Exclusive IPCPR Preview – VOLTA™ QUAD LIGHTER
XlKAR rounds out its lighter category with the Volta, a quad flame tabletop and the first of its kind. Built on a strong, stout foundation, the Volta makes any table look important with its’ size and form. It will be introduced at IPCPR 2015 in New Orleans. Keep reading below for our review.
Benefits:
- Durable metal body with a sleek look and solid feel
- Oversized push button for rapid ignition
- Easy-to-see red fuel window
- Ratcheting, oversized fuel wheel to easily adjust flame height
- Vented windows to provide more consistent and reliable lighting
Description
The Volta bundles XIKAR’s patented technologies to deliver a high performance quad flame tabletop lighter. The oversized push button ignition fits flush against the cylindrical metal body creating a powerful appearance. The high tech camera aperture-inspired lid protects the quad burners, keeping debris out with a quick twist of the top lid.
Features
- Cylindrical metal body
- Quad jet flame
- Manual aperture protective lid
- Oversized push-button ignition
- Large capacity fuel tank
- Oversized fuel window refracts light giving the fuel a red hue
- Ratcheting, oversized fuel adjustment system
- Available in Black, G2 & Silver
- Body can be laser engraved
Review
This is the granddaddy of all Xikar Lighters. I never thought I would have a lighter that made my 5 x 64 Turrim feel inadequate, but here it is. This is a true tabletop lighter, not meant to be taken with, but to reside in your smoking room or lounge as the centerpiece of the table. It really is beautiful to look at, aside from the impressiveness from its sheer size, the design is simple, elegant, unique, and it really stands out. The first or second thing you will notice about this lighter is the unique aperture-modeled protective lid atop the body.
Your first instinct is to click the ignition and see what happens. Unfortunately this doesn’t open the aperture, which would feel very James Bond, you have to twist it manually to expose the four jets. The effect is still very cool, and a nice touch. The ignition button is huge, pretty hard to miss. I think the idea here was to make it fool proof, no matter how you pick up the lighter, you can squeeze it to light. Another new feature that is making its way to more Xikar models is the colored fuel gauge. It actually makes the fuel appear blue (although the description says red) in the tank so you can more clearly see how much you have. It really does stand out and makes it much easier to see how much fuel you have left without having to tip it and look for a bubble.
Functionally, it works exactly as I hoped it would. Once you ignite it, the quad jets combine a couple inches up to form one gigantic blue flame, just how I like it. The huge soft blue flame can warm the entire foot of your cigar at once, guaranteeing an even light, something I have only been able to accomplish before now with my brûlée torch. Like the Turrim, the entire bottom of the body twists to adjust the flame height with a click every 1/8 inch or so, making it very easy to find a sweet spot and keep it there after filling.
Overall, I love this lighter, as I do most Xikar products. They pay extra attention to detail and functionality you just don’t find on other products. This does, however, come at a price, $149 MSRP in this case. This is a pretty hefty price tag for a lighter, but when you compare it to other tabletop lighters in its class, it appears more reasonable. That said, if you are looking for a great, unique, reliable tabletop lighter that is a talking point at your lounge or smoking room, this is your guy. I definitely recommend it if you have a little extra cash to drop on something special.
Verdict: Great
(Highly Recommend)