Gas lighters

Gas lighters came later and solved the petrol lighter's one inconvenience: evaporation. They run on pressurised butane held in a sealed reservoir, so they sit for months without losing fuel and light the instant you need them. The flame is clean and odourless, and on most models a small dial lets you set its height: a low, neat flame or a tall one.

Press the lever and a valve releases a fine jet of butane. It is lit either by a flint wheel (the same spark mechanism as a petrol lighter) or by a piezo igniter: that little sprung mechanism we used to pull out of disposable lighters to shock each other with on a handshake as kids.

Piezo gives you a one-press, no-flint click. A flint wheel keeps the traditional roll of the thumb. Either way, the butane burns hotter and cleaner than fluid, which is why the flame looks so crisp.

Refilling. It takes seconds. Use a can of refined butane, press it into the valve under the base for a few seconds, and you're done. Older or unusual valves often need the right adapter tip to seat the can correctly; my butane refill adapter guide covers which is which. Refined fuel matters; cheaper butane carries impurities that clog the valve over time.

Bleeding. If a lighter has been sitting, press the valve pin briefly to bleed out the old air before refilling, so the fresh fuel fills cleanly.

Flame height. Adjust the dial in small steps. A flame that is too tall burns fuel quickly and soots the nozzle.

Cold and altitude. Butane gets sluggish in real cold and behaves differently at altitude. Warm the lighter in your hand for a moment and it comes back.

Gas models tend to be slimmer and more colourful than their petrol ancestors. The 1960s through 1980s gave us some genuinely beautiful designs. They ask for less day to day, and reward you with a flame that is there the moment you want it.

Prefer the ritual and patina of the originals? Read the petrol guide.