Sofirn. Potential market/customers is one thing, but huge issues in supply chains this past year has been an even bigger impact.
Sounds like my buddies in the town I grew up in. Yea.. CT , Just not those rich bastards down by NYC, has more similarities to the fly over then most people would care to admit.
Ok, back on topic. Just never thought I’d see a Dana 60 reference on this forum lol.
I’d certainly be interested. So far my favourite petrol lighter is the Douglass Field S, and the one in the Douglass Neo range with the caps on both wick and flint wheel. The Field S has a wind guard, is machined beautifully with o- rings everywhere, but expensive and therefore out of most peoples budget. Something smaller and cheaper incorporation your criteria is definitely worth looking into.
I take it you’re a U.K. member too? I still call it camping.
Oh yes, the Field S is a beautyful peace od machining, especially the brass one. Don’t know what were they thinking with camo versions. Yuck.
Close but no cigar. I’m from Croatia
Unfortunately, this thread is not really getting the attention it needs to make the lighter happen but at least I tried. Would probably be better with a finished design but I don’t really have the time to learn 3D modeling right now.
Well, it is a light forum, but more led, tints etc than lighters. Compliments to you, both for your excellent English and punting a decent idea. Stay with it and keep us posted, lot of bored folk around at the moment on forums in general so don’t take it to heart.
Sofirn can make the tooling and the product would be of good quality, I’m fairly sure of that, but you do need a definite design to take to them. I (personally) wouldn’t discuss possibilities or ask Chinese manufacturers for their input, and this is definitely no slur on Sofirn, it’s just business and they’re better than most as they recognise ongoing market sales and do help build ideas. But I’ve seen this happen with knives, vapes, lights only for a very similar product to appear shortly afterwards.
For you, some brass goodness.
Really nice!
where did you get those lighters RichH?
looks cool
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