Good Thinking

Dissim lighter flips the flame for easy upright and inverted lighting

Dissim lighter flips the flame for easy upright and inverted lighting
Upright or upside down, the Dissim lighter makes lighting painless
Upright or upside down, the Dissim lighter makes lighting painless
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Lighting a tinder/kindling/fuel stack is a situation in which a small disposable lighter is almost guaranteed to burn your thumb; the Dissim lighter makes it less precarious
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Lighting a tinder/kindling/fuel stack is a situation in which a small disposable lighter is almost guaranteed to burn your thumb; the Dissim lighter makes it less precarious
The Dissim lighter is available for Kickstarter pledge levels starting at $24
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The Dissim lighter is available for Kickstarter pledge levels starting at $24
Upright or upside down, the Dissim lighter makes lighting painless
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Upright or upside down, the Dissim lighter makes lighting painless
Dissim lighter innards
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Dissim lighter innards
Dissim designers hope to help eliminate disposable lighters with a more convenient design
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Dissim designers hope to help eliminate disposable lighters with a more convenient design
A flame adjustment dial lets you switch between long and short flames
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A flame adjustment dial lets you switch between long and short flames
The available water-resistant case protects the lighter
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The available water-resistant case protects the lighter
The pocket-size Dissim lighter weighs 3 oz
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The pocket-size Dissim lighter weighs 3 oz
Candle lighting made easy
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Candle lighting made easy
Dissim lighter
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Dissim lighter
Dissim lighter in action ... up and down
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Dissim lighter in action ... up and down
View gallery - 11 images

Point the average pocket lighter down and fire it up and the flame will quickly rise and burn your thumb. But with a few simple adjustments, Dissim has developed a lighter that works as effectively upside down as it does right-side up. The little pocket lighter's unique design allows it to hop into a candleholder to light a wick or dive deep down to the bottom of a tinder pile to spark a roaring campfire.

Commonly associated with cigarettes, disposable and refillable pocket lighters are designed to do their best work when held upright. Once you have to hold one flame-side down, the flame rises upward and starts to lick at your skin — not a particularly clean solution.

Dissim lighter in action ... up and down
Dissim lighter in action ... up and down

After playing around with designs resembling everything from keychain lights to leaf blowers, the Dissim team settled on the final round-tail design. The trigger and flame port are pushed out to opposite sides, with the latter angled so that when the flame rises, it rises away from the hand. The cutout on the other end provides a grip for upside-down use. Perhaps just as important as the fact that the Dissim lighter works, the design looks good — distinctive, sleek and simple.

The Dissim lighter includes a fuel level window, flame height adjustment and butane refill valve. It's 3.2 in (8 cm) tall, weighs 3 oz (85 g) and holds 2 g of fuel.

The available water-resistant case protects the lighter
The available water-resistant case protects the lighter

Dissim's Kickstarter campaign is already a runaway success, having raised more than 10 times its goal within its first day. A $24 pledge will secure a lighter, and a $35 pledge packages that lighter with a water-resistant carry case. Dissim backs the lighter with a lifetime warranty, and its initial plans call for deliveries to begin in August 2020.

Source: Kickstarter

View gallery - 11 images
3 comments
3 comments
T N Args
I had to laugh at the highlighted quotation on the kickstarter campaign: "I'll never buy another lighter off a gas station counter again!" - Jason W., Beta Tester

Ummm, a naked flame device in a gas station? I hope Jason is still well and not being quoted from his hospital bed. And the quote isn't a vow not to make that mistake twice. ;)
Martin Hone
Just about every butane powered lighter I have ever used works fine upside down. Maybe 'cos I live in Australia ....?
Username
My arc lighter works in any direction. It needs to be recharged once in a while but no fuel and no flint.