Swingtop Lighter

I’m a fan of Craighill, its mission, and its design philosophy. But this product was a big miss for me. First, there’s too much lever tension for easy one-handed use. Second, it’s awkward — the lever travels too far to operate easily. Third, that tension forces you to grip it tightly so it doesn’t fly out of your hand. Fourth, a side lever isn’t ideal; a front button is simply better. Fifth, performance is mediocre — it often takes 4-5 flicks to light. Sixth, it feels heavier than my daily-driver Zippo. Seventh, the inner part was surprisingly hard to remove for refueling, easier on a Zippo. Finally, the screw-down gas cover is efficient, but you can only see a small circle of the fuel pad, making it hard to tell when it’s full. What did I like? Not much — it looks well made. Overall, Craighill over-engineered this piece, resulting in a lighter I don’t want to carry, much less use. Follow up: I expect other lefties to feel the same way. Much easier to use with the right hand.

Classy fire! 🔥

I ordered the lighter based off of the working prototype which was a large plastic printed item and I thought it was so cool the way it worked and how everything came together. I didn't really need another lighter. I don't even smoke. I do have a cigar every now and then. This lighter just looked like it was something cool to own and keep forever. I have yet to put lighter fluid in it but I played with it several times and really loving the way it came together.

Very considered and quality

The considerations of this lighter down to the fill screw cap are impressive. The fit and finish are amazing and it just feels built to last. I got one for myself and one for my brother and he was super impressed with both the design and build quality. He worked for years in Quality Assurance and said some of the details were even more impressive as it's hard to get that level of quality in a production run. Well done.