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Good lighters can cost quite a bit of money and, like any high-quality product, they're designed to pay for themselves by offering a long service life to their owner. In the past, refillable lighters were almost all liquid-fueled types. Today's refillables are just as often filled with butane. Cigar and pipe smokers, in particular, tend to gravitate toward these models as they lend no fuel taste to their tobacco products.
Liquid fuel lighters require more maintenance and cleaning that other types of refillables. While liquid fuel is reliable, will ignite in very high winds and is very inexpensive, even for the highest-end fuels, it does not burn as efficiently as butane. Therefore, it tends to leave behind traces of carbon and other impurities left behind when the lighter is lit. Cleaning this, conveniently enough, is best done with lighter fluid which is an excellent solvent. Lighter fluid may be added to the tip of a cotton swap and used to remove the black patches that tend to develop around the windscreen. Also pass the swab near the areas where the flint wheel and flint are set to ensure that these function correctly.
A butane torch lighter is one of the most popular accessories among cigar aficionados. They offer a clean-burning, hot flame, reliable lighting and the fuel is inexpensive. These lighters are also available in very highly-stylized designs. Some of them have two and even three flame jets which makes for a very striking visual display when they're employed. These lighters are generally very clean-burning and will produce little residue when used. However, one must still endeavor to keep the flame jets clean and, most importantly, one must ensure that they're free of any obstruction when the lighter is sparked.
Butane lighters produce almost no fouling elements when they are lit. This fuel burns with incredible efficiency. Add to that the fact that most high-end lighters are of the torch variety which burn very hot and there is little residue left behind from the flame. Liquid-fueled lighters will leave carbon and, sometimes, an oily residue behind on the windscreen, around the wick and, sometimes near the flint wheel. This may be wiped away with a cotton swab soaked in a little lighter fluid. Most often, it wipes away very easily and the lighter fluid evaporates away quickly.
On a butane-fueled lighter, there is a receptacle which is designed to accept a butane canister. This area must be kept clean. Generally, anything that may be obstructing this area can simply be brushed away. If anything should happen to become lodged in the jet area of the lighter, invert the lighter and tap it, gently, on a hard surface. This should dislodge any debris. If it doesn't, one can use a thin piece of metal to gently lift away the obstruction. Anything that is stubbornly-lodged in the workings of such a lighter should be removed by a professional to avoid damage.
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