4 Clipper Classic lighters - Soft Touch Black

Clipper Classic lighter - soft touch black

Clipper is the brand name of Flamagas, a Spanish company founded in Barcelona in 1959. Its recognisable rounded shape was designed in the early 1970s by industrial designer Enric Sardà, and was one of the first refillable plastic lighters on the market at the time, offering an alternative to expensive refillable metal lighters or disposable ones. Flamagas now produces hundreds of millions of Clippers a year, and it has become a fixture alongside many a pack of rolling tobacco.

This version has a soft-touch coating: a slightly rubbery layer over the plastic body that gives a bit more grip than the smooth, glossy version. The set contains 4 lighters in black. As with every Clipper, the ridged flint wheel at the bottom does more than spark flame; it also works as a tamper for pressing tobacco down in a rolling paper. Flamagas now produces around 450 million Clippers a year by its own account, making it the world's second-largest lighter manufacturer after Bic.

Use and care

Refill the lighter through the filling valve at the bottom with standard butane gas, preferably in a well-ventilated space and away from open flame. If the flint runs out, it can be replaced: slide off the metal cap on top and place a new flint in the holder. Store the lighter away from heat and direct sunlight, and keep it out of reach of children.

Check out the Turbo Jet lighter in the Dutch-Smart range too, for anyone who prefers a jet flame that keeps burning in the wind.