We need fire almost everyday. With its help we can light our stove, cigarettes, we need it for our work, etc. Can we imagine to start a fire in old fashioned way - by using two stones and some tinder ? Fortunately we do not have to think like this anymore as we have lighters nowadays. One of the first lighters was invented by a German chemist in 1823. It used hydrogen and was really different from the modern ones. How do such modern lighters look like ? Let´s reveal little more.
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If we wanted to generally characterize the principle of lighter, it would look like this – fire arises as a result of ignition of gas or wick soaked with gasoline. Inside the gas lighter, a piezo-electric crystal is placed, at one end of a spring whose other end is connected to a wired hammer inside the cylindrical lighter. Piezo…what? We´ll come back to this. How can we divide the lighters ? According to use on cooking and personal lighters, according to fuel on gas or petrol lighters. There are differences between them, advantages and disadvantages of each type so we should talk about it little more.
Gas as a cheap option
Gas lighters are nowadays the most widely used. There are either disposable ones or those that can be refilled. These have the metallic wheel, when pushed down by one’s thumb, will rub against the ferrocerium to produce a scorching spark. Simultaneously, a valve opens, from which the butane is released, which is vaporized (depressurized) as soon as it exits the container. The spark is produced just above the valve, which then simply ignites the plume of gas. The other option use a piezoelectric material that converts mechanical energy to electric energy. Unlike ferrocerium, a piezoelectric material isn’t pyrotechnic, but its electric resistance changes when it is deformed by mechanical forces. The advantage of such lighters is low price and reliability. You can get new lighter every week and will not cost a fortune. However, the first troubles come when the wind blows. What do we do ?
Faith in tradition
For such cases, petrol lighters are highly suitable. There is cotton inside the body and wrapped wick. Metal wheel is rubbed, which ignite the wick soaked in lighter fluid. After opening the lid, we have a view of the wick cover. In this cover, there are holes for to the oxygenation of the flame, but at the same time it acts as a wind protection. That is the main difference from the first type. This type is really highly wind resistant, which is its big advantage. Inside the wick is a thin copper wire to make the wick more resistant and do not burn so quickly. Petrol lighters are perhaps a bit more expensive, but they guarantee the sureness, luxury and above all the tradition with which they are produced.
Question of a personal taste
Selection depends on our preferences. Someone does not want to pay a higher price for quality petrol lighter, even if they last 10 years and rather buy a cheap one every week. When we think about it, the petrol lighter is going to be a cheaper option anyway. Moreover, it is wind resistant and generally more durable. The only drawback is quite frequent fuel replacing. What is then the best option for outdoor use ? Perhaps neither, however, petrol lighter will always be the better choice.