Views from a Smoke-Filled Room

LOS ANGELES – "Lighters are not a serious threat." Now they tell us.

"Lifting the lighter ban is consistent with TSA's risk-based approach to aviation security. First and foremost, lighters no longer pose a significant threat. Freeing security officers up from fishing for 22,000 lighters every day (the current number surrendered daily across the country) enables them to focus more on finding explosives, using behavior recognition, conducting random screening procedures and other measures that increase complexity in the system, deterring terrorists. The U.S. is the only country in the world to ban lighters – all other nations, including Israel and the U.K., do not."

The U.S. Transportation Safety Administration changed its rules last August and now allows "common" lighters to be transported on airplanes in carry-on luggage. For all those who have lost lighters at airports, it’s a welcome change, but a reminder of the pain that many cigar smokers endured when a favorite – or expensive – lighter was taken away.

But cigar smokers are not out of the woods yet. Although lighters which provide a normal flame are now OK, but the torch-style lighter is still not approved for carry-on luggage. Torch lighters are still being searched for and will be confiscated if found.

That ban also includes checked luggage, as well as carry-ons, unless you carry your torch in a specially-approved case that seals in the vapors. There are three on the market:

>> Otterbox was the first to come out such a TSA-approved case, called the "Zippo Cargo Case." It’s made of hard polycarbonate material like all Otterbox products and has a silicone seal when snapped closed that makes it airtight and watertight and allowed the TSA to approve it.

It has a foam interior cut-out that fits a Zippo lighter and it was the folks at Zippo that urged its manufacture. It really doesn’t work too well for any other lighter, but for the new ZippoBLU torch lighter, it’s perfect. The Zippo Cargo Case comes in black with a clear top and costs about $13.95 at retail.

>> Prometheus International came out with a similarly-styled, clamshell case that comes in black or blue and has a foam insert that’s a bit more flexible in size. It retails for $19.95 each.

>> Colibri has come out with a very interesting case that has been specifically approved for butane lighters. The TranzPack is unique: it looks like a giant yellow pill and screws together in its midsection. The foam liner offers an opening that could store two lighters side-by-side, but should be able to handle most cigar or pipe lighters without much trouble.

It’s promoted as crushproof, waterproof and buoyant and it probably is. Best of all, it’s quite reasonably priced at $16.75 each.

TSA rules allow for a maximum of two lighters to be carried in each piece of checked luggage. So if you want to carry your favorite torch lighters – even one of the those triple-flame models – go right ahead. But make sure you’ve followed the rules and keep it in your checked baggage inside one of these handy cases. You know the TSA will follow its rules . . . and take it away if it has the opportunity.

Rich Perelman is editor-in-chief of CigarCyclopedia.com, offering comprehensive daily coverage of cigars, accessories, issues, people and prices at www.CigarCyclopedia.com.

Rich Perelman

1/14/08

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