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. 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.
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. 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. That’s a whole lot of heat!
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 Nomenclature
As the story goes, the Xikar brand was spawned in 1996 in Kansas City, Missouri by two men, Kurt Van Keppel and Scott Almsberger.
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.
As 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. Swapping the S for an X also served as a visual representation of the double-guillotine cigar cutter the firm had just invented. With the X angled over the uppercase letter “I” that followed, the brand’s logo looked all the world like a freshly snipped stogie.
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. 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.
Tobacco Nerd Note: It was 1994, and Kurt Van Keppel was on the hunt for the perfect cigar cutter. 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.
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. was officially born. 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. 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.
Which Xikar Torch Lighter is Best for Lighting a Cigar?
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.
Packing patented designs, fully adjustable flames, easy-to-use and refill functionality, and an unlimited lifetime warranty, the lighter section of Xikar’s website offers something for everyone. The trick is finding the perfect lighter for your personalized cigar-smoking preferences.
Forget open flames. This style of heat source is intended for pipe and cigarette smokers. A torch lighter burns cleaner, packs way more heat, uses less fuel, and will not falter when the wind picks up.
Torch lighter selected based upon all of the reasons listed above, it is now time to select the right cigar accessories based around your personal preferences. Fortunately for you, Xikar has options in plentiful supply.
Quad-Jet Torch Lighters
Xikar may only offer two kinds of Quad-Jet torch lighter, but both are outstanding in their own way. Packing the brand’s signature EZ-View™ red fuel windows (available on most models), a total of four angled jets quickly and effectively ignite anything they encounter.
The use of a flip-top lid shields the quad jets from debris and contaminants, and has the ability to retract as far back as 90 degrees in order to provide ample real estate for even the largest hand-rolled cigars.
Triple-Jet Xikar Power
Although there are several triple-jet lighters within the Xikar portfolio to choose from, the Xikar Tactical 3 is hands down our personal favorite. With its oversized double EZ-View fuel inspection windows, hulking flame adjustment wheel, stealthy appearance, and practical footprint, you can’t go wrong with this piece of hardware. There’s even a low-profile pocket/belt clip on this covert torch lighter for secure storage at a moment’s notice.
Oh, and just in case you happen to be hiking in the Andes Mountains in search of a spot for growing premium cigar blend tobacco, all Xikar Tactical 3 torch lighters come altitude tested all the way up to an impressive 12,000 feet.
Double-Jet Torch LightersIf we had to choose one of the dual-flame lighters offered by Xikar, the Turismo torch lighter would be an obvious first pick. Engineered with the automotive enthusiast in mind, each of these sleek lighters is meticulously engineered and crafted with comfort and appeal in mind.
With its “pocket-friendly” proportions, flip-lid upper cover, and large capacity fuel reserve, the Turismo torch lighter from Xikar is one slick stogie igniter.
Single-Jet Torches
Being that single-jet torch lighters are the easiest and least expensive to engineer and manufacture, Xikar’s line of singular flame lighters is without a doubt the most expansive.
We suggest perusing every product that is packed into this portion of Xikar’s portfolio, as there truly is something in there for everyone. Our pick? We really dig the XIKAR Ultra Mag Single-Jet Flame Lighter.
The metal body of the Xikar Ultra Mag lighter gives the torch a feature unique unto itself. Xikar has outfitted each of these torches with a magnetic attachment system, allowing you to keep both torch lighter and its space-saving counterpart, the Ultra Slim cutter, together in one place. Our suggestion is to snag both at the same time via Xikar’s Ultra Mag Set.
The Tabletop Lighter
Available in both quad and triple-jet configurations, these hefty, yet virtually indestructible torch lighters are the “piece de resistance” when it comes to high heat. So if you are on the hunt for something sturdy that will be sitting on display more often than not, then a tabletop torch lighter from Xikar is definitely worth considering.
Soft & Hybrid Flame Lighters
As mentioned above, we’ll skip the whole soft flame side of things due to the superior performance provided by a torch lighter. However, that’s not to say that the two can’t be melded together via a hybridized feat of engineering.
Check out Xikar’s Forte Hybrid lighter, which utilizes both jet and soft flame technology for a light that contains the best of both worlds. With its houndstooth-patterned metal details adding additional grip and pizzazz, and an all-metal body housing an integrated 7mm cigar punch, the Forte Hybrid lighter is one of the cleverest cigar accessories you’ll ever encounter.
The Flat-flame Lighter
As the original (and only) option within this portion of the brand’s catalog, the Verano Flat Flame lighter provides what Xikar refers to as “...the power of a double flame, breadth of a triple flame, for maximum fuel efficiency.”
Opulent yet super simple, this swanky-looking device features an all-metal construction, with internals that play host to the latest and greatest technology Xikar has to offer.
Electronic Cigar Lighters
Finally, there is the Xikar XFlame Lighter. Fully electronic, and battery-powered from the base up, this rechargeable device heats up quickly and boasts a burner that can handle even the most humongous 62-ring gauge cigar.
Furthermore, it does not require butane or lighter fluid, and can be charged via virtually any device or USB plug, making it one of the most ideal travel cigar accessories. Its burner is also easy to clean and replace, it’s 100% windproof due to not having a flame, and is ultra quick and easy to use. This translates to never having to worry about overheating the foot of a cigar again!
Parting Puffs
As avid tobacco enthusiasts, it’s always exciting to see what new gear and cigar accessories are emerging on the market. That’s why both Case Elegance and Klaro Cigars have entire pages dedicated to the greatest Xikar cigar accessories on the market today.
Over the years, our partnership with Xikar has allowed us to provide friends, family, and fellow cigar smokers with the best pricing on Xikar cutters and lighters, especially when bundling them together.
However, if you are in no need of a new cutter, and purely wish to procure a fresh flame, our vote is to go with the triple-jet Xikar Tactical 3 torch lighter. The level of balance between the searing-hot flame and control that this hardcore lighter provides borders on being labeled as ideal. Durable, reliable, powerful, and appealing. What more could you want from a brand that is widely recognized for being the very best in the cigar biz?
