S.T. Dupont Slimmy

At the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, S.T. Dupont definitely embraced two words: flat flame. While the company released some new finishes and the annual assortment of high-end sets that get into the four- and five-digit MSRP range, the company’s three main releases—the Slimmy, the Big D and the Twiggy—all featured flat flames.

While the names might raise an eyebrow or two, or at least make someone pause for a moment to mentally resolve a company with the lineage and class of S.T. Dupont calling a lighter Big D, they are also very serious lighters with a lineage and the requests of consumers hopefully being answered.

It should be noted that the Big D has since been renamed and is now known as the Biggy, though the company has not offered an explanation as to why the change was made.

But the comment about being a very serious lighter is particularly true for the S.T. Dupont Slimmy, which the company said was developed at the requests of consumers who wanted a torch lighter offered in a body size and design that resembles the Ligne 2, the company’s iconic soft flame lighter. There is no roller ignition or lid, but the major design cues should otherwise be immediately recognizable.

The S.T. Dupont Slimmy began shipping to stores in late September 2023, alongside the Big D/Biggy and Twiggy.

WHAT IS IT?

The S.T. Dupont Slimmy is a new flat flame lighter that as the name of the lighter implies, comes in a slim body design. As my colleague Charlie Minato noted, it comes in response to requests from customers for a torch version of the company’s signature S.T. Dupont Ligne 2. While the body styles are similar, the Slimmy does not have either the flip-up lid or the roller ignition.

In living up to its name, the lighter measures just 0.31 inches thick, 2.67 inches tall and 1.45 inches wide, while weighing in at a respectable 2.8 ounces or so.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The S.T. Dupont Slimmy comes at three price points depending on which one of the nine finishes is selected:

• S.T. Dupont Slimmy Shiny Black Lacquer/Chrome, Shiny Black Lacquer/Golden, Shiny Blue Lacquer/Golden, Shiny Light Blue Lacquer/Chrome, Shiny Coral Lacquer/Chrome, Shiny White Lacquer/Golden — $350
• S.T. Dupont Slimmy Diamond Head Chrome/Golden — $370
• S.T. Dupont Slimmy Picasso White — $375

As with all S.T. Dupont products, new items are guaranteed for a period of two years from the date of purchase against any manufacturing defects when purchased from an authorized dealer.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The S.T. Dupont Slimmy is a classic side-squeeze lighter, meaning that all that needs to be done is to simply press the squeeze the ignition lever into the body, a process that starts the flow of butane and sparks it to generate the flat flame. Proceed to light a cigar and release the ignition to extinguish the flame. While S.T. Dupont strongly encourages use of its own butane, it is not required for the lighter to function. I used both the company’s butane and butane from other companies with no apparent issues.

PROS

• The Flame is Near Perfect — The flat flame of the S.T. Dupont Slimmy is easily as good as any I have used regarding its size and ability to light a cigar. While there are cigars that might call for a bit wider flame, and the wide flat flame has been growing in popularity, I never found the Slimmy to be overmatched.
• This Design Has Great Texture — I’m a bit fan of lighters having some texture to them as a way to help the user hold onto them while being used, and this diamond head gold does just that.
• The Ignition is Firm Without Being Too Firm — I find side squeeze ignitions to be generally fine but aren’t my preferred style because of how they force me to curl my hand around the lighter. That said, the Slimmy executes the design pretty well, offering an ignition that is firm and results in a satisfying click and flame.
• The Reflective Metal Helps Light Your Cigar — While you can hold your cigar in your hand to light it, it’s easy to get a good look at how things are progressing. But once you stick that cigar in your mouth, you’re kind of flying blind without a mirror or other reflective surface. While I can’t say it was intentional, the reflective surface around the flame serves a wonderful purpose of providing a look at how the final steps in the cigar lighting process are coming and ensuring an even toasting has occurred.
• It Lives Up to Its Name — From a size perspective, the Slimmy is very portable, and slides into a pocket or travel humidor without taking up much space. If anything, the weight may be noticeable, but it is definitely a compact body style.
• The Body Stays True to its Ligne 2 Lineage — I will say that I’m not an expert in S.T. Dupont’s history of body designs, but I’ve been around long enough to recognize that the Ligne 2 is one of the iconic designs among lighters. While it lacks the roller ignition and lid, the Slimmy puts its heritage front and center, staying true to the line’s key design features.

CONS

• The Top of the Lighter Gets Incredibly Hot — If the lighter is used for any extended period of time, the top portion of the lighter gets very hot, and with the natural inclination to curl my index finger around that top portion, the resulting feeling is pretty immediately obvious. It doesn’t burn my skin, but it does get very hot very quickly.
• It Doesn’t Stand Up Well — Whenever I was done lighting my cigar, I had a natural inclination to try and stand the cigar up on its base, only to be met with the thud of it hitting my desk when I went back to working and inevitably bumped the table.
• There’s a Small Flame Adjuster — Once I found a setting I liked, this didn’t become much of an issue, but there came situations where a bit more or less flame made sense. Thankfully, the flat edge of the bottle opener on my XIKAR MTX Cigar Scissors fits, but if you don’t have one of those with you, you’ll either need to jam a fingernail in the slot or use some other small, flat tool. I understand that a slim lighter such as this isn’t likely to offer a large flame adjuster, but it is a reminder of nice some of those tool-free versions are to use.
• S.T. Dupont’s Fuel is Expensive — S.T. Dupont recommends using the S.T. Dupont butane that comes in the black can, which is priced at $18.75 for a 72ml can, meaning that it comes out to $26.04 per 100ml. Conversely, you can get 600ml of Colibri’s fuel for $23.99 ($4 per 100ml) or 800 ml of XIKAR’s premium butane for $18.98 ($2.37 per 100ml). As mentioned above, I used both and didn’t notice any issues.
• It Doesn’t Ping — If the whole point is to try to sell me a Ligne 2 that is a torch, it’s missing a signature Ligne 2 feature.
• There’s No Fuel Window — Fuel windows don’t seem to be S.T. Dupont’s thing, and I fully understand that they are harder to incorporate in this kind of body style, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want one. Far from a deal-breaker, but one of those boxes I wish I could check.

THE COMPETITION

Every time I review a flat flame lighter, I can’t help but feel like it wasn’t that long ago that I had to really work to fill out the competition section of a review. Now, I have to inevitably leave out some very good options, and the subcategories within flat flames continue to grow, most notably thanks to the increase of wide flat flames.

Here are a couple of the options I would consider alongside the S.T. Dupont Slimmy:

• Porsche Design Heber P’ 3262 ($155) — When it comes to flat flame lighters, the Heber is far-and-away my favorite option. The flip-down ignition design is unique, and when I factor in the carbon fiber design, it adds to the already outstanding form. Here’s the thing, though: the lighters are getting harder and harder to find, and the brand is essentially out of the market. I found a couple of the basic designs on Amazon, but they certainly seem to be disappearing. With no disrespect to the Slimmy, the Heber is still my pick between the two for its unique design and the fact that it’s not an often-seen brand.
• S.T. Dupont Ligne 2 Torch Lighters (Varies) — These are no longer on the market, so you’ll have to find them on eBay or some other secondary market, and I’ve never used them, but it seemed appropriate to mention them as competition, especially if you’re looking for a Ligne 2 that’s a torch.
• Vertigo Zephyr ($25) — If you are looking for the most affordable flat flame lighter, I rank the Zephyr very highly. It offers the same basic functionality as the Slimmy, just in a much lighter, more spartan style. This sparks the ongoing conversation about how much a person is willing to pay for form, as the function is pretty much identical. Personally, I’d take either lighter in terms of function, and while the Slimmy certainly offers a lot in form, for me, it’s not worth the $300+ premium. The more expensive Vertigo Spade ($39.95) could also be a consideration.
• S.T. Dupont Megajet ($265) — The Megajet intrigued me when I first saw it, but some issues with fuel flow arose when I was using it that led me to not recommend it. In a nutshell, the lighter did not extinguish after the ignition was released, with the flame hanging around for a couple of seconds. I haven’t used ones currently on store shelves, so I don’t know if the issues have been resolved.
• S.T. Dupont Biggy ($425-$450) — I have yet to use the Biggy, which was released at the same time as the Slimmy. The design and functionality appear to be largely the same, though the Biggie has a body that is larger, closer to the Le Grand Dupont, and with a wider flat flame. I can’t speak to whether or not the $75-$100 premium for it is worth it, but I would at least consider it in light of what cigars you smoke most regularly.
• Siglo Chameleon ($154) — This is that lighter in my desk drawer that I realize I don’t use nearly enough, and for no good reason, as I really like this model. Yes, the color-changing body may be seen as a gimmick, but it is definitely unique, definitely a conversation starter, and most importantly, definitely a highly functional lighter. While it is a wide-flame, it also offers a punch cutter, giving it a bit bigger body than the Slimmy. If nothing less, I’d suggest checking out the Chameleon to see a different take on the flat flame design from a brand that doesn’t have the same level of recognition that S.T. Dupont does. It would be tough to pick, but I’d have a hard time saying no to the Chameleon given how well it works for less than half the price of the Slimmy, while also offering a pull-down ignition, which I like better than the side-squeeze option.

SHOULD YOU BUY IT?

Yes. The S.T. Dupont Slimmy checks the key boxes in both form and function, staying true to the lineage of the Ligne 2 while delivering a solidly performing flat flame lighter in a compact body style. Yes, it is spendier than a number of other options that do effectively the same basic function, but I will say that the form of the Slimmy is top-notch, as it’s solid in the hand and the ignition has been incredibly reliable. I am a bit concerned about how hot the upper portion of the lighter gets, though that is manageable with conscientious hand placement and ensuring that the lighter isn’t used for long enough stretches that it gets to that overly hot point. For a higher-end flat flame lighter, the S.T. Dupont Slimmy is absolutely worth a look.

The lighter used for this review was purchased by halfwheel.