Xikar’s lineup of lighters comes in a dizzying array of designs, shapes, sizes, and materials, all built around a similar purpose: Setting stogies ablaze properly the first time. Which Xikar Torch Lighter is Best for Lighting a Cigar? Within no time the first Xi cutter went from a hand-assembled garage side business to a cigar market benchmark, with clever torch lighters following soon thereafter. With thousands of dollars of personal pocket change on the line, the two men set to marketing and selling their invention as soon as possible, unsure as to whether it would be a hit. So with the help of industrial designer and close friend, Scott Almsberger, Van Keppel began to craft a cigar cutter the likes of which the world had never seen and Xikar Inc. But everything he encountered (regardless of price) just couldn’t make the cut… Back then, most cigar cutters either required the use of both hands, or were a one-handed affair that often did more damage than good. Tobacco Nerd Note: It was 1994, and Kurt Van Keppel was on the hunt for the perfect cigar cutter. And while reports show that Xikar was sold in 2018, this has not resulted in any change in the quality of the products it produces, including today’s topic of choice: torch lighters. Needless to say, Xikar became a huge hit with cigar enthusiasts upon its launch, and over the following decades has gone on to create some of the most practical (and indestructible) cigar accessories money can buy. With the X angled over the uppercase letter “I” that followed, the brand’s logo looked all the world like a freshly snipped stogie. Swapping the S for an X also served as a visual representation of the double-guillotine cigar cutter the firm had just invented. While Xikar’s stainless steel double-guillotine cutters were the invention that got the midwest brand off the ground, the company’s invested interest in the torch lighter segment has since earned the company a deluge of accolades and lifelong supporters.Īs for the Xikar name itself, the brand’s founders settled on the clever misspelling of the word “sikar,” which was the original Spanish interpretation of the ancient word for a cigar. So with all that incendiary stogie lighting power at our disposal, an important question must be asked: Which Xikar lighter is right for you and your cigar smoking needs? Xikar: One Catchy and Clever Marketing NomenclatureĪs the story goes, the Xikar brand was spawned in 1996 in Kansas City, Missouri by two men, Kurt Van Keppel and Scott Almsberger. How many lighters, you ask? We found 29 different styles of lighter available from Xikar, with numerous color variants and finishes being housed beneath each category. Since we only showcase the cigar accessories we use, and Xikar lighters have long been a standout favorite, we can vouch for every lighter this brand offers. Simply put, if we wouldn’t use it on our own cigars, we sure as hell aren't going to promote it to anyone else. Here at Case Elegance and Klaro Cigars, we test and hand-select the best cigar accessories based on their practicality, performance, form, and price all in mind.
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