Clipper lighters; on the left, the flint system which has been removed from the orange one
Clipper is the brand name of a type of refillable butanelighter, designed by Enric Sardà and owned by Flamagas S.A.[1] since 1959.
The lighters are mostly produced in Barcelona, with others manufactured in Chennai and Shanghai.[2] Clipper has a wide range of lighters, gas refills and other accessories. The first Clipper lighter was made in 1972, and global production is now around 450 million units a year, making it the second-largest lighter manufacturer in the world, behind BIC. [citation needed]
The Clipper brand is a division of Flamagas S.A.,[3] which also distributes stationery and electronics for such brands as Casio and Daewoo.[4] Flamagas S.A. is headed by Puig, and both companies are subsidiaries of the Exea Corporation.[5][6]
Associations
Some people associate the use of the Clipper lighter with stoners.[7][8] This is due to its flint system, which smokers often used to pack self-rolling tobacco and marijuana.
Dimensions
The dimensions of the different models of Clipper lighters are as follows:[9]
Model
Length (mm)
Diameter (mm)
large
71
16
medium
71
14
pocket
63
16
micro
63
14
jet
63
16
In popular culture
British garage act The Streets used the Clipper lighter as its logo. The lighter (bearing the name of the artist) appears on all album covers bar the first album, which featured a Swan lighter. Their merchandise includes branded Clipper lighters.
Damien Hirst used images of the Clipper lighter in a series of artworks together with Silk Cut.
