Lighters Maxijet & Megajet

The Maxijet and Megajet are S.T. Dupont's torch lighters: pressurised butane burning as a focused jet at roughly 1,300 °C, against about 800 °C for a soft flame.

That heat is the point. A 50-plus ring gauge foot takes a long time to light evenly with a soft flame, and a slow, fussy light is how you end up with a cigar that burns crooked for its first third. A torch gets the whole foot glowing in a few seconds and is essentially unaffected by wind — which matters more in Melbourne than most places.

The trade-off is that a torch is unforgiving. Held too close it will scorch the wrapper and produce a bitter first inch. Keep the flame just off the foot and let the heat do the work.