Between shooting my mortar, heating my house with wood, and designing a custom propane BBQ grill, I have been playing with fire alot this year.
Wooden matches work OK, most butane lighters suck. I have been playing with various brands/models of re-fillable butane lighters and didn't get one to make it past the "refilling" stage before it died for one reason or another.
After buying and throwing out a whole bunch of junk lighters, I wittled it down to two that actually seem to work.
The first is the tried and true "zippo" lighter (not butane... old fashion"lighter fluid"). The one I chose was in brass... doesn't really matter which one you choose cuz the insides are all the same anyway. It actually works/lasts/lights stuff, etc, etc.
Anyway, while shopping for a classic Zippo, I found that Zippo also makes a butane "Multi-Purpose-Lighter". I bought one to try, and I love it. It is on the 5th refill so far, and hasn't died yet. I love it so much that I just got a second one to use to light the wood stove with.
So, if you have dealt with the frustration of a reliable source of flame, check it out. You can find them online from numerous places, but the price doesn' vary by much...best place to shop is right at
www.zippo.comThe particular butane lighter I am so fastinated with can be seen at
http://www.zippo.com/Products/zippoMPL.aspxDon't forget to order a couple of 4.2 ounce butane refills while you are there (if they have them in stock, otherwise you have to settle for 2.4 ounce ones at almost the same price)