UPDATE! As of right now, I cannot recommend this lighter AT ALL.
I’m sorry to have to do this, but I really have no choice. I really do regret it, I carried this lighter for years, used it infrequently but was pretty pleased with it as a whole.
Here’s what happened. Please remember that there was a lot less information on these lighters out on the Internet/web when I bought mine, and I didn’t anticipate having to re-research it after I owned it.
For years Ive been meaning to try an experiment with this lighter. The flints that the manufacturer uses and supplies are quite a bit larger in diameter than typical “Zippo” or “Ronson” lighter flints that are available elsewhere. Long ago when I was investigating alternative ways to use the ubiquitous Bic disposable lighter I noticed that the Bic lighter was also larger in diameter than “Zippo” or “Ronson” lighter flints (and impressively longer), and figured it might be worth finding out if they could be used in the Douglass.
So, I finally got around to it. Now, I’ve tried different styles and sizes of lighter flints before, and I was prepared for any of four results
- It might not fit at all,
- It might fit but be too small in diameter, tilt and jam the spark wheel.
- It might fit but not spark well, or…
- It might work
What I was not prepared for was the result that I got:
It broke.
Immediately.
Completely.
Apparently, permanently.
Actually, the first result I got was #1. It might not fit at all. It was way too long. It might have worked with a typical spring-in-a-tube arrangement, but with the Douglass’ fancy piston/plunger it just wouldn’t go. I had anticipated that, so I took a pair of needle-nose pliers and broke a small length off and used that.
I got one attempt, which didn’t spark well. One. After that, it was broken. The spark wheel no longer rotates with he cap when you try to light it.
Now the fun really starts. I took the flint out and put the approved one back in, nothing. I examined everything I could using bright lights and magnification, no clue. What I DID find is that the wheel and cap assembly hinges around two TINY little screws, and that if you DO have bright light and magnification you can tell that they are some sort of godawful tiny security screws. Where a Phillips tip has four “wings” on it, these have three.
Now, I have three or four sets of security bits, but nothing this small. Even the tiny three-wing bits in the famous iFixit kit are intended to help take apart phones and such are WAY too big.
So, it’s evident that the manufacturer REALLY doesn’t want us messing around in there. I wonder why this rates security screws?
So, I finally got on the Web, and almost immediately encountered warnings about this, including this gem from an Amazon site selling the lighters:
https:://www.amazon.com/Douglass-Studio-Field-S-Resistance-Lighter/dp/B003HK7Y9U/
“? using please use a stone, when other stones are used, it breaks down.”
Ohhh…… kaayyyy. Clearly I should have known.
I found the website of the manufacturer, which (at least currently) is Tokyo Pipe Co. Some of the pages linked to under the “CONTACT” header are in Japanese. For support, it says in English that you can call a voice line in Japan. I did finally find a form to fill out to contact customer service, and I did that and submitted it, but it says right on the form that it takes 7-10 days for them to respond. Not to solve your problem, to RESPOND.
So, I found two companies selling these lighters in the US, and filled out their customer service forms asking what my options to get this repaired in the US or maybe Europe, someplace where they might speak English might be.
That was a day and a half ago. Vast silence. No response at all.
Here’s my take on the situation:
Strike 1; The Douglass lighter uses proprietary flints. Annoying, but not a deal-breaker for some uses, though it probably is for long-term survival if that’s a concern.
Strike 2: There is some mechanism in the lighter, I suspect its’ some sort of pawl on a ratchet to let the spark wheel rotate with the cap in one direction but not in the other, that is REALLY delicate and self-destructs almost immediately if everything (in this case the flint) is not perfect. That in itself makes this very dubious as a survival tool. By definition, anything your survival depends on needs to be robust and reliable.
Strike 3: This delicate mechanism cannot be accessed with normal tools, not even normal tools for working on clocks, watches or jewelry.
Strike 4: For practical purposes, there is little or no support. This is a real annoyance in normal times, but for survival use it’s pretty much irrelevant; you are already dead.
At this point I’m obviously disappointed I the lighter, but I’m torn on whether to even pursue getting it repaired. The best that could come of that is that I’d have a lighter I’ll never fully trust again after throwing good money after bad.
Am I at fault here? Sure, what the heck, I’ll take full responsibility… but that does NOT change the fact that I cannot recommend a lighter with these faults for survival in any sense. Even the single fact that it uses proprietary “flints” could become a real problem in hard-time situations that go on for years… and such times are not the times that you want to be depending on ANYTHING delicate..
So, what am I going to do? Even if I do eventually get some response, I doubt that getting the lighter repaired is going to make financial sense, especially if I have to ship it to Japan and/or deal with a language barrier.
I still want a lighter-fuel (kerosene) lighter that won’t let the fuel evaporate in mere weeks for my EDC. I’d miss it. Sure, I have some Exotac Fire Sleeves for Bic lighter, and I put them in small packs where weight is a big factor and carry them while walking distance or running, same reason, but for EDC I really want something better. I’ll take another hard look at the Exotac Titanlight but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up with the Titanium Peanut Lighter XL from Countycomm. I have (somewhere) the same lighter in olive green hard-anodized aluminum (no longer offered (though they do have a green), it’s fine but the finish on the cap and barrel don’t match very well, and I have it in brass, which looks nice but it way too heavy- the walls of that casing are thick. The only problem I’ve had with them is the o-rings, they use the same size on all the Peanut lighters but on the XL versions it’s stretched further, and thinner, and only seals when it’s new… but you can find o-rings to fit better. The Titanlight might be more tempting in a “sterile” version, but with it’s “billboarding” I think the bare titanium with only the CAGE number and “US” engraved in the barrel is just a lot cooler.
RtW
Here’s the original post, May 21st, 2017
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I recently read (somewhere) that most people (presumably in the US) are not aware that there is, or ever has been any “lighter fuel” other than butane.
Sigh.
Given that only a very tiny percentage of readers of this blog ever leave comments, it’s very difficult to know who might eventually read this. I literally have no idea who the audience is. Do I really need to go back to explain the basics of making fire, how oil lamps worked for many thousands of years, how lighters evolved? I know that a typical education now does not include anything like “material culture”, or pretty much any history for that matter, but I think anyone likely to be reading this is also likely to have a background of information fueling their curiosity.
In my humble opinion, for short-term survival use butane lighters are fine, so long as they’ve been checked for function recently. Yes, they can be troublesome in very cold weather, but you should be able to keep them warm by keeping them close to your body. If you don’t have any body heat, you probably no longer need a fire.
For long-term survival use, or “adventure travel”, or a number of other scenarios, liquid fuel lighters make much more sense. They can use a variety of fuels if you have to. I won’t go into that here, the danger of the fuels is probably far less than the danger of lawsuits, but most of the world does not pay for little bottles of specialized fuel for these things.
I mentioned the Douglass Field S lighter once before in passing. Recently I had a little unbudgeted “mad money”, I wasn’t sure which whim to indulge with it, and I remembered that interest. Unfortunately, it was sold out at the only direct importer in the US that I’m aware of, and had been for quite a few months. I remembered being frustrated at that earlier, I had even set an “alert” on the web page to let me know if/when it was back in stock, and had not gotten any notice for so long I forgot that I had done it. Nothing more to be done, that was that.
By coincidence (if you believe in that sort of thing) just a couple of days later I got the email, it was back in stock, and I hadn’t found anything else interesting to spend the money on, so I “bit”. I’ve had it for a couple of weeks now.
Features:
It’s reliable. Properly set up with proper fuel and a broken-in flint it has never failed to work. Not always on the first flick,after prolonged non-use, but first or second.
It’s waterproof. This is because it has o-rings, and a special levered “screw down the hatch” option that pressurizes the o-ring protecting the wick. In fact, it has a lot of o-rings. At least six.Maybe seven. There are o-rings on main moving parts, there are o-rings on sub-assemblies, and there is at least one on a sub-sub-assembly.
For pretty much identical reasons, it doesn’t let the fuel evaporate easily. The literature that comes with it says it will contain its fuel for up to a year… and, see the next item.
It has a spare fuel tank. This concept should be familiar to lovers of very early Volkswagons or any but the most up-to-date motorcycles (though those didn’t really employ a separate tank, usually), but I think it’s unique in lighters. The cap of the main fuel tank is itself a bottle, a spare reservoir for an emergency reserve of fuel.
It has a spare “flint”. The cap of the main fuel tank is the spare fuel reservoir, and the cap of that also contains a spare flint. That’s right, the cap is a container and has its own cap which is also a container. I’m not sure this is really the most efficient way to accomplish that goal, but the gem-like precision machining is a joy. As the old Teac ads used to say, “Made in Japan, by fanatics”.
Typical criticisms:
It gets hot quickly. Stipulated, it does. It’s not remotely going to work as a candle or oil lamp for more than a few seconds. This could be better, but at least it provides a strong incentive not to waste fuel when you could probably light something else and use that.
I’ve read criticism that the flame is too low, that you can’t light anything you can’t stick in the wind guard. Serioiusly? Learn to adjust a wick.
I’ve read criticism that it’s hard to flick “on”. I agreed until the flint was fully broken in.
I’ve read the criticism (a lot) that it’s not “windproof”. Some seem to consider that one feature so important that they’ve discounted this lighter. Sorry, I don’t think it’s very important at all. Granted, being truly windproof is a great advantage if you’re a smoker, but we’re talking survival use here. You will be trying to light something- a candle, a wick, tinder, twigs, something. If you don’t have some shelter from a high wind, whatever you’re trying to light isn’t going to stay lit no matter whether your lighter does or not. Controlling wind is just part of the game in lighting outdoor fires, and having a windproof lighter doesn’t help much.
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So, it may just be the best long-term survival lighter that exists now. Is it the “ultimate”? No, not at all. While it’s certainly intriguing, it’s not hard to come up with a list of features that one might wish it had.
The Zippo became popular and famous very early on not because of “features” so much as the fact that it carried very well and comfortably in a pocket, being flatter and far smoother than earlier lighters.
The most famous of the classic IMCO lighters have a fuel tank and wick that can separate from the lighter, in effect an oil lamp in the shape of a small candle that can burn for as long as the fuel holds out without overheating. This is an amazingly useful feature, not just for emergency lighting but to use to light other things, such as lanterns.
On the other hand, at least some models of the inexpensive Clipper lighter (that may be even harder to find in the United States than the modern Japanese Douglass lighters) have a flint-wheel assembly that separates from the lighter itself, giving you a tool very much like a Spark-Lite firestarter, popular for military survival kits partly because it can be used one-handed in the case of injury (hand injuries are particularly common among downed pilots).
The incorporation of both of these features into one lighter (pretty much turning the “lighter” itself, the “body”, into just a framework to hold the tank/wick and striker into alignment for normal use) would create a much more versatile lighting tool. There are other things that might go into an “ultimate” lighter, like intelligent use of titanium, or… there exist coil springs that compress to a small fraction of their effective working length with relatively constant pressure such as are used in firearms magazines, using one like that with a LONG ferrocerium “flint” might create a change-free “flint” system that could last a couple of lifetimes.
I’ll go ahead and link to the one US vendor that has these at a decent price and “borrow” a photo. Since it’s free advertising for them that doesn’t benefit me in any way, I doubt they’ll object.
I bought mine in plain brass. I just think what is basically a WWI trench lighter-esque form goes best with the naked brass “steampunk” aesthetic.
The one I bought:
http://www.bladehq.com/item–Douglass-Field-Lighter-Waterproof–23249http://www.bladehq.com/?search=douglass+field+s+Lighter (bladehq.com)
Cosmetic variations:
http://www.bladehq.com/?search=douglass+field+s+Lighter (bladehq.com)
– Robert the Wombat
Excellent info. Thank you very much.
TL; DR.
Love the brass and want to get one myself if I can ever catch it in stock. Would also love to see updated pics with patina!
I’ll try to get one up soon- no promises as to quality, there’s a reason I don’t post a lot of photos on this site.
I’ve enjoyed owning mine, and it’s still my EDC lighter except when I’m out on my regular walk/runs, when I usually carry a Bic in an Exotac sleeve, mostly because it weighs less and I won’t mind nearly as much if it gets lost. Of course, not being a smoker I carry the Douglass a lot and use it very little, but it’s for emergencies… and what with the smokers being banished to hiding in dark corners, I guess the days of gentlemen carrying a lighter for gallant gestures are gone.
As for patina, mine has gained some over time but still doesn’t look worn at all, I don’t carry it in the same pocket with other metal objects.
I should mention that it went through an unfortunate “orange period” during which I was disappointed in the patina, it was a strange reddish hue, and I guessed that might be permanent, but for whatever reason it went from that to almost looking too new again, so if it happens to you try not to worry about it. It seems to be settling down to a much more pleasant, subtle patina now, but I don’t know if I can capture that in photos.
Wonderful article just purchased a sterling silver one to be delivered next week sometime. You’re a talented writer. Know why? I read an article about a lighter. Let that sink in.
Thanks so much for the (very) kind words. I confess to having had aspirations in that direction. Things are changing, perhaps I’ll finally have time to try.
Sorry for the delay in responding, and I’ve neglected the blog shamefully for a long time, but we’re in the process of moving… well, let’s just say more than 500 miles from a house we’ve been in for 25 years. Sold one, bought another, and I had no idea at all how difficult it would be on both ends. There is light at the end of the tunnel, expect to be moved shortly before the end of June.
Strange feeling at my age, not having any clear idea what my lifestyle is going to be like in a few months… but, what I can see looks better. Much different, but better.
I don’t remember seeing sterling silver as an option, that’s worth noting, I might even have considered it for myself, and might in the future for gifts. I’ve been pleased with the solid brass, and I’m sure you will be with the silver as well. It doesn’t keep the fuel from evaporating forever, and I’m not sure how much has been actually used in my case, but I doubt if I fill it more than once every six months or so, and of course there’s the reserve. Despite there being almost no opportunity to use it for gallant gestures with the ladies these days, it’s been a reassuring presence in my EDC for quite a while now.
>>Know why? I read an article about a lighter. Let that sink in.<< Ha. Well, not sure what else that says about me… I’ve read lots of articles about lighters. 😉
Seems im late to the party aha, im not a smoker myself but have started taking hobies that require a fire source, knowing pretty much nothing about lighters, and being a bit paraniod of leaking fuel or gases and somehow getting burned i tried researching, this lighter has interested me greatly except for the short use duration do to heating of the metal, is there perhaps a way to remove the shield? Or some kind of coston handle one can place on that wont be harm or be dangerious?
@John Smith – I suppose you could just make a canvas or leather pouch to put it in to hold?
To everyone: I apologize for taking so long to get back to you. Aside from moving 500+ miles after… decades in one area, aside from some real problems with the move, the loss of a pet, a hurricane, an epidemic and political turmoil, the blog quit working. Reading it was no problem, but I got axle-wrapped to the point where none of my changes, though they looked fine in the previews, showed up online. Long story, took months to track it down because I really didn’t have time to devote to it. That part seems to be working fine now, but I still am not getting email notification of comments… working on it. If it’s not resolved this week I’ll change the email account I’ve been using.
I’m not a smoker either (and there’s virtually no call for them for gallant gestures as a gentleman anymore), but fire is really, really important to us as a species- search for “Wrangham” here or in Amazon for some key insights in that regard. Edged tools and fire, in that order, made us what we are, so are a part of our identity as a species. As we have evolved with and are very dependent on even ancient technology we are in a sense cyborgs, we cannot survive as animals anymore.
Sorry to say that there’s no way to remove the shield or increase the amount of time before this lighter heats up. It’s a limitation- it doesn’t affect me personally much, I have a fair amount of experience making fire with (real) flint and (real) steel, which generates fewer, briefer and lower-temperature sparks than modern materials. As such, a lighter still seems a huge luxury to me, and I’m used to preparing materials and not using them for candles etc.
If that’s a problem you might check out the much-less-expensive venerable IMCO 6700 in all its variations.
RIP IMCO, Gone but not Forgotten
The IMCO is a generally similar design but without the reserve reservoir, the screw-down gasketed wick cover and other details. What you do get is a removable fuel canister that can be used on its own to light things like a candle, or even as an oil lamp for light.
There were a lot of Chinese fakes, but I’ve been told that the company name and logo was sold to a company that now contracts to have them made in Asia, so some of them are sort of legitimate. I hear it’s not all THAT rare to find the original Austrian-made versions in antique stores, flea markets, estate sales etc… for that alone it’s worth familiarizing yourself with what they look like. If you’re REALLY lucky you might even find the much rarer Austrian-made stainless version.
Here’s what purports to be the current manufactured version of that variant on Amazon. They have a lot of other versions. I haven’t been in the loop” on these for a while, so I don’t know about quality, but the ones from Japan I’d guess are probably better than the ones from China.
https://www.amazon.com/IMCO-Classic-Stylish-Lighter-Stainless/dp/B00OLM12TG/
Amazon- IMCO, stainless, Japan
Amazon has a LOT more variants than the last time I checked.
Besides having a cool lighter for much less money and some slightly different capabilities and limitations, you can have a lighter that’s “period correct” for your Indiana Jones cosplay. 😉
Heck, might pick up one myself. I don’t know what I’d ever use it for since I have the Douglass, but it’s just cool.
So, can Zippo flints be used? I have a Field s that I love, also a neo 4 that can take the Zippo flints. Look at Zorro lighters, they are well made and have models that have o rings and a Zippo look alikes. I have one on the way as well as an Imco to try. A buck a flint is steep imo. Thank you for the article.
Yeah I was scrolling thought trying to learn about the flint situation as I ordered a lighter and didn’t think to order spares when I did so. I gave my old zippo flint a ago and worked, albeit not quite as well, but it did work. I have to scavenge flints from littered lighters now ^_^ Just need to see what I could possibly use as a wick.
A quick Google search seemed to reveal some sources of real Douglass flints and :”maintenance kits” (which includes the wick), even on Amazon.
Thanks, great review and information about the product especially as I ll be ordering one soon and I like what you said ” learn to adjust the wick” lol! made me laugh because that’s what I though when I heard someone say the flame is too low. Still I guess none of us are perfect eh?
>>Still I guess none of us are perfect eh?<< Yeah... maybe I'm too flip about these things. I've been around a long time myself, and I've been a student of history, and particular "material culture" for several decades, and sometimes what seems obvious to me from that perspective turns out to be something that few people are even exposed to anymore. The implications of that are truly frightening if we face really hard times. We've been very lucky and very sheltered for generations, but there were never any guarantees. I'm afraid as a civilization we may come to regret the loss of organizations like the Boy Scouts that provided some exposure to the real basics of getting by.
I’m a life long smoker, and always on the lookout for a decent lighter, I prefer the softer flame of a petrol lighter to a gas lighter but use both types. A Zippo will last me about 2/3 days between refilling. And the lids go loss after a few months in ones pocket. Imco’s will last a bit longer. Have just got a Douglas S. in chrome for my 60th and I must say I am impressed. I intend to use this as my main lighter and see how long it will last. I smoke roll ups and constantly have to relight them and I’m guessing at least 100 strikes a day and we’ll see if it’s still running this time next year, I am optimistic about this one
So I did exactly as you, except right out of the box. I knew how expensive Douglass flints are because I already own a Neo Gen 3 and have been using Bic flints in it for over a year. Since I had no issues with the Neo Gen I had to assume the Field S should have no problems. After having it apart and actually getting it back together and working I’m now certain that the flint was coincidence and not to blame. Obviously the length of the flint is more of an issue for the Field series compared to the Neo Gen because of the difference in the compression spring. When I used the Bic flint before the failure in my Field S spark wheel I made sure to shorten it enough for proper clearance. What you will find if you get the proper size tri wing driver for the hardware on the tower is a simple spring, held inside a housing with a tiny cut out where the end of the spring will become fixed to allow the whole thing to turn together, thus striking the flint. What I believe had occurred is the end simply broke off of both of our springs, releasing the pressure on the striker wheel. It’s actually quite basic and simple mechanics. I was able to complete this repair in about 10 minutes without having any idea what I was going to find before hand. Some things that are built to last can seem fussy, like a carburetor, but they are also built to be worked on and will last forever with a little no how and research.
Thanks for the information, sorry to take so long to get back to you… there’s a LOT going on in my life right now.
Where did you get the driver? Do you know how the size is designated?
I’m not sure I understand your reasoning- we independently both did the same thing, and both immediately had exactly the same result, but you came to think it’s a coincidence somehow?
I have mixed feelings. My instinct is to fix it (I have a LOT of mechanical background and I tend to “mod” everything). On the other hand I’ve moved on to BOTH the CountyComm Peanut XL lighter in titanium an the Exotac Titanlight (my current EDC). They’re both very high-quality, durable and reliable lighters, but nothing is perfect and they both have advantages and disadvantages. The Exotac is very convenient, a very nice job of machining, smooth and easy to use, but is a bit bulky and has a problem with over-filling (and EVERYONE overfills it), the CountyComm is more secure, slimmer and seals tighter, but takes far more time to unscrew and tends to eat gaskets. it may be a better answer for those who are carrying it ONLY for emergency use, if I were using one regularly, not necessarily as a smoker but perhaps camping or backpacking, I’d go with the Exotac.
Thanks again,
RtW
Hi,
I have the same problem where the striking wheel is loose. i have tried removing the tri wing nut, but i can only remove it from one side, the other tri wing screw is not possible for me to remove :/
I thought of perhaps permanently secure the wheel to the lid, that way it would still work. but i prefer to get it working as it should. could you explain in depth how you did or preferably make a video. this would mean the world to me 🙂