Okay, so I’ve been messing around with these old Colibri lighters lately. You know, the vintage kind. They’re pretty neat, but man, they can be a pain to get working right. First, I tried to find some of them. I looked around in some antique stores, but the best luck I found was online, at auctions, and places like that.
Once I got a few in my hands, the real fun started. These things are old, so most of them are pretty dirty or clogged. I learned quickly that you gotta use the good stuff when you’re refilling them. I grabbed some Colibri Premium Butane. They say it’s the cleanest, and from what I can tell, it seems to make a difference. You don’t want to be messing around with some cheap fuel and then have your lighter all gummed up.
Cleaning these lighters is super important too. I found that using a Q-tip with a little bit of alcohol really helps to get into the small spaces and clean out the gunk. You want to be gentle, though. No need to be forcefully scrubbing anything.
- Compressed air is a lifesaver. I got a can of compressed air and used it to blow out all the dust, old tobacco, and whatever else was stuck in there.
- The trick is to keep the nozzle of the air can about an inch away from the top of the burner. That way, you don’t damage anything.
Getting Them to Light
After cleaning, it was time to fill ’em up and see if they’d light. Sometimes they fired right up, other times, not so much. It’s a bit of trial and error. You gotta make sure the fuel is flowing right and the spark is good. I spent a good amount of time just tinkering, adjusting things, and cleaning some more until I got a nice, steady flame.
I also tried to see how these vintage lighters were different. I found that they have a few different styles, but overall, it’s mostly the same process for each of them, just getting them cleaned up and running smoothly.
Anyway, it’s been a fun little project. These old Colibri lighters are cool pieces of history, and getting them working again is pretty satisfying. Plus, now I have a few unique lighters to show off!
