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Dave's Take: Xikar HP4 Quad Jet Lighter


GolfSpy Dave

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Dave's Take: Xikar's HP4 Quad Flame Lighter

http://www.xikar.com/products/lighters/hp4/

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 10.jpg

The High Performance supercar-inspired HP4 Lighter was engineered to deliver optimum performance and output. The dominant appearance of the HP4 embodies a newly designed chassis. An in-line fuel adjustment wheel, oversized double EZ-Viewâ„¢ red fuel windows and four angled jets create an apex of precision engineered flames to concentrate heat and efficiently light any cigar with confidence. 

 

The manual flip-top lid not only protects the quad jets, but also retracts more than 90 degrees ensuring plenty of room to light small or large ring gauge cigars.

 

Last week, I shared with you my take on the Xikar Turrim Single Jet Lighter. If you didn't get a chance to read that review yet, just click that link in the previous sentence. If that's too much effort, I'll summarize it for you.

 

The Xikar Turrim Single Jet Lighter is my runaway-favorite lighter to take to the golf course. It's ergonomically excellent, lights reliably, fits perfectly in the travel humidor, and has enough butane capacity to light sticks for a scramble worth of golfers. Nothing but aces with the Turrim.

 

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 1.jpg

 

Today, I have another Xikar lighter to share with you, the HP4 Quad Flame lighter. Yep, you read that correctly: QUAD FLAME. The HP4 has four butane jets. I've used three-jet lighters before, but never four.

 

My inner pyromaniac says that more fiery jets should be nothing but good, but could that much fire cause unforeseen cigar lighting issues?

 

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 6.jpg

 

Features

  • Diamond Quad Jet Flames
  • Outer Jets are angled 8 degrees creating a quad flame apex
  • Flip-top lid retracts over 90 degrees
  • Pull-Down ignition sports Xikar badge styling
  • Metal body with debossed stripes
  • Louvered rear-end accents
  • Oversized, ratcheting fuel adjustment system
  • EZ-Viewâ„¢ Red Fuel Window to easily detect remaining butane levels
  • Five available colors (Black, Gunmetal, Red, Blue, and Orange)
  • MSRP: $119.99

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 3.jpg

 

Ergonomics and Functionality

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 11.jpg

 

Though not as streamlined as the Turrim Single, the HP4 Quad Flame lighter continues a theme of solid ergonomics. The HP4 is a bit stockier and shorter than the Turrim Single, fitting more into the contours of your palm as opposed to across them like the Turrim.

 

The HP4 lighter has a little more heft to it than the Turrim Single, which will be a good or bad thing depending upon your personal preference. For me, I found the weight to be significant, yet comforting. When I first held the lighter, I was a bit surprised by the heft, but the more I used it, the more I realized that I liked the weight, that it felt like I was holding something that means business.

 

These subjective things are hard to explain in words, but maybe think of the difference between holding a paring knife and a cleaver. Both knives cut, but when you hold the cleaver, you know that you are handling something powerful. That's my feeling about the HP4 Quad Flame lighter.

 

Ergonomics is not a trivial metric for lighter use, as the position of the lighter in the hand determines how easy the lighter is to operate. For the HP4, the shape allows you to grip it in such a way that you can easily access the operational parts with your thumb. Flicking the cover open, and sliding the ignition switch are accomplished with ease.

 

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 12.jpg

 

One of the features that Xikar promotes about the HP4 is the fact that the cover retracts to beyond 90 degrees, allowing for easy interaction between the cigar and the flame. I couldn't agree more with this assessment. I've got other flip top lighters where the lid stays too close to the jets, reducing access and also causing the lid to get hot, and burnt finger dangerous (yep, that's from personal experience). This lid gets out of the way, yet still covers the jets completely and snugly when retracted.

 

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 8.jpg

 

Style-wise, Xikar has again done a solid job merging aesthetics and functionality. The louvers across the back not only add an interesting visual to the lighter, but they also add texture, enhancing the snugness of the lighter in your hand during operation.

 

The available colors are pretty broad in appeal as well. You can choose from conservative black and gunmetal choices, or bolder red, blue, and orange options.

 

Dave's 10 Click Challenge

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 7.jpg

 

My new measurable metric for lighter performance is Dave's Ten Click Challenge. Basically, I will fill the lighter, and see how many ignitions occur with ten consecutive lighting attempts. I know that I want the torch to light more often than it doesn't, and so this seemed a valuable bit of data.

 

For the HP4 Quad Flame lighter, the score was 10/10. I actually went to 15 straight ignitions without a miss. Quad fire every single time.

 

Golfability

Xikar HP4 Quad - 1.jpg

 

I've previously gone on record as saying that the Xikar Turrim Single is the best take-to-the-golf-course cigar lighter, and after a few rounds with the HP4 Quad Flame lighter, the Turrim will retain that title, but it was close.

 

The HP4 is pretty damn amazing, but the main thing that lowers its golfability for me is shape. The Turrim Single has the ideal cylindrical shape, allowing it to fit perfectly into a cigar slot in the travel humidor. The HP4 fits in the humidor, but it is a bit too wide for a single cigar slot, and it thus requires more manipulation to get it to fit with the cigars and a cutter. Shorter cigars will give it room at the top of the humidor, but you are likely dropping a stick from the box to get the cutter in there. Because of this, I'm giving the decision to the Turrim Single.

 

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 2.jpg

 

It's kind of disappointing for me actually, because outside of the shape issue, this lighter brings nothing but joy when used.

First, I think that it holds about a gallon of butane. Not really, bit there is a lot in there, with the current levels easily viewed by checking the EZ-Viewâ„¢ Red Fuel Windows. Of course, you'd need that capacity with four jets to fuel, but even so, I was not prepared for the longevity of the burn. Once filled, the raging flames just sip the butane reservoir. My expectation of frequent refilling was not met.

 

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 5.jpg

 

The lighting of a cigar is also magnificent with the HP4. Having extra jets actually resulted in a feeling of improved heat control during lighting. It does seem counterintuitive, but having the pyramid of fire allowed me to control how much flame contacted the cigar at any given time. You can gently roast the tip from a distance, cultivating a great starting burn. having four jets is definitely not about lighting the cigar as fast as possible. It was cool to discover that the HP4 allows precise lighting, when I expected blunt-object burning. I love the way this lighter lights.

 

Also, feel free not to worry much about wind ever again either.

 

Now you could suggest that the HP4 could go to the course, just not in the travel humidor. I thought of that too, but I'd hate to have it get scratched or disfigured after just dropping it into a bag pocket filled with other junk. It would be like getting a ding on a favorite putter, and I am not down with that risk.

 

The HP4 is going to sit nicely next to my fancy Bettinardi cigar tray; lighting backyard sticks with four-flame delight.

 

Overall: It's Rad, but Burning at Home

Xikar HP4 Quad Flame Lighter - 4.jpg

 

The HP4 Quad Flame lighter is a phenominal cigar lighter, falling just short in golf portability for me. If you are not as hung up as I am on getting it in the travel humidor, then I'd say bring it to the links. If not, it's a great lighter for all other cigar situations. It's got some heft to it, but it'll still fit in your pocket.

 

The HP4 Quad Flame lighter would also make a great tabletop lighter. It has a great wide base, allowing it to easily stand when placed on the table. Take it with you, or leave it in your cigar area. The HP4 has you covered.

 

Retail on the HP4 is a not-insignificant $119.99. That's no small investment for a torch, but remember that this one too is backed by Xikar's lifetime warranty. You are not investing in a cheap lighter, and should there be an issue with it, Xikar will take care of you. This lighter will also make an excellent significant-event gift. One of my foursome turns fifty next month, and a HP4 Quad may very well be the gift of choice to mark the event.

 

Next week, we will check out the mechanical wonder that is the Xikar XO dual-guillotine cutter. Stay tuned.

Volvo Intorqueo

All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave

If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool...

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Great review as you told me previously that thing should light a cigar in a hurricane

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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Nice review thanks! If you smoke 60+ ring gages on consistent basis I see the value proposition a quad flame offers. As a 50 and under puffer I really don't like more than two jets and with the lanceros a single flame is best, IMHO-YMMV.

Driver: :cobra-small: Speed Zone 9* HZRDUS Smoke Yellow Shaft

3 Wood: :cobra-small: King Speedzone 13.5* HZRDUS Smoke Black Shaft

2 & 3 Hybrids: :cobra-small: Speedzone Recoil 480 ESX Shaft

Irons: :cobra-small: Speedzone 5-GW Recoil 460 ESX Shafts

Wedges::callaway-logo-1: PM Grind 54* & 58*

Putter: :odyssey-small: Dual Force Rossi II

Ball: Whatever I find in the woods

:Arccos:

HCP:18

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Nice review thanks! If you smoke 60+ ring gages on consistent basis I see the value proposition a quad flame offers. As a 50 and under puffer I really don't like more than two jets and with the lanceros a single flame is best, IMHO-YMMV.

Great point about ring gauge.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Volvo Intorqueo

All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave

If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool...

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