S.T. Dupont Biggy Lighter — Black Lacquer & Gold

The S.T. Dupont Biggy is the largest torch-flame lighter the maison makes, built in black lacquer with gold-finish trim for a substantial weight in the hand and a flame that holds outdoors. It is the lighter counsel reach for on a terrace, where a soft flame gives up and a wide cigar foot needs real heat.

Specifications

• Maker: S.T. Dupont
• Origin: Faverges, Haute-Savoie, France
• Model: Biggy
• Material: Black Chinese lacquer
• Finish: Gold trim
• Flame: Torch (jet) flame, wind-resistant
• Fuel: Butane, refill through the base valve; ships unfueled
• Warranty: Two years from S.T. Dupont, plus our Thirty-Day Assurance
• Travel: Torch lighters may not be carried aboard aircraft

Exhibit B — The maker's film

Two minutes thirty-seven, shot in the Faverges workshop, captions theirs. The hallmark is struck at 0:22 and the lacquer goes on at 0:54; the flame is tested at 1:58. That is most of what you are paying for. It is the last item in the gallery above.

Questions we are asked

Why choose a torch over a soft flame? Wind and ring gauge. A torch lights a broad cigar foot evenly and survives a breeze; a soft flame is the indoor, traditional light.

Can I fly with it? No. Torch lighters may not be carried aboard aircraft, so this is the one to leave at the law office rather than pack.

Is it too large for a pocket? It is the biggest body in the range and reads as a desk object. If you want the same flame in something flat enough to carry, the Slimmy is the answer.

Does it make a good gift for a lawyer making partner? It does, and it is the more relaxed choice of the two — a terrace object rather than a ceremonial one.

Deciding between cutters, lighters, humidors, and ashtrays? Read A Cigar, Counselor?

Built for the terrace and the wide cigar foot, not for travel — torch lighters cannot be carried aboard aircraft. For a soft flame and the hinged cap, see the Ligne 2 Perfect Ping; for a flat body sized to a jacket pocket, see the Slimmy.

Barrister & Bespoke Curated Collection — hand-selected from S.T. Dupont, the Paris maison that has made leather cases since 1872 and lighters since 1941, for its craftsmanship and fit within our world. Curated pieces carry their maker's own identity rather than ours; our house collection, designed and branded exclusively for Barrister & Bespoke, is marked separately throughout the shop.

Why we carry it. S.T. Dupont began where we did. Simon Tissot-Dupont opened a Paris workshop in 1872 making document cases, briefcases, and travel trunks for diplomats and businessmen — objects whose quality lived in hinges, locks, frames, and fittings. The lighter, four decades on, was the same discipline applied to a smaller object. The workshop has been at Faverges in the Haute-Savoie since 1924, took in its first master lacquerer in 1935, and holds the French state's Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant designation for living heritage craft. We sell leather cases for a living. So did they, first.

Warranty. This Product carries S.T. Dupont's two-year warranty against manufacturing defects, and Barrister & Bespoke's own Thirty-Day Assurance for the first thirty days after delivery. Lighters ship unfueled, and torch lighters may not be carried aboard aircraft. Full terms, including how to make a claim, are stated in our Warranty Policy.

Returns. A lighter may be returned within thirty days if it is unused and in its original packaging. Every lighter ships unfueled; once butane has been added it is Final Sale and cannot be returned or exchanged, except where it arrives damaged, defective, or materially different from its description. Full terms are in our Returns & Exchanges Policy.