I recently decided to jump into the torch arena with the Porsche Design PD5 lighter. Up until now, I've used a Dupont soft flame Ligne 1 which I still really like.
First, the build. I'm really impressed by the overall build of this PD5 lighter. It has quality metal materials that are put together with tight tolerances. The paint seems to be anodized in nature which creates a really scratch resistant finish. I'm kind of anal about those sorts of things.
How does it perform? So far, flawlessly. It lights every time with good flame adjustment. Having once had a Colibre, this has been a pleasant surprise. The single jet flame has worked well with any size cigar I've thrown at it. Never a sputter. I've refilled it many times now without issue. Some lighters can be a pain to refill. It is fuel hungry though with what I suspect is a smallish tank. A small work around....I have maintained a comfort level by refilling it every sixth day when smoking one cigar per day. Refilling takes about 15 seconds using any standard fuel. I should note that it has a standard nozzle unlike the Dupont. I think it would last longer, but when these lighters are out of fuel, they're out! Not much advanced warning. It does have a gauge to check the level, but I've not paid too close attention to this.
The Porsche Design also can be purchased with a custom fitted leather case. I have this too and it fits like a glove. No complaints... it too is very well constructed.
Overall I'm impressed with this lighter and very pleased at how it operates. It's dummy proof, wind proof and extremely easy to maintain on the fly. It's also very compact at half again the size of a standard book of matches. I believe it will give me good service for quite some time...hopefully many years or until I find another "must have" lighter. Toys!
:-):-)
Oh, I purchased it thru Mark at Cigar Money. Not my first buy from Mark and most certainly not my last. A great guy and retailer. Thanks Mark.
:-)
PS: Mine is blue.
Larry
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Update....After three months of daily heavy use, the Porsche Design lighter still works perfectly. It lights every time without fail. The finish still looks new. I've been sceptical of torch lighters as I've owned a couple of Colibri's in the past that didn't make it. This lighter might be on the expensive side, but it works and that's all I can ask for.
Larry
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