I received a second-hand Xikar Eris recently. There was a small metal ring suspended just above the jet nozle that would glow hot when the lighter is lit. It was pressed down on one side and, in my attempt to straighten it, i pulled the whole thing out by accident. It doesn't seem to have affected the performance of the lighter. What was the ring there for in the first place?

I've seen cheapo gas-station torches that have a similar ring of reactive metal that turns the flame a different color... I'm guessing this isn't the intended purpose on a Xikar... what is it there for then?
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somebody correct me if i'm wrong, but it helps make the lighter windproof. That heats up so if the flame goes out it can rilight it without having to click it again.
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You're right, Ben. The coil is what makes the lighter "windproof". When you light it initially, the coil gets hot and that is what sustains the "windproof" flame as the fuel and air mixes at that point.
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Well, the ring has been gone for awhile (several months), but just recently the lighter started requiring 5-10 clicks before it will light... upon examination, it looks like the igniter is not sparking most of the time. Will the missing windproof ring cause any problems in getting Xikar to service the lighter as a whole?
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I would doubt it since the coil SHOULD destroy itself after a time just in lost molecules of metal or whatever
the proper term would be, I doubt you can fire that coil up that many times and not have some kind of loss.
My Hello Kitty lighter has a copper wire that turns the flame green, and there would be no way to do that if it
were not giving up SOME amount of mass every time it lit up green like that. I mean, that's why its GREEN.
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Well... I mean... I just.... ahhh I got nothing :-)
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Then you aren't really trying.
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It shouldnt. I have had Xikar lighters and cutters for almost 10 years they have replced my lighter 4 times even after the second time when I told them it was my fault the lighter wasnt working and understood if I had to buy a new one. Probably the best lifetime guarantee I have ever worked with.
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Anyone have experience with repair/replacement on a lighter that has been discontinued? The Eris isn't being made any more... I'm just worried they'll replace it with something like a Genesis, Incline, Plunge, or Executive II that doesn't have the punch which I use 90% of the time. If they are going to replace it, I would hope for an Element, Pulsar, or Vitara.
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I would communicate that concern to them, they're one of the more reasonable companies to deal with in my experience :-)
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Sent it in yesterday. Noted my request for a replacement with a punch if it couldn't be repaired or replaced with the same model. Now for 3 weeks of waiting...
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let us know how it goes when you get it back :-)
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Replacement arrived today (12 calendar days)... a brand new Vitara in Gunmetal. The Gunmetal isn't really my cup of tea, so it's up on the B/S/T if anyone is interested.
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INGRATE, lol..... :-)
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Xikar's warantee bought my loyalty years ago. Sent my cutter back twice and my lighter back 3 times now and never has taken more than 10 business days. Even when I admitted I dropped my lighter and it wouldnt work any more.
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Mine as well, I just don't particularly care for the model they shipped back this time. I have a pair of Elements and a Twist punch both still serving me well, and I hope to pick up an XV sooner or later.
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